Valeri Bure

Full Name: Valeri Vladimirovich Bure
Last Team: Dallas Stars
Number: 8
Position: Right Wing
Height: 5’10”/178 cm
Weight: 180 lbs/82 kg
Born: June 13, 1974 in Moscow, RUS
Drafted: Selected by the Montreal Canadiens in 2nd round (33rd overall) of the 1992 Entry Draft

Strengths: Bure had many of the same electrifying traits as his older brother, Pavel. “The Pocket Rocket” was as good at creating plays as he was at scoring timely goals. He had one of the NHL’s most dangerous slapshots.

Weaknesses: Bure played best as a supporting player on talented teams, but he was not always dependent when entrusted with being the primary offensive threat of a team. Valeri also was also prone to injuries from NHL’s physical game and retired very early.

Biography: Coming soon

Club Stats:

Season	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
1990-91	CSKA Moscow	3	0	0	0		0
1991-92	Spokane Chiefs (WHL)	53	27	22	49		78
1992-93	Spokane Chiefs (WHL)	66	68	79	147		49
1993-94	Spokane Chiefs (WHL)	59	40	62	102		48
1994-95	Fredericton Canadiens (AHL)	45	23	25	48		32
1994-95	Montreal	24	3	1	4	-1	6
1995-96	Montreal	77	22	20	42	+10	28
1996-97	Montreal	64	14	21	35	+4	6
1997-98	Montreal/Calgary	66	12	26	38	-5	35
1998-99	Calgary	80	26	27	53	0	22
1999-00	Calgary	82	35	40	75	-7	50
2000-01	Calgary	78	27	28	55	-21	26
2001-02	Florida	31	8	10	18	-3	12
2002-03	Florida/St. Louis	51	5	23	25	-13	10
2003-04	Florida/Dallas	68	22	30	52	+3	26
Totals	USSR Reg. Season	3	0	0	0		0
Totals	NHL Reg. Season	621	174	226	400	-33	221
Totals	NHL Playoffs	22	0	7	7	-4	16

National Team Stats:

Year	Tournament	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1994	World Juniors U20	7	5	3	8	4
1994	World Championship	6	3	0	3	2
1996	World Cup	1	0	0	0	2
1998	Olympic Games	6	1	0	1	0
2002	Olympic Games	6	1	0	1	2
Totals	U20 Level	7	5	3	8	4
Totals	Senior Level	19	5	0	5	6

Photo Gallery:

Valeri with his brother, Pavel, and silver Olympic medals

Bure played his finest hockey for the Calgary Flames

Bure celebrates goal at the 2002 Olympics

Bure with the Florida Panthers

Valeri scores a goal

Valeri Kamensky

Full Name: Valeri Viktorovich Kamensky
Last Team: Khimik Voskresensk (RSL)
Number: 13
Position: Left Wing
Height: 6’1”/185 cm
Weight: 196 lbs/89 kg
Born: April 18, 1966 in Voskresensk, RUS
Drafted: Selected by the Quebec Nordiques in 7th round (129th overall) of the 1988 Entry Draft

Strengths: Kamensky was one of the best forwards that developed in the Soviet Union in the 1980s. His playmaking and sniping abilities carried over successfully to the NHL, where he was one of the fastest skaters.

Weaknesses: Kamensky played best with equally talented linemates, but struggled when he had to lead a team. Despite his strong efforts, he did not develop into a great all-around forward.

