A Canadian hockey player in Russia had a rude awakening Friday morning when the meteorite that shot through Russian skies flashed by his window and shook him out of bed.

Saskatoon's Michael Garnett, who plays goal for Russian hockey team Traktor Chelyabinsk, said he just hit the snooze button when the sonic blast ripped through his apartment.

"Before my alarm went off a second time, my whole apartment was bombarded," he told Toronto news station CP24.

He jumped out of bed and saw the vapour streak out his window from the passing space rock that exploded over central Russia and injured hundreds.

He told CP24 that he expected to see a bomb scene or a crashed plane in his neighbourhood, but saw only countless blown-out windows.

"It was a relief that was a meteor considering all the other things it could have been."

Garnett, 30, played for the Atlanta Thrashers before heading to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in 2008.