Sergei Kostitsyn
Encyclopedia
Siarhiej Aliehavič Kaścicyn (Belarusian
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...

: Сяргей Алегавiч Касціцын; born March 20, 1987), better known as Sergei Kostitsyn, is a Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...

ian professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...

 currently playing for the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

. His older brother Andrei
Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrej Aliehavič Kaścicyn , better known as Andrei Kostitsyn, is a Belarusian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . The media have nicknamed him AK-46, a play on his initials and player number in reference to the Soviet AK-47...

 plays for the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

.

Junior hockey

Like his older brother, Sergei excelled in the Belarusian junior hockey program. Sergei played for HK Gomel in Belarus in 2004–05 (14 points in 40 games) and was drafted in the Canadian Hockey League
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...

 (CHL) Import Draft by the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....

 (OHL)'s London Knights
London Knights
The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:...

. Sergei was also drafted in the seventh round, 200th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft
2005 NHL Entry Draft
The 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the 43rd NHL Entry Draft.As a lockout cancelled the games of the 2004–05 NHL season, the draft order was determined by lottery on July 22, 2005. Teams were assigned 1 to 3 balls based on their playoff appearances and first overall draft picks from the past three years...

 by the Montréal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

, the team that also had drafted Andrei in the first round (10th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
2003 NHL Entry Draft
The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21, 2003.Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, only the third goalie in NHL history selected as the first overall draft choice...

. He was traded to the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 on June 29 2010.

Kostitsyn moved to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 in 2005–06 to play with the Knights and recorded 26 goals, 52 assists and 78 points, leading all OHL rookies in scoring during the 2005–06 season. The 19-year-old was the second runner-up for the Emms Family Award
Emms Family Award
The Emms Family Award is presented annually to the top first year player in the Ontario Hockey League.The award was donated to the OHL by Leighton "Hap" Emms, former owner of franchises in Barrie, Niagara Falls and St...

, as OHL Rookie of the Year, behind Logan Couture
Logan Couture
Logan Couture is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the Sharks ninth overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.-Playing career:...

 of the Ottawa 67's
Ottawa 67's
The Ottawa 67’s are a junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They have played in the Ontario Hockey League since 1967, Canada's centennial year. The current coach is Chris Byrne.-History:...

 and 15-year-old winner John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...

. Sergei was instrumental in the London Knights' 2006 playoff run, which saw them lose to the Peterborough Petes
Peterborough Petes
The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:...

 in the OHL final. In his first ever OHL playoff game against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The Greyhounds play home games at the Essar Centre. The present team was founded in 1962 as a team in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The Greyhounds name has been used by several ice hockey...

, Sergei had six points, a goal and five assists, in a 6–1 London win. In the semi-finals, Kostitsyn scored the series-clinching goal against the Guelph Storm
Guelph Storm
The Guelph Storm is a major junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They have played in the OHL since the 1991–92 season. The team plays home games at the Sleeman Centre.-History:...

, a power-play goal in the first overtime
Overtime (ice hockey)
Overtime is a method of determining the winner and loser of an ice hockey match when the scores are tied after regulation. The two main methods are the overtime period and the shootout.-Overtime periods:...

 of game five. In addition to being named team rookie of the year, the Knights named him the playoff performer of the year, finishing the post-season with 37 points in 19 games.

Joining the Montreal Canadiens' 2006–07 training camp, Kostitsyn was returned to London for a second OHL season. He was placed on a line with young superstars Patrick Kane
Patrick Kane
Patrick Timothy Kane, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . The Blackhawks selected him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.-Minor and junior:Kane attended the St...

 and Sam Gagner
Sam Gagner
Sam William Gagner is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing with the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the Oilers in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft....

 and was named an alternate captain. Kostitsyn finished third in OHL and CHL scoring behind teammate Patrick Kane and Oshawa's John Tavares, tallying 40 goals and 131 points in only 59 games. His 91 assists led the CHL and broke the London Knights franchise record of 89 set in 1972–73 by Dennis Ververgaert
Dennis Ververgaert
Dennis Andrew Ververgaert is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League from 1973 until 1981. He is best known for his time with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was one of the club's top players in their first decade of existence...

.

Montreal Canadiens

On May 1, 2007, Kostitsyn was signed to an amateur tryout contract with the Canadiens' American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 (AHL) affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs
Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...

, to assist the team in its Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...

-winning playoff run. However, after not being inserted in the lineup, he returned home to Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...

 to see his family. On May 26, Kostitsyn signed with the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

 to a 3-year, entry-level contract.

Kostitsyn began the 2007–08 season with the Bulldogs. On December 12, 2007, while leading the Bulldogs in scoring, Kostitsyn was called up by the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

. He played his first career NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 game against the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 on December 13 and played on the top-line with captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...

 Saku Koivu
Saku Koivu
Saku Antero Koivu is a Finnish professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . He began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1995–96 after three seasons with TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga...

 and Christopher Higgins
Christopher Higgins
Christopher Higgins is an American professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . While playing college hockey, he was selected 14th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft...

. Sergei recorded his first career NHL point, an assist, in the next game, a 4–1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 on December 15. Five days later, in his fourth game on December 20, Sergei scored his first career NHL goal, a power-play marker in a 5–2 win against the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...