Biography: Valeri Kamensky grew up and began his hockey career in Voskresensk, a small city in the Moscow Region that has raised several hockey stars, including Igor Larionov and Vyacheslav Kozlov. Like Larionov, Kamensky developed with the Khimik sports club and after a few seasons moved to CSKA – the country’s top club. In 1985, he was a member of the bronze-medal Soviet team at the World Junior Championship and in the following year won the gold medal with the team. In the late 1980s, Kamensky became one of the top scorers for both the Red Army team and for the national team. He primarily played on a line with Vyacheslav Bykov and Andrei Khomutov – the Soviet Union’s top scoring threat after the famous Krutov-Larionov-Makarov troika. With Kamensky, the Soviet Union won World Championship gold medals in 1986, 1988, 1989, and 1990, a silver medal in 1987, and a bronze in 1991. At the 1991 World Championship, he was named the tournament’s top forward. Kamensky also had memorable performances at the 1987 Canada Cup, where the USSR finished second, and the 1988 Olympics which the team won. While he was with CSKA, his team won four consecutive Soviet championships from 1986 to 1989. Kamensky was named the top Soviet hockey player in 1991. Although he was drafted by the NHL’s Quebec Nordiques in 1988, Valeri had to wait until 1991 to play hockey in North America. By the time he left CSKA and Russia, he had a rank of First Lieutenant and was decorated with a Medal for Labour Valour. With the Nordiques, Kamensky was playing at near point-per-game pace in his first few seasons and was one of several European stars on the team, along with Swedes Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg. For the duration of the 1994-95 NHL lockout, Kamensky joined Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss league. The following season was the most successful not only for the Nordiques (which moved to Colorado and became the Avalanche), but also for Kamensky. He scored a career-high 38 goals and 85 points and added 22 points in the playoffs, with his team winning the Stanley Cup. With this victory, Valeri was one of the first Russians (with teammate Alexei Gusarov) to join the rare Triple-Gold club of players who have won the World Junior Championship, the World Championship, and the Stanley Cup. Kamensky maintained a high-scoring rate in the next two seasons and his dangling goal against Panthers keeper John Vanbiesbrouck was selected the best goal of the 1997-98 season. That year, Kamensky also played for Russia at the Nagano Olympics, where the team lost in the gold-medal final to the Czechs. In 1999, Kamensky signed with the New York Rangers and in 2001-02 played his final NHL season for the Dallas Stars and the New Jersey Devils. At this point, he was a supporting rather than a top-line player and was scratched from the lineup on a regular basis. He announced his retirement in 2002, but the next year returned to Russia to play for the club where he began his career – Khimik. Kamensky had a productive final season in 2004-05, scoring 17 goals and not missing any games. Kamensky is currently a board member of the Kontinental Hockey League and is chairman of the league’s disciplinary committee. He is also a noted collector of autographed hockey sticks.

Club Stats:

Season	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
1982-83	Khimik Voskresensk	5	0	0	0		0
1983-84	Khimik Voskresensk	20	2	2	4		6
1984-85	Khimik Voskresensk	45	9	3	12		24
1985-86	CSKA Moscow	40	15	9	24		8
1986-87	CSKA Moscow	37	13	8	21		16
1987-88	CSKA Moscow	51	26	20	46		40
1988-89	CSKA Moscow	40	18	10	28		30
1989-90	CSKA Moscow	45	19	18	37		40
1990-91	CSKA Moscow	46	20	26	46		66
1991-92	Quebec	23	7	14	21	-1	14
1992-93	Quebec	32	15	22	37	+13	14
1993-94	Quebec	76	28	37	65	+12	42
1994-95	HC Ambri-Piotta (Switz.)	12	13	6	19		2
1994-95	Quebec	40	10	20	30	+3	22
1995-96	Colorado	81	38	47	85	+14	85
1996-97	Colorado	68	28	38	66	+5	38
1997-98	Colorado	75	26	40	66	-2	60
1998-99	Colorado	65	14	30	44	+1	28
1999-00	NY Rangers	58	13	19	32	-13	24
2000-01	NY Rangers	65	14	20	34	-18	36
2001-02	Dallas/New Jersey	54	7	14	21	+1	20
2003-04	Khimik Voskresensk	23	5	9	14	+4	53
2004-05	Khimik Voskresensk	57	17	19	36	+3	59
Totals	USSR/RSL Reg. Season	409	144	124	268		342
Totals	NHL Reg. Season	637	200	301	501	+15	383
Totals	NHL Playoffs	66	25	35	60	+15	72

National Team Stats:

