Beloved Red Wings Team Masseur Passes Away

Beloved former Red Wing team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov has passed away at the age of 71.  Mnatsakanov—known around the dressing room as "Nasta"—was a member of the 1997 Stanley Cup winning team that quenched Detroit's 42 year Cup drought.  Less than a week later, he suffered debilitating brain injuries in the same limousine accident that left Detroit defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov with the same injuries.

During the Red Wings' subsequent 1998 run to back-to-back Cups, Detroit adopted the mantra "Believe," wearing patches on their jerseys bearing Konstantinov and Mnatsakanov's initials and "Believe/Верим."

The Red Wings released a statement, expressing their condolences to Mnatsakanov's widow Elena, as well as his sons Max and Art.

Though Mnatsakanov, as support staff rather than a player, might not have carried the same prominence as Konstantinov, but the outpouring of support from Red Wings fans in response to the news of his passing makes clear that he was held just as dear to the city of Detroit.

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