Vitaly Vishnevski

Vitaly Viktorovich Vishnevski (also Vishnevsky; born March 18, 1980) is a Ukrainian & Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
==Playing career==
After playing in the Russian Super League for Torpedo Yaroslavl, Vishnevski was drafted 5th overall by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He came to North America to start the 1999–00 season playing for the Ducks affiliate the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League. He also made his NHL debut playing in 31 games for the Ducks. 
Vishnesvki established himself as a mainstay on the Duck defense, known for his punishing checks. In the 2002–03 season he helped the Ducks reach the Stanley Cup finals. Playing in all their playoff games in their eventual defeat to the New Jersey Devils. Vitaly scored a career high 16 points (6 goals and 10 assists) in the 2003–04 NHL season. Vishnevski returned to Russia to play for Khimik Voskresensk during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. 
In the 2005–06 NHL season, Vishnevski continued to play for the Ducks where they made their way to the conference finals before losing to the Edmonton Oilers. On August 17, 2006 Vishnevski was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers for Karl Stewart and a 2nd round pick prior to the 2006–07 NHL season. 
Vitaly played in 52 games with the Thrashers before he was traded to the Nashville Predators for Éric Bélanger on February 10, 2007. Vishnevski left the Predators at seasons end and was signed as a free agent by the New Jersey Devils to a three year contract on July 10, 2007. After one season of play, with the Devils, he was waived on August 22, 2008. Vishnevski cleared waivers and decided to go play in the newly formed KHL with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on August 26, 2008.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1998–99 	Torpedo Yaroslavl 	RSL 		34 	3 	4 	7 	38 		10 	0 	0 	0 	4
1999–00 	Cincinnati Mighty Ducks	AHL 		35 	1 	3 	4 	45 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1999–00 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		31 	1 	1 	2 	26 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2000–01 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		76 	1 	10 	11 	99 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2001–02 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		74 	0 	3 	3 	60 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2002–03 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		80 	2 	6 	8 	76 		21 	0 	1 	1 	6
2003–04 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		73 	6 	10 	16 	51 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2004–05 	Khimik Moscow Oblast 	RSL 		50 	7 	14 	21 	92 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2005–06 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		82 	1 	7 	8 	91 		16 	0 	4 	4 	10
2006–07 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 		52 	3 	9 	12 	31 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2006–07 	Nashville Predators 	NHL 		15 	0 	1 	1 	10 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2007–08 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 		69 	2 	5 	7 	50 		3 	0 	0 	0 	2
2008–09 	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 	KHL 		53 	8 	13 	21 	124 		19 	2 	7 	9 	44
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		552 	16 	52 	68 	494 		40 	0 	5 	5 	18
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==International play==
Played for Russia in:
*1998 World Junior Championships (Silver Medal)
*1999 World Junior Championships (Gold Medal) 
*1999 World Championships 
*2001 World Championships 
*2004 World Cup 
*2006 Winter Olympics
*2009 World Championships 
===International statistics===
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1998 	Russia 	WJC 	7 	1	2	3 	6
1999 	Russia 	WJC 	7 	0	2	2 	6
1999 	Russia 	WC 	6 	0	1	1 	8
2001 	Russia 	WC 	7 	0	3	3 	6
2004 	Russia 	WCH 	3 	0	0	0 	0
2006 	Russia 	OG 	8 	0	1	1 	4
2009 	Russia 	WC 	9 	0	0	0 	29
Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	14	1	4	5 	12
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	33	0	5	5 	47
==External links==
*
Category:Born in 1980
Category:Atlanta Thrashers players
Category:Cincinnati Mighty Ducks player
Category:2006 Olympian
Category:Mighty Ducks of Anaheim draft picks
Category:Mighty Ducks of Anaheim players
Category:Nashville Predators players
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:New Jersey Devils players
Category:Russian hockey players
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Russia
Category:Ukrainian hockey players
Category:Khimik Moscow Oblast player
Category:Lokomotiv Yaroslavl player