Andrei Kostitsyn

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
team = Montreal Canadiens
league = NHL


image_size =
position = Right Wing
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 0
weight_lb = 208
nickname = AK-46, Big Brother
nationality = BLR
birth_date = birth date and age|1985|2|3
birth_place = Navapolatsk, Byelorussian SSR, USSR
draft = 10th overall
draft_year = 2003
draft_team = Montreal Canadiens
career_start = 2003

Andrei Kostitsyn ( _be. Андрэй Касьціцын, Andrej Kascicyn) is a Belarusian ice hockey forward, currently playing for the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens.

He is also an active member of the Belarusian national men's ice hockey team.

He was drafted 10th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. His younger brother Sergei Kostitsyn was also drafted by the Montreal Canadiens, in the seventh round (200th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. The two brothers currently play together for the Canadiens.

Playing career

Amateur years

Andrei spent his early career playing for Polimir Novopolotsk hockey school in Belarus.

Professional career

In the summer of 2002 he signed with CSKA Moscow and moved to Russia. He spent the beginning of the season alternating between CSKA and CSKA 2. [http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/andrei_kostitsyn]

He has represented Belarus on several occasions. He first played for the under-18 team in 2000 being shut down with a Belarusian team having a tough time in the top division. The next year, at fifteen years old, he recorded a tournament leading 14 points in five games helping Belarus to win division-I. That same year he first played with Belarus' under-20 team in the top division tournament recording no point. In 2002, while still in the top division, he scored 3 of his team's 11 goals as Belarus held on its place in the top division for the next year. Then in 2003, Kostitsyn recorded 2 goals an assist but saw his team getting relegated to division-I for 2004. He played for his country's under-20 team for a fourth and final time in 2004 in the division-I tournament notching 5 goals and 4 assists in 5 games. [http://canadiens.nhl.com/team/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8470603&service=page&tab=bio]

Andrei was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round (10th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He was expected to be picked as high as 5th overall, but an epileptic condition (that has since been kept in check by medication) may have prevented him from being drafted higher. [http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/andrei_kostitsyn]

In the summer of 2004 he was invited to the Montreal Canadiens' training camp, where he signed a three year deal with the club. [http://www.russianprospects.com/public/article.php?article_id=255]

Andrei joined the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL for the 2004–2005 season and scored his first goal in his first game, on October 15, 2004.

He played his first NHL game on December 1, 2005. His first career NHL goal came on December 13, in a game versus the Phoenix Coyotes, against Curtis Joseph.

Kostitsyn had a breakout season in 2007–2008, playing on Montreal's most productive line alongside Alex Kovalev and Tomas Plekanec. He amassed 53 points in 78 games, including several highlight-reel goals. On July 1, 2008, he signed a 3 year extension worth 3.25 million a season with the Canadiens.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

External links

*
*legendsofhockey|20928
* [http://www.canadiens.com/eng/team/redirect.cfm?sectionID=habsPlayer.cfm&playerID=29567 Montreal Canadiens homepage biography]
*
* [http://www.russianprospects.com/public/profile.php?player_id=88 RussianProspects.com Andrei Kostitsyn Player Profile]