Year	Tournament	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1984	European U18	5	1	3	4	0
1985	World Juniors U20	7	2	2	4	8
1986	World Juniors U20	7	7	6	13	6
1986	World Championship	9	2	0	2	8
1987	World Championship	10	5	3	8	6
1987	Canada Cup	9	6	1	7	6
1988	Olympic Games	8	4	2	6	4
1989	World Championship	10	4	4	8	8
1990	World Championship	10	7	2	9	20
1991	World Championship	10	6	5	11	10
1994	World Championship	6	5	5	10	12
1998	Olympic Games	6	1	2	3	0
2000	World Championship	6	0	0	0	10
Totals	U18 Level	5	1	3	4	0
Totals	U20 Level	14	9	8	17	14
Totals	Senior Level	84	40	24	64	84

Photo Gallery:

Kamensky was a star for CSKA in the 1980s and early 1990s

He played on one of the top lines for the Soviet Union at int’l tournaments

Kamensky began his NHL career with the Quebec Nordiques

And won a Stanley Cup the year after the Nordiques moved to Colorado

As a member of the Colorado Avalanche

Representing Russia at the 1998 Olympics

Kamensky played two seasons in New York

Valeri’s hometown Khimik was the last team he played for

Alexei Zhitnik

Full name: Alexei Nikolaevich Zhitnik
Last Team: Dynamo Moscow (KHL)
Number: 77
Position: Defenceman
Height: 5’11”/180 cm
Weight: 225 lbs/100 kg
Shoots: Left
Born: October 10, 1972 in Kiev, UKR
Drafted: Selected by the Los Angeles Kings in 4th round (81st overall) of the 1991 Entry Draft

Strengths: Zhitnik was one of the best all-around defencemen of the last two decades. He had great mobility on the ice and usually played against the opposing teams’ top lines. Zhitnik was also a good playmaker and point man on the powerplay.

Weaknesses: Zhitnik’s speed, physical play and defensive reliability had been declining in his last few seasons. When attacking, he was prone to making risky plays leading to turnovers.

Biography: Born in Kiev, Zhitnik developed into a hockey player with the Sokol sports club. At age 18, he drew attention from the NHL due to his speed and strength (Zhitnik was nicknamed “elephant” because of his powerful legs) and was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings. Like the majority of especially talented and promising young hockey players in the Soviet Union, Alexei was transferred to the Central Red Army team in Moscow. He played well enough to play not only at the 1992 World Junior Championship, but also at the Olympics in the same year. At both tournaments, Russia (or CIS, as it was known then) won gold. In the summer of that year, Zhitnik made the shocking transition from Russian life, where foreign jeans were a luxury, to sunny southern California. In his first season in the NHL, Alexei’s team (led by superstar Wayne Gretzky) made it all the way to the Stanley Cup final, but lost to the Montreal Canadiens. After another season and a half in L.A., Zhitnik was traded to the Sabres. He continued to be involved with the national team, being called to represent Russia at the 1996 World Championship (where he was named the tournament’s best defenceman), the 1996 World Cup, and the 1998 Olympics (where Russia won silver). In Buffalo, Zhitnik was one the pillars of the Sabres’ rise in the late 1990s. Alexei once again came short of being a Stanley Cup champion when the Sabres lost to the Dallas Stars in the 1999 playoff finals. In 1999 and 2002, he was invited to play at the NHL All-Star Game. Zhitnik joined fellow stars Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexei Kovalev and Nikolai Khabibulin in playing for Ak Bars Kazan during the 2004-05 NHL lockout. He did not return to the Sabres when the NHL resumed, signing instead with the New York Islanders. Although he was still a reliable minute-eating defenceman, Zhitnik was traded twice in the 2006-07 season, moving from the Islanders to the Flyers to the Thrashers. In 2007, when he was a Flyer, Zhitnik became the first Soviet-born defenseman to play 1000 games in the NHL. In 2008, Atlanta bought out the remaining year of his contract and Alexei returned to Russia to play for Moscow Dynamo. That year, Zhitnik played for the national team for the first time in eight years, captaining Russia at the Karjala Cup tournament of the Euro Hockey Tour. He was named captain of Dynamo for the 2009-10 season. This was Zhitnik’s last season of playing hockey.

