Bryan Rufenach; Detroit Red Wings prospect dies after he's electrocuted on trip to Switzerland
Star hockey player dies after he's electrocuted on trip to Switzerland
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Degree: As well as being a star athlete, Rufenach, pictured, had graduated Clarkson University with a degree in finance
A star hockey player was killed by an electric shock on Tuesday while backpacking with a childhood friend in Switzerland.
Detroit Red Wings prospect Bryan Rufenach, 23, was in Grindelwald when the pals climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and he touched the overhead line, electrocuting himself, according to Swiss newspaper 20 Minuten.
Rufenach's uninjured friend tried to resuscitate him and an ambulance was called to the Grindelwald-Grund station. But the athlete died of his injuries at around 3.30am.
The Swiss town was one of the final stops on Rufenach's European tour. The pair was due to return home at the end of this week.
Rufenach, from Ontario, Canada, was a rising prospect for the Detroit Red Wings, having been selected by the team in the seventh round of the 2007 NHL draft.
He signed his first pro contract with the Toledo Walleye in March 2011 and played 54 games with them last season.
'There's no way to prepare for something like this,' Rufenach's Walleye teammate Kyle Page told The Toledo Blade.
'It's not like he was sick and had time to prepare for it.
Star: Rufenach, pictured, played for the Toledo Walleye team
'The way it happened and where it happened is kind of surreal. It's like a movie almost. It's just so sad.'
The six-foot, 192 pound defenseman was the team's leading scorer, putting away 13 goals last season.
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Share'We were partners for half the year,' another teammate Phil Rauch said.
'He was an awesome player to play with. I always told him you can skate it up and I will stay back for you. He scored all the goals. I just stayed back.'
Dead: Teammates are mourning the six-foot, 192 pound defenseman, pictured right, who scored 13 goals last season
Walleye coach Nick Vitucci said the whole team was mourning the loss of their star player.
'The entire team’s thoughts and prayers are with Bryan’s family as they get through this difficult time,' Vitucci said.
'Bryan was a great teammate and would play any role asked of him.'
The athlete had also graduated from Clarkson University in New York with a degree in financial information and analysis.
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