As Team Russia prepares for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, a moment of silence was taken Wednesday to remember the tragic plane crash that took the lives of 44 people - including 26 players, three coaches, and eight staff members from KHL club Lokomotiv Yaroslavl - on Sept. 7, 2011.

The crash took place on the opening day of the 2011-12 KHL season, and as Lokomotiv - favored to win the league championship that year - was en route to Belarus for their opening game.

IIHF president Rene Fasel also offered the following statement:

The plane crash in Yaroslavl took so many people from our hockey family. We will never forget this tragedy, despite the passing of the years.

The entire hockey world remembers and mourns for the whole team. Our thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives and with all the people they left behind. We wish them strength on this day.

No KHL games are scheduled on Sept. 7 in order to remember those lost in the crash.

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Peter Mueller is getting another chance to crack the NHL.

The 28-year-old forward has signed a professional tryout offer with the Boston Bruins, according to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.

Mueller showed great promise as an NHL rookie after being selected eighth overall at the 2006 NHL Draft, scoring 22 goals and adding 32 assists in 2007-08 as a member of the Phoenix Coyotes.

Traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 2010, his career was derailed by a serious concussion, and he last played in the NHL with the Florida Panthers during the lockout-shortened 2013 season, for whom he recorded eight goals and nine assists in 43 games. Mueller did sign a contract with the St. Louis Blues prior to the 2014-15 season, but it was soon terminated and he ended up playing in Switzerland that season.

Mueller appeared in 43 games for the Malmo Redhawks in the Swedish Premier League last season, scoring 13 goals and adding 12 assists.

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The Great 8 will wear the "C."

Alex Ovechkin was named captain of Russia's World Cup team Wednesday, with Pavel Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin serving as alternates.

Datsyuk was Russia's captain at the Sochi Olympics, where the home country failed to medal for the third straight Winter Games.

Ovechkin, who's served as captain of the Washington Capitals since 2010, last wore the "C" at the international level at the 2014 World Championship, where Russia won gold.

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Role players and line matchups don't make for the prettiest brand of hockey, but Team USA believes its game plan can lead to a World Cup win.

With its sights set on gold - the Americans won the first World Cup in 1996 - Team USA realizes an all-skill game isn't its path to victory.

Rather, Team USA is lined with an interesting mix of skill and grit, similar to its strategy that nearly led the country to victory at the 2010 Winter Olympics, only to fall to Team Canada in the gold-medal game.

A purpose-built squad, Team USA omitted a handful of talented players from its final roster, like Pittsburgh's Phil Kessel and Tampa Bay's Tyler Johnson, both of whom have posted Conn Smythe-worthy postseasons in recent years.

But Team USA aims to be a big team, one that is difficult to play against and makes it a long night for the opposition. That means some skilled players simply don't fit the mould.

"We're going to have to pressure them all over the ice," Zach Parise told NHL.com. "It's about creating those turnovers, making other teams' (defensemen) uncomfortable and pressuring them, and creating chances that way."

Agitating winger Justin Abdelkader agrees with the sentiment.

"The makeup of this team is that of a team that is going to be strong on the forecheck, hang on to pucks, a gritty-type American game, good goaltending, good defense.

"We're not going to try to go out there and score eight goals. If that happens, it happens. But we're going to play good defense and try to capitalize on our opportunities."

Still, that's not to say Team USA is devoid of talent. That label doesn't fit a squad that features last year's Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner in Patrick Kane, or prolific point producers like Parise and Joe Pavelski.

And as Abdelkader noted, Team USA is strong in net, with arguably the tournament's best group in Jonathan Quick, Ben Bishop, and Cory Schneider. Considering the trio's list of accolades, it's understandable why head coach John Tortorella has not yet decided on his team's starter.

"Make no mistake about it: We're not going to spend a lot of time worrying about other teams, how they play," Tortorella summarized. "We're going to play our game. We're going to try to inflict and put our will into a game and go about it that way. It's not going to be a convoluted message."

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Having three No. 1 goaltenders is a good problem to have. Picking one of Ben Bishop, Jonathan Quick, and Cory Schneider is the tough part.

Team USA is yet to decide on its starting goaltender for the World Cup, but it's planning to have its depth chart locked after pre-tournament game No. 2, head coach John Tortorella said Tuesday.

"When we make the decision, it's going to (stink) for the other guys, plain and simple," Tortorella said, according to NHL.com's Nicholas J. Cotsonika. "It's not going to be fair to the other guys. But we have to eventually make a decision who's going to start."

Three exhibition games after a summer off is hardly enough time to make a decision, he added, but that's the nature of the beast that is the World Cup.

"It's very difficult," Tortorella said of the decision. "It's one I've thought about for months coming into this year."

The U.S. opens its exhibition schedule with back-to-back games against Canada on Friday and Saturday. The third and final friendly will be against Finland on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Here's how the three goalies stack up:

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John Tortorella's always had his own way of doing things.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Team USA World Cup head coach was asked Tuesday about San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's protest of the U.S. national anthem and was straightforward in his response.

"If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there for the rest of the game," Tortorella said, according to ESPN's Linda Cohn.

Kaepernick cites police brutality and oppression of people of color as his reasons for the protest.

Boston Bruins and U.S. forward David Backes opined on Kaepernick's acions Monday, saying that while the QB has the right to express himself, Backes will "salute that flag every time it is raised."

National anthems won't be played before World Cup of Hockey games, which means players won't have an opportunity to protest like Kaepernick - and others in the NFL and in other sports - is, but Tortorella's comments are strong, nonetheless.

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To see a list of all transactions throughout the summer, visit theScore's NHL Offseason Tracker.

Remember Kris Russell?

The defenseman remains an unrestricted free agent as training camps draw closer, but that shouldn't be the case for long.

Russell's camp is in "serious discussions with eight teams and is expected to sign before camp," according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

A month ago, it was reported that he was waiting for teams to clear cap space in order to get a deal done.

The 29-year-old had four goals and 11 assists in 62 games last season with the Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars, adding four assists in 12 playoff games.

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Add Devin Setoguchi to the Los Angeles Kings' training camp roster, according to Jon Rosen of LAKingsInsider.com.

Setoguchi, 29, spent last season with Davos of the Swiss League, scoring 24 points in 30 games.

The Alberta native last appeared in the NHL in 2014-15 as part of the Calgary Flames, where he was held off the scoresheet in 12 games.

He spent the remainder of that campaign with the Flames' farm team in Adirondack, tallying 10 points in 19 games.

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