Club Stats:

Season	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
1989-90	Sokol Kiev	31	3	4	7		16
1990-91	Sokol Kiev	46	1	4	5		46
1991-92	CSKA Moscow	44	2	7	9		52
1992-93	Los Angeles	78	12	36	48	-3	80
1993-94	Los Angeles	81	12	40	52	-11	101
1994-95	Los Angeles/Buffalo	32	4	10	14	-6	61
1995-96	Buffalo	80	6	30	36	-25	58
1996-97	Buffalo	80	7	28	35	+10	95
1997-98	Buffalo	78	15	30	45	+19	102
1998-99	Buffalo	81	7	26	33	-6	96
1999-00	Buffalo	74	2	11	13	-6	95
2000-01	Buffalo	78	8	29	37	-3	75
2001-02	Buffalo	82	1	33	34	-1	80
2002-03	Buffalo	70	3	18	21	-5	85
2003-04	Buffalo	68	4	24	28	-13	102
2004-05	Ak Bars Kazan	23	1	8	9		30
2005-06	N.Y. Islanders	59	5	24	29	+4	88
2006-07	N.Y.I./Philadelphia/Atlanta	79	7	31	38	+1	92
2007-08	Atlanta	83	5	17	22	-4	72
2008-09	Dynamo Moscow	56	4	12	16	0	58
2009-10	Dynamo Moscow	56	0	7	7	+2	60
Totals	USSR/RHL/KHL Reg. Season	256	11	42	53		262
Totals	RHL/KHL Playoffs	16	1	2	3		24
Totals	NHL Reg. Season	1085	96	375	471	-53	1268
Totals	NHL Playoffs	98	9	30	39	-33	168

National Team Stats:

Year	Tournament	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1990	European U18	6	2	2	4	2
1991	World U20	7	1	1	2	2
1991	Canada Cup	5	0	0	0	4
1992	World U20	7	1	1	2	2
1992	Olympic Games	8	1	0	1	0
1992	World Championship	6	0	2	2	6
1994	World Championship	6	1	2	1	8
1996	World Championship	8	1	1	2	6
1996	World Cup	3	0	1	1	2
1998	Olympic Games	6	0	2	2	2
2000	World Championship	6	0	1	1	2
Totals	U18 Level	6	2	2	4	2
Totals	U20 Level	14	2	2	4	4
Totals	Senior Level	48	3	9	12	30

Photo Gallery:

At the World Junior Hockey Championship

Alexei in the early 1990s with the Kings

Chasing the puck with Darius Kasparaitis

Zhitnik played his best hockey for the Sabres

Zhitnik played a season and a half with the Islanders

Alexei clears the puck in Atlanta

Representing Russia at the 2008 Karjala Cup

Zhitnik’s most recent team was Moscow Dynamo

Darius Kasparaitis

Full name: Darius Vladovich Kasparaitis
Last Team: SKA St. Petersburg
Number: 6
Position: Defenseman
Height: 5’11″/180 cm
Weight: 215 lbs/98 kg
Shoots: Left
Born: October 16, 1972 in Elektrenai, LIT
Drafted: Selected by New York Islander in 1st round (5th overall) of the 1992 entry Draft

Strengths: When he played, Darius was a one-of-a-kind wrecking ball on the ice. He was best known for his physical play, penalty-killing, checking, and shot-blocking abilities. He lived up to his nickname “Kaspar the unfriendly ghost.”

Weaknesses: Sometimes Kasparaitis got carried away targeting opposing teams’ players and took a lot of costly penalties. His offensive skills did not develop to the level expected when he started his NHL career.

