Sergei Zholtok

Sergei Zholtok ((December 2, 1972 – November 3, 2004) was a Latvian (ethnic Russian) professional ice hockey center who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators.

Playing career
Zholtok was drafted by the Boston Bruins 55th overall in 1992 NHL Entry Draft. Prior to being drafted, he won a gold medal with USSR national team in IIHF Junior World Championships in 1992. After playing 25 games with the Boston Bruins in the 1992–93 NHL season and the 1993–94 NHL season, Zholtok spent the next years playing in minor leagues. Zholtok returned to the NHL in the 1996–97 NHL season with the Ottawa Senators. In the following years, he played for the Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and the Nashville Predators.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Zholtok returned to Latvia and played for the Riga 2000 team in the Latvian national hockey championship and the Open Belarus hockey championship. On November 3, 2004, his cardiac arrhythmia resurfaced during the game between HK Riga 2000 (Latvia) and HC Dinamo Minsk (Belarus). Zholtok left the game with 5 minutes remaining, collapsing and dying after returning to the dressing room. An autopsy determined heart failure as the cause of death. This was not the first occurrence; in January 2003 he had to leave a game due to this arrhythmia, and had been observed in a hospital overnight. He was allowed to return to play after missing seven games.

During his 10 years in the NHL he played in 588 regular-season games, scored 111 goals and had 147 assists. He is survived by his wife, Anna, and sons Edgar and Nikita.

Awards and achievements

 * 1996: Ironman Award, International Hockey League, given to a player who has played in every game for his team and displayed outstanding offensive and defensive skills.
 * 2005: Riga Secondary School No. 55 was named in honour of Sergei Zholtok.