The sudden death of Nashville Predators center Sergei Zholtok Wednesday in Minsk, Belarus left the hockey world united in mourning the passing of an NHL veteran at age 31.

Zholtok, who was drafted by the Boston Bruins in 1992 and played 588 NHL games with the Bruins, Senators, Canadiens, Oilers, Wild and Predators, was playing for HC Riga 2000 in his native Latvia at the time of his passing.

The apparent cause of death was a heart attack. Zholtok had suffered from cardiac arrhythmia in the past. Zholtok became ill near the end of Wednesday's game and collapsed on his way to the dressing room.

According to a report in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, paramedics attempted to revive Zholtok, but were unsuccessful. According to the Star-Tribune, Neil Sheehy, a player agent and former NHL player, said Zholtok died in the arms of his former Minnesota Wild teammate Darby Hendrickson, who also was playing for Riga during the current work stoppage. Sheehy said Hendrickson left then bench to accompany Zholtok to the dressing room.

"He told Darby, 'Don't leave.'" Sheehy told the Star-Tribune's Chris Snow. Sheehy told Snow he spoke with Hendrickson, who said: "I have a deep faith. I was meant to be here."

Teams and players across the NHL were shocked and saddened by Zholtok's death.

"We are profoundly saddened at the tragic news of Sergei's passing," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "His wife and children have lost a devoted father, Latvia has lost a favorite son and the hockey world has lost a talented, dedicated athlete. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

"We are all saddened and shocked to hear of Sergei's sudden passing," Nashville General Manager David Poile said. "He was a hard-working player who was well-liked by his teammates and coaches. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Zholtok family, his wife, Anna, and his sons, Edgar and Nikita."

"I'm sick to my stomach," the Wild's Andrew Brunette told the Star-Tribune. "He's a great family guy, very loving. If you ever had time to see him with his kids, he was just a great person, a fantastic person who didn't need to leave us all this early. We don't need to lose people like him."

Zholtok leaves behind a wife and two sons, Edgar, a teenager, and Nikita, a toddler. They were with his wife Anna in Latvia at the time of Zholtok's death.

"We are deeply saddened to have lost a member of the Wild family," Wild Chairman Bob Naegele, Jr., said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Sergei Zholtok's family during this tragic time of loss."

"Sergei was a great competitor and a valuable member of our organization for almost three years and will be greatly missed by his teammates and his fans in the hockey world." Wild GM Doug Risebrough said. "We send our deepest sympathies to Anna, Edgar and Nikita and the rest of the Zholtok family."

Zholtok was a key performer for the Wild during their inspiring run to the Western Conference Finals in 2003. He had 16 goals and 26 assists during the regular season and added two more goals and 11 assists in 18 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

In All, Zholtok appeared in 588 regular-season games and 45 postseason games. He scored a career-high 26 goals for the Canadiens in 1999-2000, but had found a home in Minnesota, where he posted point totals of 39, 42 and 29 in three seasons. Near the end of last season, he was traded to the Predators to help them secure the first Stanley Cup Playoff berth in franchise history. He scored a goal and an assist in 11 regular-season games for the Predators and added another goal in six playoff games.

"He wasn't with our team very long, but he was a really good guy," Poile told the Tennessean's John Glennon. "He was a hard worker and he was a terrific person. He was easy to talk to and very popular with his teammates."

"Sergei was the consummate team player," Ottawa Senators President Roy Mlakar said in a statement. "He will be remembered in Ottawa for his sincere involvement in our community. Moreover, he was a class human being and family man, who will be remembered as such by the Senators family."

On Oct. 21, 2003, Zholtok fainted at Xcel Energy Center in the runway to the locker room. He was diagnosed with hyperventilation and 10 days later, additional testing at the Mayo Clinic revealed an irregular heartbeat. Shortly after the diagnosis, physicians cleared Zholtok to play.

"The bottom line is my arrhythmia is fine," he told Snow on  Nov. 3, 2003, impressed with the detailed nature of the testing. "It's unbelievable. They do so much testing. It's all very interesting to know. The heart is a muscle, and all arteries create or don't create problems. If you are a healthy person, you should have good blood flow. And I'm happy to be one."

Zholtok's death cast a pall over Latvia, where he was a very popular player.

"I was really honored to have him on the team," a weeping Viesturs Kozioles, president of Riga 2000, told the Associated Press. "He was a patriot for his country and for hockey who never took a shift off and always devoted time to trying to make our young players better. He was one of the best players Latvia ever had, and he was a brilliant person, a brilliant character."

Zholtok played for the Latvian squad that won a silver medal at the 1994 World Championships and frequently suited up for his country. He played for the Commonwealth of Independent States that won a gold medal at the 1991 World Junior Championships.

In addition, he worked with other Latvian players in the NHL to help his countrymen. Three years ago, Zholtok and goaltender Arturs Irbe raised money to assist abused children via an online auction.

"He was one of the greatest all time players in Latvian hockey history," Guntis Keisels, a sports reporter with the country's leading newspaper Diena, told the AP. "Ten years in the NHL is quite an achievement. He was the best goal scorer, the best forward, Latvia ever produced."