The Washington Capitals confirmed yesterday that center Jeff Halpern's mother, Gloria Halpern, was one of four people killed when the car they were traveling in was involved in a fiery accident involving a fuel tanker in Davie, Fla., on Friday night.
Halpern, a native of Potomac whose career began in area youth leagues, was expected to return home today from Switzerland, where he had been playing for Kloten of the Swiss Elite League during the NHL lockout, according to his agent, Mike Liut.
| _____ From The Post _____
• Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky take part in six-hour meeting between NHL and players' union but no deal is reached.
• Commissioner Gary Bettman officially cancels the NHL season.
• There is speculation about where the league goes from here and whether it can survive.
• Michael Wilbon: There's no question the league and its owners won this particular battle.
• The cancellation may work to the Capitals' advantage in time.
• Q&A: What's next?
_____ On Our Site _____
• Audio: The Post's Thomas Heath discusses the end of the season.
• Video: Bettman announces the cancellation of the season.
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_____ Lockout At a Glance _____
• NO SEASON: The NHL season was canceled Feb. 16 over a lockout that started before training camps opened last September. It's the first major North American sport to lose an entire season to a labor dispute.
• THE REASON: The NHL and the players' association couldn't resolve how to split revenues from the $2 billion industry. The league demanded a salary cap, but by the time the players agreed to that, it was too late to work out how much the cap would be.
• WHAT'S NEXT?: The NHL could seek the declaration of an impasse, which allowing it to implement its last offer, open training camps in September and invite players back. The players' association would likely respond with a strike.
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"It's such a tremendous loss, for the Halpern family as well as the hockey community in Washington," Liut said in a telephone interview. "She was certainly the matron of youth hockey around Washington. They are such a passionate hockey family. They based their lives around Jeff, hockey and the Washington Capitals."
The identities of the other people killed in the crash were not available last night, but at least two were thought to be relatives of Halpern. Other members of Halpern's immediate family -- his father, Mel, and sister, Jennifer -- were not involved, according to a Capitals spokesman.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and the Halpern family will be in our prayers during this difficult time," Washington Capitals President Dick Patrick said in a statement. "Everyone on the Capitals family will truly miss Gloria. She was a longtime fan and part of the fabric of the hockey community. Our thoughts are with her husband Mel, daughter Jennifer, son Jeff and son-in-law David."
Patrick had helped coach Halpern's youth teams for several years and has remained close to the Halperns. Patrick's son, Chris, played with Halpern at Princeton.
It is unlikely that positive identifications will be made because of the intense heat generated by the burning fuel, Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Pat Santangelo said. Even the car was unidentifiable, he added.
The driver of the tanker, which was carrying 9,000 gallons of fuel, lost control. The 18-wheeler flipped over and landed on top of the passenger car and burst into flames, exploding several times.
One person got out of the burning car and ran down an embankment and jumped into a lake, Santangelo said. That person and the three other passengers died at the scene, he confirmed. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel identified the driver of the tanker as Flavio F. Santisteban, 33, who was airlifted to Broward General Medical Center in serious condition.
As the only Maryland native to play in the NHL, Halpern had a special relationship with many Capitals fans. He began playing for the Wheaton Ice Hockey Club -- now the Montgomery Youth Hockey Association -- when he was 4.
As Halpern's love for the game grew, so did his parents'. Halpern began playing for the Little Capitals, an elite travel team, when he was 9. In order to foster his playing career, his parents sent him to boarding school in New Hampshire; he went from there to play at Princeton.
Because of their experience, Mel and Gloria Halpern were often sought out by other area families hoping to send their sons to the NHL. Halpern would be playing in his sixth NHL season.
