ST. PAUL — Former Minnesota Wild player Pavol Demitra is among those killed when a Russian jet carrying a top hockey team crashed after takeoff.

Demitra was a member of the Wild for two seasons. He also played for St. Louis and Vancouver and was the Slovakian national team captain.

In a statement, the Wild organization says it joins “the rest of the hockey world in mourning the tragedy” that killed at least 43 people.

Demitra was acquired by the Wild in a draft-day trade with Los Angeles in 2006. He had 40 goals and 78 assists over two seasons and helped the Wild make the playoffs both years.

Demitra is the second ex-Wild player to die recently. Derek Boogaard died last May of an accidental mix of alcohol and painkiller.