| Alexei Zhitnik | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1972-10-10)October 10, 1972 (age 53) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | 1989–2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Alexei Zhitnik (Ukrainian:Олексій Миколайович Житник,Russian:Алексей Николаевич Житник; born October 10, 1972) is aUkrainian-Russian former professionalice hockeydefenceman. He has represented theSoviet Union,CIS, andRussia internationally; andUkraine during two NHL All-Star Games. His number, 13, has been honored bySokil Kyiv.
Zhitnik was drafted 81st overall by theLos Angeles Kings in the1991 NHL Entry Draft after playing forSokil Kyiv in theSoviet Championship League for two years. After another year, he came to theNHL for the1992–93 NHL season.
Zhitnik made his NHL debut on October 6, 1992, against theCalgary Flames and scored his firstgoal nine nights later, also against Calgary. In his rookie season with the Kings, he finished second amongrookie defenceman inpoints with 48. He was an important part of the Kings'playoff[broken anchor] run to theStanley Cup Finals, where they lost to theMontreal Canadiens.
After another year of playing with the Kings andWayne Gretzky, Zhitnik was traded on February 14, 1995, along withRobb Stauber,Charlie Huddy and a fifth-round draft pick, to theBuffalo Sabres forGrant Fuhr,Denis Tsygurov andPhilippe Boucher. He became one of the team's best players, helping the Sabres win the Northeast Division in the1996–97 NHL season, his second full year with the team. In the1997–98 NHL season, he led all defensemen in shorthanded goals (3). He also helped the Sabres reach the finals in the1998–99 NHL season and stayed on the team until the2004–05 NHL lockout when he returned to theRussian Super League.
Following the lockout, Zhitnik signed a four-year contract with theNew 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 thePhiladelphia Flyers forFreddy Meyer and a conditional third-round draft pick.[1] However, he was traded two months later on February 24, 2007, to theAtlanta Thrashers to add experience for playoffs, in exchange forBraydon 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 joined theKontinental Hockey League, signing a tryout contract withDynamo Moscow.
He played for Ukraine at the Maccabi “Jewish Olympics” in2013 and 2017. Zhitnik also won a gold medal as part of Team Ukraine's Masters hockey team at the2017 Maccabiah Games.[3]
| 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 | ||||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Representing Soviet Union | ||
| World Junior Championship | ||
 | 1991 Saskatoon | Ice hockey |
Representing CIS | ||
| World Junior Championship | ||
 | 1992 Fũssen | Ice 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 | ||||