Andrei Olegovich Kostitsyn ( be, Андрэй Алегавiч Касціцын; russian: Андрей Олегович Костицын; born 3 February 1985) is a
Belarusian professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
forward. He is currently a free agent.
The media have nicknamed him "AK-46", a play on his initials (AK) and player number (46) in reference to the Soviet
AK-47
The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...
rifle. His younger brother
Sergei played together on the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
and
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
.
Playing career
Europe
Beginning in 2000–01, Kostitsyn spent the first two seasons of his early career with
Polimir Novopolotsk, competing in several leagues, including the
Eastern European Hockey League
Eastern European Hockey League (EEHL) was a regional ice hockey league which existed from 1995 to 2004.
History
The league was formed in 1995 by Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine, to provide a higher-level competition for teams from those cou ...
(EEHL). In the summer of 2002, he signed with
CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow (russian: ЦСКА Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet era, it was a central piece of the big So ...
and moved to
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
. He split his time with the organization between CSKA 2 of Russia's developmental league,
and also continued to play in the Belarusian league with
Yunost Minsk.
After his first season with CSKA, he was selected by the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
in the first round, tenth overall, of the
2003 NHL Entry Draft
The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was the 41st NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21 and 22, 2003.
Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. This wa ...
. Kostitsyn drew favourable scouting reports from his strong showing at the
2003 World U-18 Championships and was expected to be taken even higher in the draft; it is speculated that health concerns with his back caused teams to pass him over.
[
]
Montreal Canadiens
In the summer of 2004, he was invited to the Canadiens' training camp and signed a three-year deal with the club. He was subsequently assigned to the Canadiens' American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
(AHL) affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that began to play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the Bulldogs play their home games at FirstOntario Centre. They were purcha ...
, for the 2004–05 season. He scored his first goal with Hamilton in his first game, on 15 October 2004, and finished the season with 23 points in 66 games.
Midway through the 2005–06 season, he was called up by the Canadiens and played his first National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) game on 1 December 2005, but was limited to just one shift in a 3–2 overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:
*by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...
loss to the Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
. He was called up again later in December and scored his first career NHL goal on 13 December against Curtis Joseph
Curtis Shayne Joseph (né Munro; born April 29, 1967) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional player. Nicknamed "Cujo", Joseph was immediately recognizable on the ice for his masks featuring a snarling dog, drawing inspiration fro ...
in a 5–2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes.
Kostitsyn had a breakout season in 2007–08, playing on the Canadiens' most productive line alongside Alexei Kovalev
Alexei Vyacheslavovich Kovalev ( rus, Алексей Вячеславович Ковалёв, , ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej vʲɪtɕɪˈslavəvʲɪtɕ kəvɐˈlʲɵf; born February 24, 1973) is a Russian professional ice hockey coach, executive and former pr ...
and Tomáš Plekanec. He amassed 53 points in 78 games and was joined by his younger brother Sergei, who had been called up from Hamilton, midway through the season. Entering the playoffs with the Canadiens as the first seed, Andrei and Sergei both scored in their NHL postseason debuts against the Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
less than two minutes apart. They also both finished with eight points each in 12 playoff games. However, the Canadiens were defeated by the Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...
in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. On 1 July 2008, he signed a three-year extension worth an annual salary of $3.25 million with the Canadiens.
Several games into the 2008–09 season, he suffered a concussion when he was checked into the boards by Kurt Sauer of the Phoenix Coyotes. Kostitsyn laid on the ice for several minutes before needing to be helped off the ice. He returned to the team after missing two games. In December 2008, he missed another two games due to a minor leg injury, then returned to notch his first career NHL hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
on 27 December, in a 3–2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
.
Nashville Predators
On 27 February 2012, Kostitsyn was traded to the Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
for a second-round pick in 2013 and a fifth-round pick in 2013.
On 1 May 2012, Kostitsyn and Predators' teammate Alexander Radulov
Alexander Valerievich Radulov (russian: Александр Валерьевич Радулов; born 5 July 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey player for Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He had previously had two sep ...
were spotted at a Scottsdale bar at 5:00 a.m. the night before Game 2 of their second-round playoff series against the Coyotes, thus breaking curfew. Both were subsequently suspended by the Predators' management for Game 3. Said Predators' general manager David Poile
David Poile (born February 14, 1950) is the President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the NHL's Nashville Predators. He is the son of the former NHL hockey player, coach and executive Bud Poile.
Career
Poile was a successful hockey ...
of the incident: "What they did was unacceptable and the coaches and myself had to come to the plate and do the right thing for the team. It happened. It's really unfortunate. It's selfish behavior and we'll just have to leave it at that."
