Kostitsyn Andrey - Belarusian hockey player. He takes the position of the striker. Some experts call him the best hockey player of Belarus. Known including overseas, where he spent many pretty good matches.
Childhood and youth
Andrew was born in 1985. He was always a strong guy, even as a child. Parents noticed that his son had nowhere to put energy, and gave it to hockey. The child quickly got used to the team and began to show confident play in children's competitions. Coaches could not help noticing that the player stands out against his peers.
At an early age, Kostitsyn Andrey played with senior teams, but even there he stood out for his physical strength. At the age of fifteen, the athlete makes his debut for the main team "Polymir" from Novopolotsk. He became one of the youngest debutants in the history of Belarusian hockey.
In his first season among professionals, he will play in six fights, throw three goals and give away one assists. For a teenager, this result will be very worthy.
Despite the fact that his contract still belonged to Polymir, part of the 2000-2001 season. the hockey player will play in the Yunost and HC Vitebsk teams. For Minsk, he will play in only three fights, but for the team from Vitebsk he will hold seventeen games, score as many goals and give six assists.
The native team will notice that Andrew seriously added to all components of the game, and in the 2001-2002 season. will return him. The young man will play forty-six matches and record thirty-two effective actions. At the end of the period, he again goes to Youth and holds the remaining six games there.
Andrei Kostitsyn played very successfully. The photo from those games shows a really very strong and massive athlete, which is important for hockey. The young man attracted the attention of foreign clubs, and already in 2002 he was invited to Moscow CSKA.
Career outside Belarus
The first season abroad was unsuccessful for an athlete named Andrei Kostitsyn. The hockey player spent only six games for the main team, managed to play for the Sunday “Chemist”, spent a couple of matches for Minsk “Youth”. Returning to his homeland, he again showed high performance.
Season 2003-2004 he starts in Moscow. Spend twelve matches and marked just one assist. At that time he was eighteen, but his career in Russia did not work out anymore. Soon, representatives of the Canadian Hamilton Bulldogs come to him. Naturally, Kostitsyn could not miss the opportunity to go overseas. This team played in the second strongest division, and the athlete took part in sixty-six fights, bringing in his asset twenty-three scoring points.
Season 2005-2006 starts in the NHL with Montreal Canadiens. Andrei took part in twelve games, but did not remember anything special. During the season, he again leaves for Hamilton Bulldogs and shows simply amazing efficiency.
Season 2006-2007 the athlete started as part of Montreal, but again failed to gain a foothold in the base, so he again left for Hamilton Bulldogs. This is already becoming commonplace, but in this team Kostitsyn again reveals his talents.
At twenty-two years, he managed to firmly stake out a place for himself at the base of Montreal. Andrei spends five strong seasons there, after which he leaves for the United States of America. In the US, Andrei will play half the season for Nashville Predators and return to Russia.
After some time, experts will say that Andrei Kostitsyn was not able to open up overseas due to the fact that he played in the position of a flank forward. Prior to this, he spent the best fights precisely as a central striker, who did not enter the selection too often. In Canada and the USA, they wanted to make him a player of a different plan.
Return to Russia
After a long period in Canada and America, Kostitsyn returned to Russia. He will play two and a half years in the Chelyabinsk Tractor. It is worth noting that the forward will show high performance, but they will not renew the contract with him.
Season 2014-2015 Andrei Kostitsyn begins at Sochi. Spends thirty-seven games, scores eleven goals and gives twenty assists. The end of the period will be held in Torpedo from Nizhny Novgorod. In 2015, he returned to Sochi, where he still performs today.
Career in the national team of Belarus
For the first time under the banner of the national team, Andrei Kostitsyn was called up in the distant 2002. He spent many games and scored pretty good results. He took part in seven world championships. He held the 2014 World Cup at a high level. Rumor had it that he could go back to America, but this did not happen.
Achievements
Andrey Kostitsyn in 2008 became the best hockey player in the country. The award-winning collection has the silver of the Continental Hockey League. He is one of the most famous athletes in his country. One of the best Belarusian players playing overseas. A lot of young hockey players equals him.