[1] The remote location of his youth hockey play made Cherepanov an unknown quantity until he left the region to join the Avangard Omsk organization.

[1] His 18 goals set a RSL record for players his age, and exceeded the production of his Russian predecessors, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, when they were at the same level.

Those attending the combine were struck by Cherepanov's apparent physical immaturity, pointing out his low number of bench press repetitions, and his physique.

[8] At the start of the 2007–08 season, Cherepanov returned to Avangard playing in 46 games and scoring 15 goals, this time in the newly created Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

[11] Later that same year, Cherepanov stepped down to his age group and helped Russia win the gold medal at the 2007 IIHF World U18 Championships, scoring a goal in the final against the United States.

After being drafted by the New York Rangers earlier in the summer, Cherepanov was one of the biggest names on Russia's roster heading into the series.

"[18] The NHL Central Scouting Bureau identified his offensive skills as the biggest strength of his game, and felt he needed to work on his physical play and consistency.

[19][20] After finishing a shift, Cherepanov skated to the bench with his teammates, Jaromír Jágr and Pavel Rosa, where according to coach Wayne Fleming, "He just laid back, passed out and went kind of white.

[21] Attempts were made to revive Cherepanov at the bench, and when they were unsuccessful he was carried back to the team's dressing room by his teammates, where doctors continued to work.

[24] Outside doctors, particularly in North America were skeptical of this early explanation, believing it unlikely that a young, elite athlete would suffer from an undiagnosed form of ischemia, particularly when considering the medical testing he underwent prior to the NHL draft.

[26] Initial concerns were raised as to why Cherepanov had been allowed to play, if he had a heart condition that should have been picked up by routine medical tests that he was believed to have undergone.

[29] After this revelation in January 2009, the KHL suspended five Avangard officials and doctors for attempting to treat a condition which should have only been managed by experienced cardiologists.

[29] The investigation into Cherepanov's death was reopened in August 2009, after federal prosecutors ruled that the previously suspended team physicians were unaware of his heart condition, and had not prescribed the medications he was taking.

[30] Cherepanov's agent, Jay Grossman stated that tests conducted by the NHL prior to the 2007 Entry Draft had not shown any health problems.

[24] Shortly after Cherepanov's death, Avangard Omsk retired his #7 jersey in a ceremony prior to a game against Dynamo Minsk, with his parents in the crowd.

The tournament featured 6 teams including two Russian clubs, and national sides from Great Britain, Poland, Belarus and host Lithuania.

As Cherepanov had not agreed to terms with the club at the time of his death, the team claimed that he was technically eligible to be selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, and they were entitled to compensation.