Igor Korolev

{{Short description|Russian-Canadian ice hockey player and coach (1970-2011)}}

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| image =

| image_size =

| position = Centre

| shoots = Left

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 198

| ntl_team = URS

| ntl_team_2 = RUS

| birth_date = {{birth date |1970|9|6}}

| birth_place = Zelenograd, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

| death_date = {{death date and age|2011|9|7|1970|9|6}}

| death_place = Yaroslavl, Russia

| draft = 38th overall

| draft_year = 1992

| draft_team = St. Louis Blues

| career_start = 1988

| career_end = 2010

| played_for = HC Dynamo Moscow
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets
Phoenix Coyotes
Toronto Maple Leafs
Chicago Blackhawks
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Atlant Moscow Oblast
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

}}

Igor Borisovich Korolev ({{langx|ru|Игорь Борисович Королёв}}; September 6, 1970 – September 7, 2011) was a Russian-Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Korolev played over 700 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1992 until 2004. Korolev returned to Russia, and played a further seven seasons in the Russian Super League (RSL) and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) before retiring from active play in 2010. In 2011, Korolev accepted an assistant coach position with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL. Korolev was killed in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash{{cite web |url=http://www.sovsport.ru/news/text-item/479312 | title =List of those killed in plane crash near Yaroslavl | publisher=sovsport.ru | date=2011-09-07 | language=ru | access-date=2011-09-07}} along with nearly the entire roster of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. A native of the Russian Republic of the Soviet Union, Korolev became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 2000.

Playing career

Korolev began his professional playing career with HC Dynamo Moscow in the 1988–89 season appearing once. The following season, Korolev became a full member of the team, playing 17 games. He played two further full seasons with Dynamo. In all three seasons, Dynamo won the league championship. Korolev was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the second round, 38th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. After five games with Dynamo in the 1992–93 season, Korolev left to join the Blues. Korolev played for the Blues for two seasons. Korolev was unsigned in the 1994–95 season and he returned to Dynamo. He was picked up by the Winnipeg Jets in the waiver draft in January 1995 and stayed with the team as it moved to Phoenix. He signed as a free agent with Toronto in 1997. He was traded to Chicago in 2001 where he played until 2004. He then returned to Russia and signed with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. After one season, he transferred to Metallurg Magnitogorsk, where he played three seasons. He played one season with Atlant Moscow Oblast and one final season with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl where he retired after the 2009–10 season. He became an assistant coach with the team and was still an assistant at the time of his death.

Death

File:Grave of Igor Korolev.jpg

Korolev died on September 7, 2011, the day after he turned 41, when a Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger aircraft crashed just outside Yaroslavl, Russia while transporting Lokomotiv to Minsk to play their opening game of the season. Lokomotiv officials said "everyone from the main roster was on the plane plus four players from the youth team."{{cite web |url=http://www.lifenews.ru/news/68920 | title=First pictures from the crash of Yak-42 near Yaroslavl | publisher =Lifenews.ru | date=2011-09-07 | language=ru | access-date=2011-09-07}}{{cite web |url=http://www.lifenews.ru/news/68927 | title=The list of Lokomotiv players who died | publisher =Lifenews.ru | date=2011-09-07 | language=ru | access-date=2011-09-07}}{{cite web | url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/former-nhl-star-pavol-demitra-among-43-killed-in-russian-plane-crash/article2156297/ | title=Pavol Demitra among 43 killed in Russian plane crash | publisher=theglobeandmail.com | date=2011-09-07 | access-date=2011-09-07 }}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} All aboard were killed, aside from one crew member.

