Alexei Zhitnik

Oleksiy Mykolaiovych "Alexei" Zhitnik (Ukrainian: Олексій Миколайович Житник, Russian: Алексей Николаевич Житник; born October 10, 1972) is a Ukrainian-Russian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Zhitnik has played more games in the National Hockey League (NHL) (1,085) than any other Soviet-born defenceman. He has represented the Soviet Union, CIS, and Russia internationally, and Ukraine during two NHL All-Star Games. His number, 13, has been honored by Sokil Kyiv.

Alexei Zhitnik
Born (1972-10-10) October 10, 1972
Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 214 lb (97 kg; 15 st 4 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Sokil Kyiv
CSKA Moscow
Los Angeles Kings
Buffalo Sabres
New York Islanders
Ak Bars Kazan
Philadelphia Flyers
Atlanta Thrashers
Dynamo Moscow
National team  Soviet Union,
Unified Team and
 Russia
NHL Draft 81st overall, 1991
Los Angeles Kings
Playing career 19892010

Playing career

Zhitnik was drafted 81st overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft after playing for Sokil Kyiv in the Soviet Championship League for two years. After another year, he came to the NHL for the 1992–93 NHL season.

He made his NHL debut on October 6, 1992, against the Calgary Flames and scored his first goal nine nights later, also against Calgary. In his rookie season with the Kings, he finished second among rookie defenceman in points with 48. He was an important part of the Kings' playoff run to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens.

After another year of playing with the Kings and Wayne Gretzky, he was traded on February 14, 1995, along with Robb Stauber, Charlie Huddy and a fifth-round draft pick, to the Buffalo Sabres for Grant Fuhr, Denis Tsygurov and Philippe Boucher. He became one of the team's best players, helping the Sabres win the Northeast Division in the 1996–97 NHL season, his second full year with the team. In the 1997–98 NHL season, he led all defensemen in shorthanded goals (3). He also helped the Sabres reach the finals in the 1998–99 NHL season and stayed on the team until the 2004–05 NHL lockout when he returned to the Russian Super League.

Following the lockout, he signed a four-year contract with the New York Islanders. He became an effective force on the team, and even though he missed the last 18 games of the season with a fractured ankle, he finished second among team defenceman in scoring.

On December 16, 2006, Zhitnik was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Freddy Meyer and a conditional third round draft pick.[1] However, he was traded two months later on February 24, 2007, to the Atlanta Thrashers to add experience for playoffs, in exchange for Braydon Coburn.

Due to Zhitnik's disappointing play and the Thrashers focus on rebuilding, the team bought out Zhitnik's contract on June 30, 2008, making him a free agent.[2] On July 26, 2008, Zhitnik returned to Russia and the now-Kontinental Hockey League, signing a tryout contract with Dynamo Moscow.

Zhitnik won a gold medal as part of Team Ukraine's Masters hockey team at the 2017 Maccabiah Games.[3]

Awards

Records

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1988–89 ShVSM Kyiv USSR II 5 1 0 1 2
1989–90 Sokil Kyiv USSR 31 3 4 7 16
1990–91 Sokil Kyiv USSR 46 1 4 5 46
1990–91 ShVSM Kyiv USSR III 1 0 0 0 0
1991–92 CSKA Moscow CIS 36 2 7 9 44 8 0 0 0 8
1992–93 Los Angeles Kings NHL 78 12 36 48 80 24 3 9 12 26
1993–94 Los Angeles Kings NHL 81 12 40 52 101
1994–95 Los Angeles Kings NHL 11 2 5 7 27
1994–95 Buffalo Sabres NHL 21 2 5 7 34 5 0 1 1 14
1995–96 Buffalo Sabres NHL 80 6 30 36 58
1996–97 Buffalo Sabres NHL 80 7 28 35 95 12 1 0 1 16
1997–98 Buffalo Sabres NHL 78 15 30 45 102 15 0 3 3 36
1998–99 Buffalo Sabres NHL 81 7 26 33 96 21 4 11 15 22
1999–2000 Buffalo Sabres NHL 74 2 11 13 95 4 0 0 0 8
2000–01 Buffalo Sabres NHL 78 8 29 37 75 13 1 6 7 12
2001–02 Buffalo Sabres NHL 82 1 33 34 80
2002–03 Buffalo Sabres NHL 70 3 18 21 85
2003–04 Buffalo Sabres NHL 68 4 24 28 102
2004–05 Ak Bars Kazan RSL 23 1 8 9 30 4 0 0 0 2
2005–06 New York Islanders NHL 59 5 24 29 88
2006–07 New York Islanders NHL 30 2 9 11 40
2006–07 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 31 3 10 13 38
2006–07 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 18 2 12 14 14 4 0 0 0 4
2007–08 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 65 3 5 8 58
2008–09 Dynamo Moscow KHL 56 4 7 11 58 12 1 2 3 22
2009–10 Dynamo Moscow KHL 56 0 7 7 60
USSR/CIS totals 113 6 15 21 106 8 0 0 0 8
NHL totals 1,085 96 375 471 1,268 98 9 30 39 168

International

Alexei Zhitnik
Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing  Soviet Union
World Junior Championship
1991 SaskatoonIce hockey
Representing  CIS
World Junior Championship
1992 FũssenIce hockey
Olympic Games
1992 Albertville Ice hockey
Representing  Russia
Olympic Games
1998 Nagano Ice hockey
Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
1990 Soviet Union EJC 6 2 2 4 2
1991 Soviet Union WJC 7 1 1 2 2
1991 Soviet Union CC 5th 5 0 0 0 4
1992 CIS WJC 7 1 1 2 2
1992 Unified Team OG 8 1 0 1 0
1992 Russia WC 5th 6 0 2 2 6
1994 Russia WC 5th 6 1 0 1 8
1996 Russia WC 4th 8 1 1 2 6
1996 Russia WCH SF 3 0 1 1 2
1998 Russia OG 6 0 2 2 2
2000 Russia WC 11th 6 0 1 1 2
2006 Russia OG 4th 0 0 0 0 0
Junior totals 20 4 4 8 6
Senior totals 48 3 7 10 30

Career transactions

See also

  • List of NHL players with 1000 games played

References

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