YAROSLAVL - Russian ice hockey players have volunteered to restore the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team which has almost entirely perished in a plane crash Wednesday, said a source close to the club Thursday.

The new team would take part in this year's Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) championship, which was supposed to start on the day of the crash, said the source citing a decision made at a meeting Thursday morning by the Yaroslavl region governor and the KHL delegation.

So far at least 30 players from other clubs, most of whom are former Lokomotiv players or Yaroslavl locals, have volunteered to represent Lokomotiv, the source told RIA Novosti news agency.

Earlier the KHL said it would postpone the championship to next Monday at least.

The Lokomotiv team, founded in 1949, is one of Russia's leading hockey teams. It included players and coaches from ten countries.

A Yak-42 chartered by the Lokomotiv team fell down just after takeoff near Yaroslavl Wednesday afternoon, when the team were heading to Belorussian capital Minsk for the season opener against Dinamo Minsk.

All team members but one were killed. Russian player Alexander Galimov is one of the only two survivors but was in critical condition due to severe burns.