New York Rangers' President and General Manager Glen Sather regretfully announced today that forward Alexei Cherepanov passed away during a game in Russia on Monday evening. Cherepanov was 19 years old. The Barnaul, Russia native was originally the Rangers? first round choice, 17th overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. "We are extremely saddened by the tragic passing of Alexei," said Sather. "On behalf of the New York Rangers' organization, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family. Alexei was an intelligent, energetic young man, with tremendous talent and an extremely bright future." Cherepanov is believed to have suffered from a heart attack.