Sergei Kostitsyn Explained

Sergei Kostitsyn
Birth Date:1987 3, df=yes
Birth Place:Novopolotsk, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:205
Position:Left wing
Shoots:Left
League:UHSL
Team:Sokil Kyiv
Former Teams:Yunost Minsk
Gomel
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
Avangard Omsk
Ak Bars Kazan
Dinamo Minsk
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
Bratislava Capitals
Ntl Team:BLR
Draft:200th overall
Draft Year:2005
Draft Team:Montreal Canadiens
Career Start:2007

Sergei Olegovich Kostitsyn (Belarusian: Сяргей Алегавiч Касціцын; Russian: Сергей Олегович Костицын; born 20 March 1987) is a Belarusian professional ice hockey winger. He currently plays for Sokil Kyiv of the Ukrainian Hockey Super League.

He most recently played for Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He has previously played with the Montreal Canadiens and the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL) alongside his older brother Andrei.

Playing career

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 (CHL) Import Draft by the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)'s London Knights. Sergei was also drafted in the seventh round, 200th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, the team that also had drafted Andrei in the first round (10th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He was traded to the Nashville Predators on 29 June 2010.

Kostitsyn moved to North America 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, as OHL Rookie of the Year, behind Logan Couture of the Ottawa 67's and 15-year-old winner John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals. Sergei was instrumental in the London Knights' 2006 playoff run, which saw them lose to the Peterborough Petes in the OHL final. In his first ever OHL playoff game against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Sergei had six points, a goal and five assists, in a 6–1 London win.[1] In the semi-finals, Kostitsyn scored the series-clinching goal against the Guelph Storm, a power play goal in the first overtime of game five.[2] The Knights named him the playoff performer of the year, finishing the post-season with 37 points in 19 games.[3]

Joining the 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 and Sam Gagner 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.[4]

Montreal Canadiens

On 2 May 2007, Sergei Kostitsyn signed an amateur tryout contract with the Canadiens' AHL team, the Hamilton Bulldogs. However, after not being inserted in the lineup, he returned home to see his family. On 25 May, Kostitsyn signed with the Canadiens to a 3-year, entry-level contract.[4]

Kostitsyn began the 2007–08 season with the Bulldogs. On 13 December 2007, while leading the Bulldogs in scoring, Kostitsyn was called up by the Canadiens. He played his first career NHL game against the Philadelphia Flyers on 13 December and played on the top-line with captain Saku Koivu and Chris Higgins.[5] Sergei recorded his first career NHL point, an assist, in the next game, a 4–1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on 15 December.[6] Five days later, in his fourth game on 20 December, Sergei scored his first career NHL goal, a power play marker in a 5–2 win against the Washington Capitals.[7] 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 19 February 2009. He was called back up a little over a month later on 22 March.[8] Prior to the 2009–10 season, Kostitsyn was cut from the lineup and assigned to Hamilton. On 30 September, he announced that he would not report to Hamilton and even asked to be traded. He was then suspended by the team.[9] [10] A few days later, Kostitsyn agreed to report to the Bulldogs in time for the start of the 2009–10 season.[11] [12] After four points in the first five games of the season, however, he left the team on 21 October 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.[13] [14] On 7 May, Sergei was effectively cut from the Canadiens when Jacques Martin told the player to stay off the ice for the morning practice.[15]

Nashville Predators

On 29 June 2010, Kostitsyn was sent to the Nashville Predators for goaltender Dan Ellis and forward Dustin Boyd in a trade involving future considerations.[16] On 6 July, Kostitsyn signed a one-year deal with the Predators worth $550,000 that ran through the 2010–11 season. In the 2011–12 season, his second with the Predators, Kostitsyn scored his first career hat-trick on 1 January 2012.

