On Thursday, the Sharks will sell wristbands to help support the families of the hockey players killed in a plane crash in Russia two months ago. Center Michal Handzus already is wearing one, displaying it on his wrist after a recent practice at Sharks Ice.

One of his closest friends, former teammate Pavol Demitra, was among the 44 people who lost their lives in the Sept. 7 Lokomotiv crash near Yaroslavl, 170 miles northeast of Moscow.

"You always wake up and feel like it didn't really happen - but it did, it hits you," Handzus said. "I thought it would get better, but it didn't. It pops into your head all the time. It's tough, always.

"I can't describe it. It's going to take a long time to get over. The worst thing is for his family, his kids. I know them all very well."

Demitra, a fellow Slovak, was in Handzus' wedding party six weeks before the crash.

"It was really, really great, to spend that time with him and his family," Handzus said quietly.

Handzus had been Demitra's best man for his wedding, and the two were part of the St. Louis Blues' successful Slovak Line, also known as the Slovak Pack. The friends also played together internationally, including at the 2010 Olympics. Demitra was the captain of the Slovak squad.

The Sharks allowed Handzus to report to camp late so he could stay in Slovakia for Demitra's funeral.

"With Michal's relationship with Pavol, we knew he would feel this deeply," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. "We wanted to let him make his own decision about the right thing to do. We felt that was really the only way we could help at all. We know his reputation as a professional and as such a good man, and knowing his fitness level and his training and preparation, we trusted him immensely."

When Handzus returned from Slovakia, Wilson said, the team wanted him to take another day or two off before reporting. "He didn't want that," Wilson said. "He wanted to get immersed with the team right away."

The Sharks are wearing a decal on their helmets this season recognizing the Lokomotiv players, and Handzus has Demitra's number on his gloves.

"I knew they were good buddies, and Slovakia is not a big country to start with," Handzus' linemate Torrey Mitchell said. "Then you throw in the small number of hockey players and the few who make it over here, those guys are especially close. It's really sad. The whole hockey community is remembering Demitra. He had a huge impact, but for Zeus, this tragedy is very personal."

The Lokomotiv team of the KHL was departing from Yaroslavl in central Russia when, according to investigators, a pilot mistakenly put the wheel brakes on and then pulled up too sharply to try to take off, causing one of the worst aviation disasters in sports and devastating professional hockey. Poor oversight and insufficient training also were blamed for the crash.

Among the others killed in the crash were former NHL players Josef Vasicek, Karel Rachunek, Karlis Skrastins and Ruslan Salei, and former NHL player and assistant coach Brad McCrimmon, who was coaching the Lokomotiv team, along with Sharks prospect Daniil Sobchencko, 20.

"This was a tragedy that impacted so many people," Wilson said. "Daniil made a big impact here in a short time during development camp, and our thoughts go out to his family. He was a young man who loved to play the game, and we fully enjoyed having him here. This is one of those things you don't ever want anyone to have to deal with."