Biography: Lithuania produces few hockey players, let alone stars. When Darius joined the Dynamo club in Moscow, he became the first Lithuanian to play in the Soviet Championship in over thirty years. He debuted with Dynamo at the age of sixteen and was a member of the back-to-back championship teams of 1991 and 1992. Kasparaitis also had a significant international career. His awards included an all-star berth at the 1990 European Junior Championships, a silver medal at the 1991 World Juniors, a gold medal and best defenseman award at the 1992 World Juniors, a gold medal at 1992 Olympics, a silver medal at 1998 Olympics, and a bronze medal at the 2002 Olympics. All that Darius is missing is the Stanley Cup. When he played for the New York Islanders in the mid-1990s his team often missed the playoffs. On the Pittsburgh Penguins, Darius found more success playing alongside stars such as Jaromir Jagr, Mario Lemieux, and Alexei Kovalev. During a 2001 quarterfinal playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres, Darius scored the biggest goal of his career – in overtime of game seven. In 2002, Kaspar had a short stint as a playoff rental for the Colorado Avalanche before being signed by the New York Rangers. During the 2004-05 season, he played on the star-studded Ak Bars Kazan team in Russia. After a decrease in productivity in the NHL and a few conditioning stints with the Rangers’ farm club in the AHL, Kasparaitis was loaned to SKA St. Petersburg of the Russian Superleague in 2007. Despite being such a menace on the ice, Darius has a soft side too. For every player whom he injured, Darius prayed. With his wife Irina he donates equipment to hockey schools in Lithuania. Once retiring as a hockey player, Kasparaitis was quick to make use of his colourful personality and is now an assistant coach for SKA.

Club Stats:

Season	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
1988-89	Dynamo Moscow	3	0	0	0		0
1989-90	Dynamo Moscow	1	0	0	0		0
1990-91	Dynamo-2 Moscow (USSR-3)	16	3
1990-91	Dynamo Moscow	17	0	1	1		10
1991-92	Dynamo-2 Moscow (USSR-3)	8	2	1	3		8
1991-92	Dynamo Moscow	31	2	10	12		14
1992-93	Dynamo Moscow	7	1	3	4		4
1992-93	NY Islanders	79	4	17	21	+15	166
1993-94	NY Islanders	76	1	10	11	-6	142
1994-95	NY Islanders	13	0	1	1	-11	22
1995-96	NY Islanders	46	1	7	8	-12	93
1996-97	NY Islanders/Pittsburgh	75	2	22	24	+17	100
1997-98	Pittsburgh	81	4	8	12	+3	127
1998-99	Pittsburgh	48	1	4	5	+12	70
1999-00	Pittsburgh	73	3	12	15	-12	146
2000-01	Pittsburgh	77	3	16	19	+11	111
2001-02	Pittsburgh/Colorado	80	2	12	14	0	142
2002-03	NY Rangers	80	3	11	14	+5	85
2003-04	NY Rangers	44	1	9	10	+11	48
2004-05	Ak Bars Kazan	28	1	3	4		118
2005-06	NY Rangers	67	0	6	6	+7	97
2006-07	Hartford (AHL)	12	0	3	3	+1	8
2006-07	NY Rangers	24	2	2	4	-1	30
2007-08	Hartford (AHL)	4	1	0	1	+1	4
2007-08	SKA St. Petersburg	33	1	4	5		80
2008-09	SKA St. Petersburg	26	0	1	1		34
Totals	USSR/RSL/KHL Reg. Season	136	5	22	27		264
Totals	RSL/KHL Playoffs	11	0	2	2		55
Totals	NHL Reg. Season	863	27	136	163	+39	1379
Totals	NHL Playoffs	83	2	10	12	-9	107

National Team Stats:

Year	Tournament	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1990	European U18	6	1	6	7	12
1991	World U20	6	1	3	4	16
1992	World U20	7	1	5	6	8
1992	Olympic Games	8	0	2	2	2
1992	World Championship	6	2	1	3	4
1996	World Championship	8	0	2	2	2
1996	World Cup	5	0	2	2	14
1998	Olympic Games	6	0	2	2	6
2002	Olympic Games	6	1	0	1	4
2004	World Cup	4	0	1	1	8
2006	Olympic Games	8	0	2	2	8
Totals	U18 Level	6	1	6	7	12
Totals	U20 Level	13	2	8	10	24
Totals	Senior Level	51	3	12	15	48

Photo Gallery:

Kasparaitis running through an opposing player in the 2001 playoffs

“Kaspar the unfriendly ghost” was a fan favourite in Pittsburgh

Kasparaitis checking the other Lithuanian NHLer – Dainius Zubrus

With the New York Rangers

Kasparaitis played two seasons with SKA St. Petersburg and then became a coach for them

Alexei Zhamnov

Full name: Alexei Yurievich Zhamnov
Last team: Boston Bruins
Number: 13
Position: Center
Height: 6’1”/185 cm
Weight: 204 lbs/92 kg
Shoots: Left
Born: September 30, 1970 in Moscow, RUS
Drafted: Selected by the Winnipeg Jets in 4th round (77th overall) of the 1990 Entry Draft

Strengths: Alexei Zhamnov played like a prototypical Russian center – patient, skilled with the puck, and with excellent passing abilities. He scored many impressive goals in his career.

