Ivan Pravilov (Ukrainian: Іван Правілов; January 22, 1963 – February 10, 2012) was a Ukrainian ice hockey coach. He coached a Ukrainian hockey school, Druzhba-78, before he moved to the United States in 2007.[1] Pravilov trained a number of young players and National Hockey League (NHL) players in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, including Dainius Zubrus and Andrei Zyuzin. Pravilov was accused of fondling a 14-year-old whom he coached in January 2012, was arrested for having sexual contact with a teenager, indicted on child-molestation charges, and placed in a Philadelphia jail. He committed suicide by hanging at 49 years of age in his jail cell, on February 10, 2012.
Ivan Pravilov | |
|---|---|
| Іван Правілов | |
| Born | January 22, 1963 Kharkiv, Ukraine |
| Died | February 10, 2012 (aged 49) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation | Hockey coach |
| Years active | 1980s–2012 |
| Known for | Hockey coach; arrested for sexual assault of teenage student; committed suicide in jail. |
| Criminal charges | child-molestation |
Coaching career
editPravilov was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine.[2] He ran and coached a Ukrainian hockey school, from the 1980s, and a youth hockey team named Druzhba-78, until he came to the United States in 2007 to coach ice hockey players in the US.[3][4] He was a mentor of a number of NHL and U.S. college players.[5][6] He trained teenagers and professionals, including Dainius Zubrus and Andrei Zyuzin, in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area.[7][6]
A former student of Druzhba-78 claimed in January 2012 that Pravilov had physically abused members of Druzhba-78.[8]
Criminal sexual abuse allegations
editPravilov was accused of fondling a 14-year-old Ukrainian boy, whom he coached in hockey, on January 3, 2012, after he had invited the teenager to his apartment in Mount Airy, Philadelphia, from the child's host home in Wilmington, Delaware.[9][3][7][5][10] He was arrested for having sexual contact with a teenage boy,[7] indicted on child-molestation charges, and on January 19, 2012, placed in a Philadelphia jail, the Federal Detention Center.[3][5][11] A week later, it was announced that he was wanted on an Interpol warrant and charged with traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct and transporting a person to engage in criminal sexual activity.[7]
Suicide
editPravilov was found to be unresponsive in his jail cell on February 10, 2012, at 3:00 am.[12][13][14][15] By 3:45, he was pronounced dead at a local hospital.[16] A preliminary FBI investigation suggested that he had committed suicide.[17][18]
The cause of the 49-year-old's death being suicide by hanging was confirmed by the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office on 22 February 2012.[19][20][1][12][13]
See also
edit- John David Roy Atchison, US Attorney and children's sports coach, committed suicide by hanging in a Michigan prison after being charged with soliciting sex from a child
- Stephen Kovacs, fencing coach committed suicide in jail while awaiting trial for sexual misconduct
References
edit- ^ a b Autopsy:Charged Ukrainian coach committed suicide, Kyiv Post (23 February 2012)
- ^ "Ivan Pravilov at eliteprospects.com". eliteprospects.com.
- ^ a b c "Convicted coach Pravilov found dead in cell". Sportsnet.
- ^ "Autopsy: Ukrainian coach committed suicide". ESPN. 23 February 2012.
- ^ a b c "Ukrainian hockey coach Ivan Pravilov found dead in prison cell; suicide suspected". Lehigh Valley Live. 11 February 2012.
- ^ a b Nark, Jason (16 May 2012). "The Perfect Predator". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ a b c d Masterson, Teresa (10 February 2012). "Ukrainian Hockey Coach Accused of Fondling Teen Found Dead in Cell: Official".
- ^ Former student:Ivan Pravilov used fists and hockey sticks to beat us Archived 2014-10-12 at the Wayback Machine, NewsWorks (23 January 2012)
- ^ "Accused Ukrainian hockey coach found dead in prison cell, authorities say". Associated Press. 26 March 2015.
- ^ Rich Chere (21 February 2012). "Dainius Zubrus says Devils have become a close-knit team". nj.
- ^ Rich Chere (1 May 2012). "Devils' Dainius Zubrus has fond memories of playing for Flyers". nj.
- ^ a b "Ukrainian hockey coach Ivan Pravilov found dead in prison cell; suicide suspected". lehighvalleylive. 11 February 2012.
- ^ a b "Gary Gelinas was here, there and everywhere as sports executive". edmontonsun.
- ^ Rich Chere (21 February 2012). "Dainius Zubrus says Devils have become a close-knit team". nj.
- ^ Rich Chere (1 May 2012). "Devils' Dainius Zubrus has fond memories of playing for Flyers". nj.
- ^ "Hockey Coach Charged With Child Molestation in Philadelphia Found Dead In Cell". 10 February 2012.
- ^ Hockey coach charged with assaulting youths found dead in cell, Philly.com (10 February 2012)
- ^ "Ivan Pravilov, hockey coach, dies in custody". SFGATE. 11 February 2012.
- ^ "Convicted coach Pravilov found dead in cell". Sportsnet.ca.
- ^ "Autopsy: Ukrainian coach committed suicide". ESPN. 23 February 2012.