Alexei Andreyevich Cherepanov (; 15 January 1989 – 13 October 2008) was a Russian professional ice hockey winger who played for Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Previously, Cherepanov had played for Avangard's lower-level teams, and then for the senior men's team in the Russian Super League. Cherepanov was selected in the first round (17th overall) of the 2007 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft by the New York Rangers, although he never played professional hockey in North America. Cherepanov represented Russia in international play, and played in several tournaments at the junior level. He won a gold medal at the 2007 World Under-18 Championships. While playing at the Under-20 level, Cherepanov won silver and bronze medals in 2007 and 2008. During a KHL game in October 2008, Cherepanov collapsed on the bench near the end of the game, and could not be resuscitated. He was pronounced dead later that day in hospital at age 19. His cause of death was attributed to heart failure, although there were varying reports as to the specific nature of his underlying medical condition. After his death, the KHL launched an investigation into the emergency response provided by the home team during the game, and also into team officials and physicians for their treatment and management of Cherepanov's health during his career. Avangard retired Cherepanov's #7 jersey after his death, and the KHL renamed its Rookie of the Year trophy to the Alexei Cherepanov Trophy. Playing career Cherepanov was born in Siberia, and played minor hockey for the Motor Barnaul organization. The remote location of his youth hockey play made Cherepanov an unknown quantity until he left the region to join the Avangard Omsk organization. He made his debut for the team in the Russian third division during the 2005–06 season, appearing in five games and scoring two goals. During the 2006–07 season, Cherepanov split time between Avangard's club in the Russian Superleague (RSL) and the Russian third division. While playing with the top-level club, Cherepanov scored 18 goals and added 11 assists in 46 games. His 18 goals set a RSL record for players his age, and exceeded the production of his Russian predecessors, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, when they were at the same level. For his play the previous season, Cherepanov was named RSL Newcomer of the Year. Cherepanov was eligible for the 2007 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry