Karel Rachůnek

Karel Rachůnek
Rachůnek in 2010
Born	(1979-08-27)August 27, 1979 Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia
Died	September 7, 2011(2011-09-07) (aged 32) Yaroslavl, Russia
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Right
Played for	Ottawa Senators New York Rangers New Jersey Devils Dynamo Moscow Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
National team	Czech Republic
NHL Draft	229th overall, 1997 Ottawa Senators
Playing career	1997–2011

Karel Rachůnek

Rachůnek played his junior hockey with AC ZPS Zlín Jr. of the Czech Junior League from 1995 to 1997. In his rookie season in 1995–96, Rachůnek recorded eight goals and 19 points in 38 games. In his second season with the club in 1996–97, Rachůnek scored two goals and 13 points in 27 games. In the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, the Ottawa Senators selected Rachůnek in the ninth round, 229th overall.

In 1997–98, Rachůnek moved to

Rachůnek made his North American debut with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the International Hockey League (IHL) in 1999–2000, which was the Ottawa Senators' top minor league affiliate. In 62 games with the Griffins, Rachůnek had 6 goals and 26 points, helping Grand Rapids earn a playoff berth. In nine post-season games, Rachůnek had five assists.

Rachůnek also made his National Hockey League debut with the Senators in 1999–2000. Rachůnek made his debut on October 31, 1999, with 14:22 of ice time in the Senators' 6–4 win over the Atlanta Thrashers. He appeared in six games with Ottawa, going pointless.

In 2000–01, Rachůnek made the Senators coming out of training camp. In his rookie season, he appeared in 71 games, scoring 3 goals and 33 points, averaging nearly 21 minutes of ice time per game and helping the Senators into the playoffs. He earned his first NHL point on November 11, 2000, an assist on a goal by Magnus Arvedson in the Senators' 4–3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. He would score his first NHL goal on January 16, 2001, on Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jamie Storr in a 7–6 loss. Rachůnek appeared in three playoff games, earning no points.

Rachůnek missed 31 games in 2001–02 due to injuries. In 51 games with Ottawa, he scored 3 goals and 18 points. He then missed the playoffs due to injuries.

Rachunek missed the first part of the 2002–03 season due to a contract dispute, as he played for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Russian Superleague. In nine games with Yaroslavl, he scored three goals. On November 8, 2002, he re-signed with the Senators and would appear in 58 games, scoring 4 goals and 29 points. Rachůnek then played in 17 playoff games, scoring one goal and four points. He scored his first playoff goal against Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils on May 17, 2003, in a 5–2 loss. Rachůnek also played in six games with the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL), earning two assists.

In 2003–04, Rachůnek played in 60 games with the Senators, scoring a goal and 17 points. His time with the Senators came to an end as of March 9, 2004, after he was traded alongside Alexandre Giroux to the New York Rangers in exchange for Greg de Vries.

New York Rangers

Rachůnek finished the

With the 2004–05 NHL lockout cancelling the season, Rachůnek signed with Orli Znojmo of the Czech Extraliga on September 6, 2004. In 21 games, he scored 5 goals and 11 points before becoming a free agent at the end of October.

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

On November 1, 2004, Rachůnek returned to Lokomotiv Yaroslav of the RSL, where he first played during the 2002–03 season when he and the Ottawa Senators could not agree to a contract. He finished the 2004–05 season with the club, scoring 6 goals and 14 points in 27 games. In the playoffs, Rachunek had two goals in nine games.

Rather than return to the NHL for the 2005–06 season, Rachunek opted to remain with Yaroslavl. In 45 games, Rachunek had 11 goals and 27 points. He was then held pointless in two playoff games, accumulating 29 penalty minutes in those two games.

Return to New York Rangers

Rachůnek returned to the New York Rangers for the 2006–07 season. In 66 games, he had 6 goals and 26 points, helping the team into the playoffs. In six playoff games, he had four assists. After the season, Rachůnek became a free agent.

New Jersey Devils

On July 3, 2007, the New Jersey Devils signed Rachunek for the 2007–08 season. He played in his first game as a Devil on October 4, 2007, in a 3–1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He recorded his first point on October 8, 2007, an assist against his former team, the Ottawa Senators, in a 4–2 loss. Rachůnek scored his first goal with New Jersey on November 17, 2007, against Martin Biron of the Philadelphia Flyers in a 6–2 win. Injuries cut his season short, as Rachůnek appeared in only 49 games, scoring 4 goals and 13 points. At the end of the season, Rachunek became a free agent.

Dynamo Moscow

On August 31, 2008, Rachůnek signed a contract with HC Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). In the 2008–09 season, Rachůnek had 9 goals and 32 points in 50 games. In 12 playoff games, he had four goals and eight points.

Rachůnek returned to Dynamo Moscow for the 2009–10 season, where he scored 10 goals and 27 points in 52 games, helping the club reach the post-season. In four playoff games, Rachunek had no points.

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

Rachůnek returned to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, now competing in the KHL, for the third time in the 2010–11 season. In 50 games with Yaroslavl, he scored 11 goals and 46 points, as the team finished with the best record in the Tarasov Division. In 18 playoff games, Rachunek had 8 goals and 13 points.

Rachůnek returned to the team for

International play

Medal record
Representing  Czech Republic
World Championships
	2010 Cologne
	2011 Bratislava

Rachůnek played with the

At the 2009 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland, Rachunek had four assists in seven games as the Czech Republic finished in sixth place. He earned a spot on the team again for the 2010 IIHF World Championship held in Germany, as he scored two goals (one of them game tying just seven seconds to play in semi-final against Sweden) and four points in nine games, helping the Czech Republic to the gold medal. Rachůnek had an assist on the game-winning goal in the gold medal game. At the 2011 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia, Rachůnek had a goal and three points in nine games, helping the Czech Republic to the bronze medal.

Death

On September 7, 2011, eleven days after turning 32, Rachůnek died in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash, along with his entire Lokomotiv team, just outside Yaroslavl, Russia. The team was on its way to their 2011–12 season opener with the entire team, coaching staff and prospects. Lokomotiv officials said "everyone from the main roster was on the plane plus four players from the youth team. The team was traveling to Minsk to play their opening game of the season."^[2]

It was during the takeoff, after the runway of 3 kilometres, that the airplane simply could not get up high enough, according to reports the plane reached a total altitude of 10–50 metres before hitting a pylon and dropping to the left. Parts of the airplane spread in the

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Karel Rachůnek.

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database