On 4 July 2013, Kostitsyn was placed on waivers for the condition of a mutual termination of his contract with the Predators. On 6 July 2013, he signed a three-year contract to return to Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), his club during the 2012 NHL lockout.[17]

KHL

In June 2014, Avangard Omsk traded Kostitsyn to Ak Bars Kazan in exchange for Konstantin Barulin.[18]

In the 2015–16 season, he played for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod before joining Dinamo Minsk for the 2016–17 season and then returned to Torpedo for the 2017–18 season.[19]

On 3 May 2018, Kostitsyn signed a two-year contract as a free agent to return to his native Belarus, for a second stint with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL.[20]

International play

As a junior, Kostitsyn has participated in four World Under-17 tournaments, three World Junior Under-18 Championships, and two World Junior Championships, one of which was with his brother Andrei.

In the 2006 World Junior Championships, he was named best forward in Division I B, leading Belarus to a promotion to the top-tier.[21] Playing in pool A in 2007, he scored a goal and two assists in the first game of the tournament, a 4–2 upset victory against Finland. He finished the tournament with 5 points in 6 games.

After his rookie season with the Canadiens, Kostitsyn competed in the 2008 IIHF World Championship with Belarus. He played in four games, recording one assist.

On 23 December 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 Winter Olympics.[22] [23]

Awards

Records

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2002–03Yunost MinskBXL1 0 0 0 0
2002–03HK GomelBXL8 1 3 4 41 0 0 0 0
2002–03HK GomelEEHL2 0 0 0 0
2002–03HK Gomel IIBVL25 22 27 49 66
2003–04Yunior MinskBXL3 0 0 0 0
2003–04HK GomelBXL22 5 4 9 411 1 2 3 8
2003–04HK GomelEEHL6 0 1 1 0
2003–04HK Gomel IIBVL17 13 16 29 66
2003–04HK Gomel IIEEHL B6 7 2 9 14
2004–05HK GomelBXL40 4 10 14 244 2 0 2 12
2004–05HK Gomel IIBVL6 2 3 5 34
2005–06London KnightsOHL63 26 52 78 7819 13 24 37 44
2006–07London KnightsOHL59 40 91 131 7616 9 12 21 39
2007–08Hamilton BulldogsAHL22 6 16 22 18
2007–08Montreal CanadiensNHL52 9 18 27 5112 3 5 8 14
2008–09Montreal CanadiensNHL56 8 15 23 641 0 0 0 2
2008–09Hamilton BulldogsAHL16 5 8 13 18
2009–10Hamilton BulldogsAHL16 4 9 13 2
2009–10Montreal CanadiensNHL47 7 11 18 85 0 0 0 0
2010–11Nashville PredatorsNHL77 23 27 50 2012 0 5 5 2
2011–12Nashville PredatorsNHL75 17 26 43 3410 1 1 2 4
2012–13Avangard OmskKHL27 9 19 28 42
2012–13Nashville PredatorsNHL46 3 12 15 11
2013–14Avangard OmskKHL54 10 24 34 56
2014–15Ak Bars KazanKHL49 7 20 27 2012 1 2 3 6
2015–16Torpedo Nizhny NovgorodKHL51 10 10 20 4011 2 2 4 16
2016–17Dinamo MinskKHL45 5 21 26 425 0 2 2 4
2017–18Torpedo Nizhny NovgorodKHL43 7 7 14 144 1 0 1 0
2018–19Dinamo MinskKHL60 5 13 18 68
2020–21Bratislava CapitalsICEHL14 1 3 4 05 2 2 4 0
NHL totals353 67 109 176 18840 4 11 15 22
KHL totals329 53 114 167 28232 4 6 10 26

International

YearTeamEventGPGAPtsPIM
2003BelarusWJC1862024
2004BelarusWJC D154480
2004BelarusWJC1861348
2005BelarusWJC60002
2005BelarusWJC18 D141564
2006BelarusWJC D1545943
2007BelarusWJC614533
2008BelarusWC40110
2010BelarusOG42350
2012BelarusWC31122
2014BelarusWC844810
2015BelarusWC81678
2016BelarusWC70224
2016BelarusOGQ32460
2017BelarusWC60226
2021BelarusWC50222
Junior totals3813213494
Senior totals4810253532

