Ruslan Albertovich Salei was one of the best hockey players of the Republic of Belarus. He was hunted by the best clubs of the NHL, his technique and skill impressed even the most experienced players of the overseas league, and simple human qualities made it clear that there is probably no kinder person. You can talk about the biography of Ruslan Salei for hours, because every moment of his life was more interesting than the other.
Career
Hockey player Ruslan Salei was born on November 2, 1974 in the capital of Belarus - Minsk. From childhood, Ruslan had a craving for hockey, and his parents sent him to the hockey section to one of the Minsk teams. During performances for various children's and youth groups, Ruslana noticed the first professional club from Grodno, which at that time was called “Progress-SHVSM”. After a brilliant season at the Grodno club in 1992, Ruslana was taken to the country's most important club - Dynamo Minsk. Having shown a game that was in no way inferior to the previous season, Salei transferred to one of the capital's clubs - “Tivali”, which at that time played in the VHL championship.
The turning point in the career of Ruslan Salei was 1995, when at the World Hockey Championship, the dope test Saleya showed a positive result. For this act, Ruslan was suspended for six months from any activity related to hockey in Europe. During the investigation of this incident, it was found out that Salei was taking “Pseudoephedrine” (flu pills) during the championship, which somehow turned out to be a prohibited drug. The only option not to remain without hockey for 6 months was to fly overseas when his agent agreed with the Las Vegas Thunder hockey club.
Anaheim
A year later, the outstanding game of Belarus was noticed by representatives of Anaheim Mighty Ducks, and in the NHL draft in 1996, Ruslan Salei was identified under the 9th Anaheim general number. It is worth noting that the draft record has not yet been broken, this result is the best indicator in the history of Belarusian hockey. Without thinking twice, Salei went to the club’s location, but, without waiting for the start of the regular season, he immediately went on loan to one of the AHL clubs.
In total, he played for Anaheim for 10 years, became a Stanley Cup finalist, lost the final in the total of seven matches to the New Jersey club. Most of the time he went on lease not only to the AHL clubs, but also to the team from his native continent, when during the NHL lockout Salei had to play for Kazan “AK Bars”.
American period
After a successful game for the “ducks,” Ruslan was spotted by the Florida Panthers team, in which he spent two years. After that there was a period at Colorado Avalanche, the last, most successful stage was a performance for the most titled club of the overseas league - Detroit Red Wings. It was in Detroit that Salei met Brad McCrimmon, who significantly influenced Ruslan’s transition to Yaroslavl Lokomotiv.
For all the years in America, Ruslan Salei played a little less than 1000 matches in all official tournaments, where he scored 220 points on the “goal + pass” system. Ruslan’s international career was as good as his club career. Together with the national team, he participated in many world championships, in three Olympic games and in the lower division of the national teams. During his career, Salei spent a little more than 60 matches, where he scored 31 points.
A family
The companion of Ruslan Salei was the American beauty Bethann, whom he met in the spring of 1998 in one of Anaheim's sports bars. To put it in a banal phrase, it was love at first sight. And if they had not met then, they would surely have met in another place - fate was destined that way. Having lived in a civil marriage for about 5 years, Ruslan on the eve of Christmas made an original proposal to his future wife. Without thinking twice, she agreed. And the two daughters Alexis and Ava, as well as the son of Alexandro, became a wonderful addition to the happy family of Ruslan Salei.
Arriving in Belarus from America, they stayed in an apartment that Ruslan specially equipped in order to make all family members as comfortable as possible. According to Bethann, it was very difficult for her during short-term visits to Minsk. Without knowledge of the language, living in the Belarusian capital made Ruslan’s wife difficult, but he, like a real man, always helped her in any situation, so that she felt comfortable.
During the American career, Bethann lived with her children in America, and when Ruslan needed to leave for his homeland, he took his wife's soft toys with him, because only they could radiate that warmth and smell that Ruslan lacked during separation. Relations and such details were the great secret of the Ruslan family, because he, as a gentleman, never flaunted his feelings. This was known to the closest people of Ruslan. Bethann could always rely on her husband, because only she could trust him as herself. Ruslan always protected her and always tried to make sure that, first of all, his wife and children were well.
Fatal event
The first talk about moving to Yaroslavl began after the season ended in “Detroit”. One of the main reasons, again, was the family. It was difficult to get good money at 36 at the NHL level, and in the KHL a player with such experience would be useful to any top club. Salei dropped his dreams of the 1000th match in the NHL and Stanley Cup for his family, wife, children and their bright future. This step turned out to be fatal.
In mid-July 2011, Ruslan flew to Yaroslavl and began pre-season training with a new team. In friendly tournaments and matches, Lokomotiv was second to none. Having won the Railways Cup and beating absolutely all rivals before the start of the season, the team began to prepare for the KHL regular season. For Salei match with Minsk “Dynamo” was probably the most important in recent years. The expectation of how Minsk-Arena will meet him has been haunting for several days. The only thing he was sure of was that the game would be with feelings.
Ruslan never got onto the ice of the Minsk Arena. The whole team from Yaroslavl died on departure from the airport on September 7, 2011. Until the last second, there was hope that Ruslan Salei flew out for the sake of his own family long before the game in order to spend more time with his beloved people. Everyone who knew Ruslan held his breath in the hope that he was alive. But there was no facilitated exhalation.
After the tragedy
The funeral of Ruslan Salei passed three days later in his native Minsk near the Chizhovka Arena. About 10 thousand people came to say goodbye to the permanent captain of the national team, including several team partners for whom Salei spoke. The hockey player was buried in the Moscow cemetery. After the death of Saleya, the wife came to her husband’s grave every day and declared that she would never marry anyone again. At first, Ruslan’s children did not see his father’s grave, because Betanne tried to preserve for them the image of a loving, happy and lively dad.
Memory
Ruslan Salei has forever left a mark on the history of Belarusian hockey and has become an ideal for the entire younger generation of young hockey players. Every year a tournament of his memory is held, and the 24th number, under which Salei performed, is forever withdrawn from the national team.