19-year-old Timur Faizutdinov -- a star player in Russia's Junior Hockey League -- has tragically died after being hit in the head by a puck ... his team announced Tuesday.
Faizutdinov was skating for his Dynamo St. Petersburg's squad in a playoff matchup with Loko Yaroslavl on March 12 when his opponent accidentally flipped a puck at his head.
The frozen rubber caught Faizutdinov up high near his temple ... and he immediately crumpled to the ground in pain.
Faizutdinov -- St. Petersburg's captain -- was rushed to the hospital .