Personal

Igor and Vera Korolev married in June 1990.{{cite news |work=Toronto Star |last=Feschuk |first=Dave |title=Ex-Leaf Korolev was devoted to family |url=https://www.thestar.com/article/1051350--ex-leaf-korolev-was-devoted-to-family |date=September 8, 2011 |access-date=September 11, 2011}} Igor and Vera have two daughters, Kristina and Anastasia. Korolev's family has a permanent home in the North York district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Korolevs obtained Canadian citizenship in 2000. Korolev was buried in Toronto{{cite news |title=Igor Korolev remembered as a proud Canadian|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/igor-korolev-remembered-as-a-proud-canadian/article593748/ |work=The Globe and Mail |last=Mirtle |first=James |date=September 8, 2011 |access-date=September 9, 2011}} at Mount Pleasant Cemetery{{cite news |work=City TV |title=Igor Korolev's funeral will be held in Toronto on Sunday |url=http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/sports/article/154657--igor-korolev-s-funeral-will-be-held-in-toronto-on-sunday |date=September 16, 2011 |access-date=September 16, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026233506/http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/sports/article/154657--igor-korolev-s-funeral-will-be-held-in-toronto-on-sunday |archive-date=October 26, 2011 }} after a funeral on September 18, 2011.{{cite news |work=Globe and Mail |title=Igor Korolev remembered as a quiet leader |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/igor-korolev-remembered-as-a-quiet-leader/article4182555/ |last=Shoalts |first=Dave |date=September 19, 2011 |access-date=September 19, 2011}} Korolev was the godfather of fellow NHL player Nik Antropov's son. Korolev and Antropov both played the 2000–01 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.{{cite news |work=Winnipeg Free Press |title=Jets' Antropov mourns loss of friend in Russian plane crash |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Jets-Antropov-mourns-loss-of--129543983.html |date=September 9, 2011 |access-date=September 14, 2011}}

Honors

Soviet championship: 1990 (with Dynamo)
Soviet championship: 1991 (with Dynamo)
Championship of SNG: 1992 (with Dynamo)
International Hockey League: 1993 (with Dynamo)
International Hockey League: 1995 (with Dynamo)
Russian Super League: 2007 (with Metallurg Magnitogorsk)

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em;"
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5" \| Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5" \| Playoffs
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM
1988–89	MCOP Moscow	URS.3	14	3	4	7	16	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1988–89	Dynamo Moscow	URS	1	0	0	0	2	—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Dynamo Moscow	URS	17	3	2	5	2	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1989–90	Dynamo–2 Moscow	URS.3	12	1	3	4	25	—	—	—	—	—
1990–91	Dynamo Moscow	URS	38	12	4	16	12	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1990–91	Dynamo–2 Moscow	URS.3	3	2	3	5	4	—	—	—	—	—
1991–92	Dynamo Moscow	CIS	33	12	8	20	10	7	2	5	7	6
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1991–92	Dynamo–2 Moscow	CIS.3	4	6	4	10	0	—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	Dynamo Moscow	RUS	5	1	2	3	4	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1992–93	St. Louis Blues	NHL	74	4	23	27	20	3	0	0	0	0
1993–94	St. Louis Blues	NHL	73	6	10	16	40	2	0	0	0	0
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1994–95	Dynamo Moscow	RUS	13	4	6	10	18	—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Winnipeg Jets	NHL	45	8	22	30	10	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1995–96	Winnipeg Jets	NHL	73	22	29	51	42	6	0	3	3	0
1996–97	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL	41	3	7	10	28	1	0	0	0	0
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1996–97	Michigan K–Wings	IHL	4	2	2	4	0	—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Phoenix Roadrunners	IHL	4	2	6	8	4	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1997–98	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	78	17	22	39	22	—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	66	13	34	47	46	1	0	0	0	0
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1999–2000	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	80	20	26	46	22	12	0	4	4	6
2000–01	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	73	10	19	29	28	11	0	0	0	0
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2001–02	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	82	9	20	29	20	5	0	1	1	0
2002–03	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	48	4	5	9	30	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2002–03	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	14	4	3	7	0	9	2	4	6	4
2003–04	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	10	1	4	5	4	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2003–04	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	62	3	10	13	22	—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	RSL	60	8	20	28	26	9	1	6	7	2
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2005–06	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	RSL	51	7	17	24	26	11	0	1	1	4
2006–07	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	RSL	54	2	14	16	28	15	4	3	7	8
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2007–08	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	RSL	57	6	20	26	58	13	5	5	10	10
2008–09	Atlant Mytishchi	KHL	56	7	15	22	46	7	0	1	1	10
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2009–10	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	KHL	48	5	15	20	28	15	0	3	3	4
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" \| URS/CIS totals ! 89 ! 27 ! 14 ! 41 ! 26 ! 7 ! 2 ! 5 ! 7 ! 6
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" \| NHL totals ! 795 ! 119 ! 227 ! 346 ! 330 ! 41 ! 0 ! 8 ! 8 ! 6
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" \| RSL totals ! 222 ! 23 ! 68 ! 91 ! 140 ! 48 ! 10 ! 15 ! 25 ! 24