Weaknesses: Despite his size, Zhamnov was not physical enough. Also, with his talent, he sometimes didn’t play to his full ability when under pressure.

Biography: As a boy, Alexei Zhamnov was an average student and not very disciplined. He had a fun childhood with hockey being his #1 passion. He was lucky to be noticed by a trainer from the Dynamo organization when practising in a backyard. Alexei was invited to the Dynamo sports school, where he developed his hockey skills and was a productive center. He was drafted to the NHL in 1990, but left two years later, after earning three Soviet league championships with Dynamo (1990-92), a silver medal at the World Juniors, participation at the Canada Cup, and gold medals at the 1991 World Championship and the 1992 Olympics. The Alexei arrived in North America as one of the best young Russian forwards. On the Winnipeg Jets, he enjoyed being the playmaking centre to star snipers Keith Tkachuk and Teemu Selanne. On April 1, 1995, Zhamnov scored five goals in one game and finished third in NHL scoring that season. Next year he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for fan favourite Jeremy Roenick. Zhamnov felt the pressure to be as great a player in Chicago. In 2002, Alexei became the first European captain of the Blackhawks. Unfortunately, Chicago made the NHL playoffs only once with Zhamnov. Internationally, Zhamnov played for Russia at the 1998 and 2002 Olympics, winning silver and bronze medals in addition to his gold from 1992. He later hinted that he was done playing for Russia. In 2004, Zhamnov was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he was a crucial part of their offense. During the NHL lockout, Zhamnov played for Vityaz Chekhov in Russia’s second league. He was briefly a Boston Bruin before retiring due to injury. Alexei then returned to Russia to be the general manager of Vityaz, a position he retains to this day.

Club Stats:

Season	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
1988-89	Dynamo Moscow	4	0	0	0		0
1989-90	Dynamo Moscow	43	11	6	17		21
1990-91	Dynamo Moscow	46	16	12	28		24
1991-92	Dynamo Moscow	39	15	21	36		28
1992-93	Winnipeg	68	25	47	72	+7	58
1993-94	Winnipeg	61	26	45	70	-20	62
1994-95	Winnipeg	48	30	35	65	+5	20
1995-96	Winnipeg	58	22	37	59	-4	65
1996-97	Chicago	74	20	42	62	+18	56
1997-98	Chicago	70	21	28	49	+16	61
1998-99	Chicago	76	20	41	61	-10	50
1999-00	Chicago	71	23	37	60	+7	61
2000-01	Chicago	63	13	36	49	-12	40
2001-02	Chicago	77	22	45	67	+8	67
2002-03	Chicago	74	15	43	58	0	70
2003-04	Chicago/Philadelphia	43	11	25	36	-1	28
2004-05	Vityaz Chekhov (RSL-2)	24	5	22	27	+11	20
2005-06	Boston	24	1	9	10	-4	30
Totals	USSR League	132	42	39	81	+8	73
Totals	NHL Reg. Season	807	249	470	719	+10	668
Totals	NHL Playoffs	35	6	13	19	-6	18

National Team Stats:

Year	Tournament	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1990	World U20	7	6	1	7	6
1991	Worlc Championship	10	4	5	9	12
1991	Canada Cup	5	3	0	3	2
1992	Olympic Games	8	0	3	3	8
1992	World Championship	6	0	0	0	29
1996	World Cup	4	0	2	2	6
1998	Olympic Games	6	2	1	3	2
2000	World Championship	5	0	1	1	0
2002	Olympic Games	6	1	0	1	4
Totals	U20 Level	7	6	1	7	6
Totals	Senior Level	50	10	12	22	63

Photo Gallery:

Zhamnov was spectacular for the Winnipeg Jets

Scoring on a penalty shot

The captain shoots

At the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City

Celebrating a goal with the Blackhawks