Penguins Off-Season Update 9/7/2012

Well, another week has gone by, and still no decisions have been made by the NHL and the NHLPA. Reports say that both sides are far apart from making a deal. Experts predict that the lockout will last weeks, even possibly longer than a month. We continue to hope that the hockey season will not be canceled.
In other news, Evgeni Malkin has made Penguins headlines this week. One year ago, on September 7th, a plane carrying coaches and players of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team in Malkin's home country of Russia crashed, killing all 44 on board.
“I knew a lot of guys who played in Russia for Lokomotiv,” said Malkin. “When I heard the news I can’t explain how I felt after. It’s tough to say what I felt. I wanted to help support their families.”
After the crash, the game the players were headed to had a dramatic change. The deceased player's and coach's names and pictures were put on boards and laid across the ice. The crowd and opposing team joined in for a memorial in honor of the deceased players, as seen in the picture below.

Evgeni Malkin held a benefit for the families of the victims last week. In addition to Malkin, several teammates, including Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby, attended the benefit in Pittsburgh.
“’Geno’ knew some guys and family members that were involved with that, so we’re aware of what he’s doing and we’re behind him 100 percent,” Crosby said. “That’s a great thing they’re doing. We were all pretty saddened by that.”
As shown in the ice sclupture above, the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team will never be forgotten.
That is it for this week. Keep your fingers crossed in hope of the lockout ending!