Return to Russia
During the 2012 off-season, the Predators made it evident that they would not bring back Kostitsyn, although the Predators later re-signed his brother, Sergei. On 14 September 2012, Kostitsyn returned to Russia and signed a one-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk
Traktor Chelyabinsk, also known as Traktor (russian: Трактор), is a professional ice hockey team based in Chelyabinsk, Russia. They are members of the Kharlamov Division of the Eastern Conference of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). ...
of the Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
(KHL).
In the 2014–15 season, his third with Traktor, Kostitsyn was traded to the expansion club, Sochi on 29 October 2014.
On 1 June 2017, Kostitsyn continued his career in the KHL, signing a one-year deal with Chinese outfit, Kunlun Red Star
HC Kunlun Red Star () is a Chinese ice hockey club that joined the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) prior to the 2016–17 season.
History
Preparation of the team
In March 2016, representatives of Kunlun Red Star and the KHL signed a protocol o ...
.
After a further two seasons in his native Belarus with Dinamo Minsk, on 6 May 2020, Kostitsyn signed a one-year deal to continue in the KHL, with Russian team, HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk
HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (russian: Нефтехимик Нижнекамск, en, Nizhnekamsk Petrochemist) is a professional ice hockey team based in Nizhnekamsk, in the Tatarstan, a federal subject of the Russian Federation. They are members ...
.
International play
Kostitsyn represented Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
extensively at the under-18 and -20 levels. He first played internationally at the 2000 IIHF World U18 Championships The 2000 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Kloten and Weinfelden, Switzerland. The championships ran between April 14 and April 24, 2000. Games were played at Eishalle Schluefweg in Kloten and Sportanlage Güttingersreuti in Weinfelden. Finl ...
as a fifteen-year-old, but Belarus would struggle in the top division, finishing last. The next year, Kostitsyn competed with Belarus' under-20 team in the 2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2001 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred as the 2001 World Junior Hockey Championships (''2001 WJHC''), was the 25th edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. The tournament was held in Moscow and Podolsk, Russia from De ...
' top division. Later that year, having been relegated for the 2001 IIHF World U18 Championships, Kostitsyn returned to record a tournament-leading 14 points in five games within the second-tier to win the Division I championship.
Kostitsyn made his second under-20 appearance at the 2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2002 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred as the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championships (''2002 WJHC''), was the 26th edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. The tournament was held in Pardubice and Hradec Králové, Cze ...
and scored three goals to help Belarus stay in the top division. Later that year, Kostitsyn returned to the top division at the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships
The 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Piešťany and Trnava, Slovakia. The championships began on April 11, 2002, and finished on April 21, 2002. Games were played at Zimny Stadion in Piešťany and Zimny Stadion in Trnava. The US te ...
, recording 10 points in eight games and helping lead Belarus to a fifth-place finish. Competing in his third under-20 tournament at the 2003 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Kostitsyn recorded two goals and one assist, but was relegated with Belarus to Division-I for 2004. Playing in the second-tier, he notched five goals and 10 points in five games to help Belarus return to the top division in 2005, where he scored five points in his fifth and final World Juniors.
In 2004, Kostitsyn had also made his senior international debut as a 19-year-old at the 2004 IIHF World Championship. He scored six points in five games. The following year in 2005 IIHF World Championship
The 2005 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship was held 30 April – 15 May 2005 in Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria. It was the 69th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Venues
Rosters
Preliminary round
...
, however, he did not record a point in six games playing in the top division. Following his rookie season in the American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
(AHL) in 2006, he played in his third consecutive World Championship and recorded five points in six games. At the 2008 IIHF World Championship, Kostitsyn recorded three points in five games.
On 23 December 2009, Kostitsyn was selected along with his younger brother Sergei, Mikhail Grabovski
Michail Jurjevič Hraboŭski ( Belarusian: Міхаіл Юр'евiч Грабоўскі; born 31 January 1984), better known as Mikhail Grabovski (Russian: Михаил Грабовский), is a German-born Belarusian professional ice hockey ...
and Ruslan Salei
Ruslan Albertovich Salei ( Belarusian: Руслан Альбертавіч Салей; Russian: Руслан Альбертович Салей; November 2, 1974 – September 7, 2011) was a Belarusian professional ice hockey player. Salei pla ...
as the only four current NHL players to represent Belarus in the 2010 Olympics.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kostitsyn, Andrei
1985 births
Living people
Belarusian expatriates in Canada
Belarusian ice hockey right wingers
Expatriate ice hockey players in Russia
HC CSKA Moscow players
HC Dinamo Minsk players
HC Dynamo Pardubice players
HC Khimik Voskresensk players
HC Kunlun Red Star players
HC Sochi players
Montreal Canadiens draft picks
Montreal Canadiens players
Nashville Predators players
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk players
People from Navapolatsk
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod players
Traktor Chelyabinsk players
Sportspeople from Vitebsk Region