Hockey fans in the Russian city of Yaroslavl are to march in silence to mark the one-year anniversary of the plane crash that wiped out the entire roster of the local team, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

Lokomotiv's players were en route to their first game of last season in Belarus when their jet crashed shortly after take-off on September 7.

Among the 44 killed were Canadian head coach Brad McCrimmon and a host of former NHL stars and future draft prospects.

Local hockey fans will walk in silent procession to the team's arena next Friday to honor their memory, police told RIA Novosti.

At 1605 local time (1205GMT), those present are to release balloons to mark the exact time of the crash.

Since the tragedy, the three-time Russian champion has been assembling a new squad for its return to the KHL after fielding a makeshift team of youth players and loan signings in the junior MHL last season.

The new Lokomotiv's first KHL match is September 6 away to Sibir Novosibirsk.