3 Karlis Skrastins
2003-2004 Ninth Season
CCM/KOHO Airknit. Set 1. Neck tagging 56.
NHL-MGG No. B02308
Being an alternate, this jersey shows predictably lighter wear, and was worn a total of six games. The shirt does show some nice black marks however, with some nice marks on the sleeves and some very good marks in the front hem stripe. An interesting item on this jersey is the way the loose strings on the neck lace have been cut to length and knotted at the ends. The Meigray tag is sewn in the rear hem, and the jersey is accompanied by the NHL-MGG LOA.
[ click on individual thumbnails to see larger images ]
Neck tags
NHL shield
Set patch
Nameplate
Hem marks
Sleeve marks
Body marks
Karlis Skrastins was born in Riga, Latvia on July 9th, 1974 and played three seasons in his homeland, then three more in Finland before he came to North America to peruse his NHL career. Skrastins turned pro with the Milwaukee Admirals of the International Hockey League and midway through that season was summoned to the NHL by the Nashville Predators.
A stay-at-home defenceman, Skrastins made his NHL debut during the 1998-99 season and in 1999-00 went on to play the better part of the season with the Preds'. After getting his feet wet for two seasons, Skrastins became an NHL regular in 2000-01, playing all 82 games for Nashville as part of their starting six defensive unit.
After two more seasons with Nashville, Skrastins was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche in the summer of 2003. He appeared in all 82 games with the Avs the following season and during the NHL lockout he returned home to Latvia. When the league returned to action in 2005-06, Skrastins would collect 3 goals, 11 assists, for 14 points, nearly matching his career high totals. The following season Skrastins made NHL history by breaking the record for consecutive games played by a defenseman. Skrastins appeared in 478 straight games, eclipsing the previous mark of 486 set by Tim Horton with the Maple Leafs. However, his streak came to an end at 495 games when he was held out of the lineup due to an injury to his knee.
The stay-at-home defenseman was dealt the following season at the 2008 NHL trading deadline to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Ruslan Salei.
On the international stage, Skrastins represented his homeland at the World Championships (1999-2001 and 2005) and the Winter Olympics (2002).
On May 17, 2011, after eleven seasons in the NHL, Skrastins left to sign a contract with Russian team, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. On September 7, 2011, he was killed, when a Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger aircraft, carrying nearly his entire Lokomotiv team, crashed just outside Yaroslavl, Russia. The team was traveling to Minsk to play their opening game of the season, with its coaching staff and prospects. Lokomotiv officials said "everyone from the main roster was on the plane plus four players from the youth team."
Defense
Born: July 9, 1974 - Riga Latvia
6-1, 196 lbs. Shoots left
Selected by Nashville Predators round 9 #230 overall 1998 NHL Entry Draft.Traded to Colorado by Nashville for Colorado's 3rd round choice (later traded to Ottawa - Ottawa selected Peter Regin Jensen) in 2004 Entry Draft, June 30, 2003. Signed as a free agent by Riga (Latvia), September 25, 2004. Traded to Florida by Colorado with Colorado's 3rd round choice (Adam Comrie) in 2008 Entry Draft for Ruslan Salei, February 26, 2008. Signed as a free agent by Dallas, July 2, 2009.
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