The Detroit Red Wings released the tragic news that former team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov has tragically passed away.
Sergei Mnatsakanov, a former massage therapist for the Detroit Red Wings who sustained life-altering injuries in a limousine crash just days after Detroit’s first Stanley Cup victory in 42 years on June 7, 1997, passed away on Friday, as confirmed by the team.
The Red Wings did not provide additional details regarding Mnatsakanov’s passing.
John Wharton, a former athletic therapist for the Red Wings, expressed his sorrow upon hearing the news, saying he was “saddened” by the loss of his former colleague and teammate.
Sergei Mnatsakanov was left paralyzed from the waist down and spent several weeks in a coma after the limousine crash, which occurred following a golf outing at The Orchards golf course in Washington Township.
Sergei Mnatsakanov was left paralyzed from the waist down and spent several weeks in a coma after the limousine crash, which occurred following a golf outing at The Orchards golf course in Washington Township.
The Detroit Red Wings are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov. Sergei was a member of the 1997 Stanley Cup Championship team that brought the first Stanley Cup to Hockeytown in 42 years.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife,… pic.twitter.com/AaPYjJjM4X
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) August 24, 2024
Russian teammates Vladimir Konstantinov and Slava Fetisov were also injured in the crash. While Fetisov sustained relatively minor injuries and was able to return to play the next season, Konstantinov’s hockey career was tragically cut short due to severe head injuries and resulting paralysis.
We would like to express our deepest condolences to the entire Mnatsakanov family during this tragic time.
