Alexei Nikolajewitsch Schitnik

Alexei Schitnik
Date of birth	October 10, 1972
place of birth	Kiev , Ukrainian SSR
size	180 cm
Weight	97 kg
position	defender
Shot hand	Left
Draft
NHL Entry Draft	1991 , 4th round, 81st position Los Angeles Kings
Career stations
until 1991	HK Sokol Kiev
1991-1992	HK CSKA Moscow
1992-1995	Los Angeles Kings
1995-2004	Buffalo Sabers
2004-2005	Ak Bars Kazan
2005-2006	New York Islanders
2006-2007	Philadelphia Flyers
2007-2008	Atlanta Thrashers
2008-2010	HK Dynamo Moscow

Alexei Nikolayevich Schitnik ( Russian Алексей Николаевич Житник , Ukrainian Олексій Миколайович Житник / Olexij Mikolajowytsch Schytnyk * 10. October 1972 in Kiev , Ukrainian SSR ) is a Ukrainian hockey players with Russian citizenship, most recently at the HC Dynamo Moscow in the KHL was under contract.

Career

Schitnik began his career at HK Sokol Kiev , for which he was active in the Soviet championship from 1989 to 1991. He was then selected in the fourth round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft in a total of 81st position by the Los Angeles Kings . The defensive player spent the following season at HK CSKA Moscow and joined the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League for the 1992/93 season . In his first season in the NHL, the Russian advanced with the Kings to the final games of the Stanley Cup , but lost the series against the Montréal Canadiens in five games. In the following year he managed to increase his points and to achieve a total of 52 scorer points in 81 games . During the following season, on February 14, 1995, Schitnik was given along with Robb Stauber , Charlie Huddy and a five-round suffrage in an exchange deal to the Buffalo Sabers . In return, Philippe Boucher , Denis Zygurow and Grant Fuhr were sent to Los Angeles. Schitnik was with the Sabers almost continuously until 2004 as a regular employee.

During this time he reached the final games for the Stanley Cup with the Sabers in the 1998/99 season , but lost the series in six games against the Dallas Stars . During the 2004/05 season , which was canceled due to the lockout , the defensive player initially remained without a club. On December 6, 2004 he signed with Ak Bars Kazan , in which he completed a total of 27 games in the 2004/05 season and scored nine points. On August 2, 2005, the Russian signed as a free agent with the New York Islanders . He started the season with solid performances, but failed to make it to the finals with the Islanders and was sidelined until the end of the season after an injury in March 2006. In the following season Schitnik was in 30 NHL games for the Islanders and posted eleven points scorer before he was given on December 16, 2006 in exchange for Freddy Meyer and a third-round vote to the Philadelphia Flyers . In the same season, the Russian defender was again given in an exchange deal and sent to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for Braydon Coburn .

In the 2006/07 season he qualified with the franchise from Atlanta for the first time for the play-offs and lost with the team in the first round in four games against the New York Rangers . After he had also spent the following season with the Thrashers, Schitnik signed in the summer of 2008 with HK Dynamo Moscow in the Continental Hockey League , where he acted as team captain in the 2009/10 season . In spring Dynamo Moscow dissolved due to financial problems and merged with HK MWD Balaschicha to form OHK Dynamo . Schitnik was subsequently without a club.

International

On November 2, 1990, he was appointed to the team of the Soviet national ice hockey team. After the collapse of the Soviet Union , he was first a member of the United Team and then the Russian national ice hockey team . His international career was crowned with a gold medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics and a silver medal in 1998 . In 1992 he was named an Honored Master of Sport .

Achievements and Awards

• 1999 NHL All-Star Game
• 2002 NHL All-Star Game
• 2008 Spengler Cup win with HK Dynamo Moscow
• 2009 KHL All-Star Game

International

1990 silver medal at the U18 European Junior Championship 1991 silver medal at the Junior World Championship 1992 gold medal at the Junior World Championship 1992 gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games

1996 World Cup best defender 1996 World Championship All-Star Team 1998 silver medal at the Olympic Winter Games

NHL statistics

	Seasons	Games	Gates	Assists	Points	Penalty minutes
Regular season	15th	1085	96	375	471	1268
Playoffs	8th	98	9	30th	39	168

Web links

• Alexei Schitnik at legendsofhockey.net (English)
• Alexei Schitnik at chidlovski.net (engl.)
• Alexei Schitnik in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )