Bethann Salei, the widow of former Wings defenseman Ruslan Salei released a statement through the Anaheim Ducks.
“On behalf of the Salei family, I want to express my sincere thanks to the entire hockey community, including all of Ruslan’s friends and fans, for the overwhelming love and support. While this is an extremely difficult time for us, the outpouring of affection our family has received has been comforting. As much as Ruslan enjoyed playing hockey, he loved the camaraderie he had with his teammates, the team staffs, and the fans that much more.
“Ruslan was the love of my life, and I’m extremely grateful to have our three beautiful children. He treasured his family life with us, and we miss him dearly.”
Ruslan Salei along with former Wings defenseman and assistant coach Brad McCrimmon and former Red Wings goaltending prospect Stefan Liv were among the 43 people killed in a plane crash Wednesday involving the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
Source: Anaheim Ducks, Mlive.com