Playing career

Zhitnik was drafted 81st overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft after playing for Sokil Kyiv in the Soviet Championship League for two years. After another year, he came to the NHL for the 1992-93 NHL season.

He made his NHL debut on October 6, 1992 against the Calgary Flames and scored his first goal nine nights later, also against Calgary. In his rookie season with the Kings, he finished second among rookie defenceman in points with 48. He was an important part of the Kings' playoff run to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens.

After another year of playing with the Kings and Wayne Gretzky, he was traded on February 14, 1995, along with Robb Stauber, Charlie Huddy and a fifth-round draft pick, to the Buffalo Sabres for Grant Fuhr, Denis Tsygurov and Philippe Boucher. He became one of the team's best players, helping the Sabres win the Northeast Division in the 1996-97 NHL season, his second full year with the team. In the 1997-98 NHL season, he led all defensemen in shorthanded goals (3). He also helped the Sabres reach the finals in the 1998-99 NHL season and stayed on the team until the 2004-05 NHL lockout when he returned to the Russian Super League.

Following the lockout, he signed a four-year contract with the New 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 the Philadelphia Flyers for Freddy Meyer and a conditional third round draft pick. However, he was traded two months later on February 24, 2007 to the Atlanta Thrashers to add experience for playoffs, in exchange for Braydon Coburn.

Due to Zhitnik's disappointing play with the Thrashers combined the teams focus on rebuilding, the team bought out Zhitnik's contract on June 30, 2008, making him a free agent. On July 26, 2008, Zhitnik returned to Russia and the now-Kontinental Hockey League, signing a tryout contract with Dynamo Moscow..

Awards

• 1992: Gold Medal (XVII Olympic Winter Games)
• 1992-93: Clarence S. Campbell Bowl (Los Angeles Kings)
• 1996: Bronze Medal (World Cup of Hockey)
• 1998: Silver Medal (XVIII Olympic Winter Games)
• 1998-99: Played in the All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2001-02: Played in the All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2008: Spengler Cup Champion (Dynamo Moscow)
• 2008-09: Played in the All-Star Game (KHL)

Records

• On February 20, 2007, as a Flyer, he became the eighth defenseman born outside of North America, and first born in the Soviet Union to appear in 1,000 NHL games (Sergei Zubov has since joined Zhitnik in that regard). The others at the time: Nicklas Lidström, Börje Salming, Calle Johansson, Ulf Samuelsson, Fredrik Olausson (all from Sweden), Petr Svoboda from the Czech Republic and Teppo Numminen of Finland.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1989-90	Sokil Kyiv	USSR		32	3	4	7	16		—	—	—	—	—
1990-91	Sokil Kyiv	USSR		46	1	4	5	46		—	—	—	—	—
1991-92	CSKA Moscow	CIS		36	2	7	9	48		—	—	—	—	—
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
1999-00	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		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				1,085	96	375	471	1,268		98	9	30	39	168

International play

Alexei Zhitnik

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

International statistics

Year	Team	Event	Place		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1991	Soviet Union	WJC	02 !		7	1	1	2	2
1991	Soviet Union	CC	5th		5	0	0	0	4
1992	CIS	WJC	01 !		7	1	1	2	2
1992	Unified Team	Oly	01 !		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	Oly	02 !		6	0	2	2	2
2000	Russia	WC	11th		6	0	1	1	2
2006	Russia	Oly	4th		0	0	0	0	0
Junior Int'l totals					14	2	2	4	4
Senior Int'l totals					48	3	7	10	30

Career transactions

• Selected by Los Angeles Kings in 1991 NHL Entry Draft. He was Los Angeles' 4th round choice, 81st overall.
• Traded to Buffalo by Los Angeles Kings with Robb Stauber, Charlie Huddy and Los Angeles' 5th round choice (Marian Menhart) in 1995 Entry Draft for Philippe Boucher, Denis Tsygurov and Grant Fuhr, February 14, 1995.
• Signed as a free agent by Kazan (Russia), December 6, 2004.
• Signed as a free agent by the New York Islanders, August 2, 2005.
• Traded to Philadelphia by the Islanders for Freddy Meyer and a conditional 3rd round draft pick on December 16, 2006.
• Traded to Atlanta by Philadelphia for defenseman Braydon Coburn on February 24, 2007

[ Source: Wikipedia ]