Tanner Kahlau -- a junior forward on the Fredonia State Univ. men's ice hockey team -- tragically died following a ski crash this week ... law enforcement officials have confirmed.
He was just 22 years old.
The hockey player -- real name Bernhard Tanner Kahlau -- was skiing down a trail at Whiteface Mountain Ski Resort in Lake Placid, NY on Jan. 12 when things went horribly wrong.
NY State Police say Kahlau lost control on his run, veered off course, and crashed into a tree.
A short time later, cops say the coroner pronounced Kahlau dead due to injuries he suffered to his head and neck area.