On December 29, 2008, Russian investigators revealed that he suffered from myocarditis, a condition where not enough blood reaches the heart, and that he should not have been playing hockey professionally.
Den 29. december 2008 oplyste russiske efterforskere, at Aleksej Tjerepanov led af myocarditis, en tilstand hvor hjertet ikke modtager tilstrækkeligt med blod, og han burde derfor ikke have spillet professionel ishockey.