Robert Dietrich

For the German art director, see Robert A. Dietrich. For the intelligence officer who used "Robert Dietrich" as a pseudonym, see E. Howard Hunt.

Robert Dietrich (25 July 1986 – 7 September 2011) was a Kazakh-born German professional ice hockey defenceman. He lost his life in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash, which claimed the lives of the entire team's players and coaching staff aboard the flight.

Robert Dietrich
Born	(1986-07-25)25 July 1986 Ordzhonikidze, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Died	7 September 2011(2011-09-07) (aged 25) Yaroslavl, Russia
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	172 lb (78 kg; 12 st 4 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	DEG Metro Stars Straubing Tigers Milwaukee Admirals Adler Mannheim
National team	Germany
NHL draft	174th overall, 2007 Nashville Predators
Playing career	2003–2011

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.^[1] 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.

Robert Dietrich in 2010 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships

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 (DEL).^[2]

Death

Main article: 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash

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."^[3][4][5]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2003–04	EC Peiting	3.GBun		31	4	7	11	40		11	1	2	3	43
2004–05	ETC Crimmitschau	2.GBun		45	3	14	17	34		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	DEG Metro Stars	DEL		4	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Straubing Tigers	2.GBun		46	5	3	8	55		15	0	1	1	8
2006–07	DEG Metro Stars	DEL		52	3	19	22	28		9	2	4	6	22
2007–08	DEG Metro Stars	DEL		9	1	1	2	12		13	1	2	3	4
2008–09	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		63	4	15	19	32		11	1	7	8	2
2009–10	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		79	6	37	43	28		2	0	1	1	2
2010–11	Adler Mannheim	DEL		42	3	15	18	69		6	0	2	2	8
DEL totals				107	7	35	42	111		28	3	8	11	34

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2004	Germany	WJC18-D1		5	0	4	4	4
2005	Germany	WJC		6	0	0	0	6
2006	Germany	WJC-D1		5	0	1	1	4
2007	Germany	WC		6	2	2	4	2
2010	Germany	WC		9	0	0	0	2
2011	Germany	WC		7	0	0	0	0
Junior totals				16	0	5	5	14
Senior totals				22	2	2	4	4

See also

• List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career