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Knights draw first blood. https://archive.today/20120714025937/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2006/03/24/1503600-sun.html. usurped. 14 July 2012. 21 October 2008. 24 March 2006.
  2. Web site: Knights back in OHL Final. https://archive.today/20120714131922/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2006/04/29/1556866-sun.html. usurped. 14 July 2012. 21 October 2008. 29 April 2006.
  3. Web site: Knights acquire Bulls picks for Peleech. https://archive.today/20120714213931/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2006/06/15/1634092-sun.html. usurped. 14 July 2012. 21 October 2008. 15 June 2006.
  4. Web site: Canadiens sign CHL's top assist man. 21 October 2008. 26 May 2007. CBC.
  5. Habs look to end long skid vs. Leafs. 21 October 2008. 2007-12-14. Sporting News. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20071218190637/http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=318718. 18 December 2007.
  6. News: Koivu scores twice in Canadiens' 4–1 win over Maple Leafs. 21 October 2008. 15 December 2007. USA Today.
  7. News: Latendresse scores 2 goals to lead Montreal over Washington 5-2. 21 October 2008. 21 December 2007. International Herald Tribune.
  8. Web site: Canadiens summon Sergei Kostitsyn from minors. 23 March 2009. 23 March 2009. CBC.
  9. Web site: Sergei Kostitsyn Suspended by Habs; Requests Trade. 30 September 2009. 30 September 2009. TSN. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091003111202/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=293177. 3 October 2009.
  10. Web site: Kostitsyn demands trade after demotion: report. CBC.ca. CBC News. 16 December 2017. 30 September 2009.
  11. Web site: Sergei Kostitsyn agrees to report to AHL's Bulldogs . 6 October 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091009062539/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=293943 . 9 October 2009.
  12. Web site: Harrison. Doug. Kostitsyn returning to AHL, not Russia. cbc.ca. CBC News. 16 December 2017. 22 October 2009.
  13. Web site: Sergei K. Suit les conseils de Gainey. 21 October 2009.
  14. Web site: Sergei Kostitsyn suspended by Habs after leaving Bulldogs. 21 October 2009. 21 October 2009. The Sports Network.
  15. Web site: Sergei Kostitsyn's Habs career hits the skids . 8 May 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100509050004/http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Sergei+Kostitsyn+Habs+career+hits+skids/2996657/story.html . 9 May 2010.
  16. Web site: Harrison . Doug . Canadiens ship Sergei Kostitsyn to Predators . CBC . 9 November 2018 . 30 June 2010.
  17. Web site: Russian . . 6 July 2013 . 6 July 2013 . Kostitsyn returns to Avangard . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130711034406/http://hawk.ru/news_view.php?id=1067 . 11 July 2013.
  18. Web site: Сергей Костицын в "Ак Барсе". Как это было . www.ak-bars.ru . 9 November 2018 . ru-RU . 4 June 2015.
  19. Web site: Сергей Костицын вернулся в "Торпедо" . www.hctorpedo.ru . 9 November 2018 . ru-RU . 1 May 2017.
  20. Web site: Сергей Костицын – в ХК "Динамо-Минск" . hcdinamo.by . 9 November 2018 . ru-BE . 3 May 2018.
  21. Web site: Championnat du monde des moins de 20 ans 2005/06. 9 May 2016. Passionhockey.com.
  22. Web site: Belarus names Olympic roster . IIHF.com . 9 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091226172034/http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/article/belarus-names-olympic-roster.html . 26 December 2009 . 23 December 2009.
  23. Web site: Kreiser . John . Sharks lead NHL with 8 players chosen for Olympics . NHL.com . 9 November 2018 . 2 January 2010.