. He finished his rookie season with 27 points in 51 games and added eight points in 12 playoff games.

The following season, Kostitsyn was reassigned to Hamilton on February 19, 2009. After earning 14 points in 16 games while in the AHL, he was called back up a little over a month later on March 22. Prior to the 2009–10 season, Kostitsyn was cut from the lineup and assigned to Hamilton. On September 30, he announced that he would not report to Hamilton and even asked to be traded. He was then suspended by the team. A few days later, Kostitsyn agreed to report to the Bulldogs in time for the start of the 2009–10 season
2009–10 AHL season
The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11...

. After four points in the first five games of the season, however, he left the team on October 21 and was consequently suspended a second time by the Canadiens. He finally decided to report once again to the Hamilton Bulldogs and after recording 13 points in 16 games with the Bulldogs, he was recalled by the Canadiens.On May 7th, Sergei was effectively cut from the Habs when Jacques Martin told the player to stay off the ice for the morning practice.

On June 29th, 2010, Kostitsyn was sent to the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 for goaltender Dan Ellis
Dan Ellis
Daniel Ellis is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League...

 and forward Dustin Boyd
Dustin Boyd
Dustin Boyd is a Canadian professional ice hockey player under contract with Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League.- Playing career :...

 in a trade involving future considerations.

On July 6th, 2010, Kostitsyn signed a 1 year deal with the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 worth $550,000 that runs through the 2010-2011 NHL season.

International play

As a junior, Kostitsyn has participated in four World Under-17 tournaments, three World Junior Under-18 Championships
IIHF World U18 Championships
The IIHF World U18 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world. The tournament is usually played in April and is organized according to a system similar to Ice Hockey World Championships and World...

, and two World Junior Championships, one of which was with his brother Andrei.

In the 2006 World Junior Championships
2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships were held in Vancouver, Kelowna, and Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The championships began on December 26, 2005, and finished on January 5, 2006. Games were played at GM Place and the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, the Interior Savings Centre in...

, he was named tournament MVP of the B-pool, leading Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...

 to a promotion to the top-tier. Playing in pool-A in 2007
2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 2007 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Mora and Leksand, Sweden between December 26, 2006 and January 5, 2007. The venues were FM Mattsson Arena in Mora, and Ejendals Arena in Leksand...

, he scored a goal and two assists in the first game of the tournament, a 4-2 upset victory against Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

. He finished the tournament with 5 points in 6 games.

After his rookie season with the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

, Kostitsyn competed in the 2008 World Championships
2008 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
The 2008 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 72nd such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 48 countries will participate in four levels of competition. The competition will also serve as qualifications for the 2009 competition...

 with Belarus. He played in four games, recording one assist.

On December 23, 2009, Kostitsyn was selected along with his older brother Andrei, Mikhail Grabovski and Ruslan Salei as the only four current NHL players to represent Belarus in the 2010 Olympics.

Awards

  • Named World Junior Championships
    World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
    The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...

     Pool-B MVP in 2006
    2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
    The 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships were held in Vancouver, Kelowna, and Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The championships began on December 26, 2005, and finished on January 5, 2006. Games were played at GM Place and the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, the Interior Savings Centre in...

    .
  • Named to the OHL
    Ontario Hockey League
    The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....

     First All-Rookie Team in 2006.
  • Named the London Knights
    London Knights
    The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:...

    ' top playoff performer in 2006.
  • Named the London Knights' rookie of the year in 2006.

Off the ice

In February 2009, La Presse reported that Sergei, along with his brother Andrei and defenceman Roman Hamrlík
Roman Hamrlík
Roman Hamrlík is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...

, had links with Pasquale Mangiola, a member of an organized crime group, who was arrested as part of "Operation Axe" during the month and charged with firearms and drugs offense. According to ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

, the NHL will send security officials to investigate the links between the players and Mangiola, though La Presse also reported that the three players were not involved in any criminal activities and no investigation against them is planned.

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

Team League GP G
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...

A
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...

Pts
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...

PIM
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...

+/- GP G A Pts PIM +/–
2005–06 London Knights
London Knights
The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:...

OHL
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....

63 26 52 78 78 –5 19 13 24 37 44 +2
2006–07 London Knights OHL 59 40 91 131 76 +38 16 9 12 21 39 –2
2007–08
2007–08 AHL season
The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:...

Hamilton Bulldogs
Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...

AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

22 6 16 22 18 +2
2007–08 Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

52 9 18 27 51 +9 12 3 5 8 14 +5
2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...

Montreal Canadiens NHL 56 8 15 23 64 -3 1 0 0 0 2 0
2008–09
2008–09 AHL season
The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:...

Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 16 5 8 13 18 4
2009–10
2009–10 AHL season
The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11...

Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 16 4 9 13 2 2
2009–10
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...

Montreal Canadiens NHL 47 7 11 18 8 4 5 0 0 0 0 0
2010–11
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...

Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

NHL 77 23 27 50 20 10 12 0 5 5 2 0
OHL totals 122 66 143 209 154 +33 35 22 36 58 8 0
AHL totals 54 15 33 48 20 +8
NHL totals 232 47 71 118 143 +20 30 3 10 13 18 +5

External links

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