Remembering Dmitri Tertyshny

Last week was the anniversary of the tragic passing of the young Flyers defenseman Dmitri Tertyshny. His cousin Alexei shares his memories eleven years after.

"Only good things come to mind", Alexei Tertyshny says. "I don't even remember anything bad."

"Dima became a father in America, a kid he didn't even have time to see. When his wife comes to visit and I look at the kid, he looks exactly like Dima - all his facial expressions, even his hair is the same. It's a small comfort, but he left something of himself behind."

Alexei says he was good friends with his cousin.

"Yeah. We went to school together. He went to school later, not with his class mates, but with us. We spent most of the time together, had sleepovers... we were inseparable."

Alexei thinks the tragic accident was fate.

"Of course it's hard to recall everything and try not to think about it. It was a harmless situation on a yacht. It was the offseason, they were on vacation. What else could it be called but fate?"

"It was definitely a shock to me. I was at a training camp in Finland and his brother Sergei was in Magnitogorsk. Cell phones were not so common back then. Some of the guys I was with had one and I called home and I was told about it. I didn't believe it at first. It would be a shock to anyone to lose a loved one."

Alexei says the Flyers organization offered help to Dmitri's family.

"They supported his parents and his wife and gave them logistical help."

"His wife and son live in America and thank God everything is fine with them."

Dmitri's son also plays hockey.

"Yeah, he plays and as they say, he's good at it. This year he went to a junior team in Philadelphia."

Alexei believes his cousin would've become a good player in the NHL.

"He would because he had managed to spend the season on a very strong Flyers team where Russians weren't really accepted."

"His brother Sergei played in North America and I knew he was good, but I didn't expect Dima to follow. It was a pleasant surprise. He spent the entire season up in the NHL, played almost every game including the playoffs and everyone had only good things to say about him. Impressive, I must say."

"Dima managed to write his name in the history of hockey. He is the only one of the brothers who could play in the NHL all season."