Abakar Kazbekov, a Russian teenage hockey player who was competing in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), has died, the organization announced Saturday. He was 18.
Kazbekov was playing for the London Knights of the OHL. The OHL is one of the three major junior hockey leagues in Canada. The league is for players mainly between the ages 16-19.
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“The Ontario Hockey League and the London Knights are saddened to announce the sudden passing of player Abakar Kazbekov,” the league said in a statement. “Abakar has been a valued member of the team since 2021. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates.”
The Knights’ game against the Flint Firebirds was postponed.
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Kazbekov had played in 12 games for the Knights and recorded one assist for the game. He scored a goal in the 2021-22 regular season in nine appearances. He had played in London’s game against the Owen Sound Attack on Friday. The Moscow native had been with the team since last season and previously played in the under-16 and under-18 leagues in Russia.
No details of Kazbekov’s death were revealed.
According to multiple reports, he died Saturday morning after falling from a downtown apartment building. London police were investigating the incident but foul play is not suspected.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
