Robert Dietrich

Robert Dietrich was a German professional ice hockey defenceman. He died in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash, which claimed the lives of the entire team's players and coaching staff aboard the flight.

Playing career

Dietrich was selected 174th overall by the Nashville Predators in the sixth round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the DEG Metro Stars in the DEL between 2005 and 2008. On July 16, 2007, he signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Predators. He spent the first season of his contract back on loan with the Metro Stars before heading to North America, where he played his final two seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals, the Predators' AHL affiliate.
During his second season with the Admirals in the 2009–10 season, Dietrich established himself as an offensive contributor from the blue line, leading all Admirals defensemen in scoring with an impressive 43 points. Despite his strong performance and consistent play, Dietrich was unable to secure a promotion to the NHL with Nashville. Seeking greater opportunities and a return to his home country, Dietrich chose to continue his professional career in Germany. On June 8, 2010, he signed a two-year contract with Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.

Death

On September 7, 2011, Dietrich tragically lost his life in a plane crash involving a Yakovlev Yak-42 aircraft near Yaroslavl, Russia. The flight was transporting nearly the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team, including coaches and young players, to Minsk, Belarus, where they were scheduled to play their first game of the season. Lokomotiv officials said, "everyone from the main roster was on the plane plus four players from the youth team."