NHL prospect Alexei Cherepanov died during a game in Russia Monday night. He was only 19-years old.

Cherepanov suffered a sudden heart attack while sitting on the bench during his team’s game. Former Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr was talking to Cherepanov when the latter suddenly collapsed.

Medical officials hurried over to Cherepanov and tried to get his heart going again. They failed, however.

New York general manager Glen Sather (Rangers) said: “We are extremely saddened by the tragic passing of Alexei. On behalf of the New York Rangers organization, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family. Alexei was an intelligent, energetic young man with tremendous talent and an extremely bright future.”

“He was a great kid,” Cherepanov’s agent, Jay Grossman, told TSN. “He had a great smile and was an outstanding player with a great future on and off the ice. It’s both shocking and devastating news for all of us.”

There is something strange going on with young athletes these days. Many young European soccer players have also collapsed, just during a match, in recent years, and died. Cherepanov’s story sounds very familiar to European sports fans;the unexpected heart attack, the sudden death, the end of a talent.