Pavol Demitra: Friends reflect on 15 years since hockey star's death

Fifteen years have passed since the tragic death of Slovak hockey star Pavol Demitra, who died in a plane crash involving the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team on September 7, 2011.

Former teammates and friends, including Marián Gáborík, Tomáš Kopecký, and Michal Handzuš, have shared reflections on what the athlete might have been doing today at age 51. They suggest he would have likely transitioned into hockey management, specifically expressing interest in leading the club Dukla Trenčín.

Beyond hockey, colleagues recall Demitra’s passion for hunting, describing it as a way for him to relax and escape the pressures of his professional career. His peers also noted that he would have remained deeply involved in his family's sporting lives and focused on his children.