Washington Capital's Viktor Kozlov and His Hockey Career

Viktor Kozlov has been playing in the NHL for over ten years. Viktor Kozlov was born in Tolyatti, Russia on February 14, 1975, making him thirty-four years old. Viktor Kozlov is 6 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 235 pounds, and alternates playing center and right wing. Kozlov's hockey career begins more than fifteen years ago in the RSL (Russian Super League) with the HC Lada Togliatti. The RSL was the best hockey league in Russia and was considered to be the second best hockey league in the world, after the NHL, but it disbanded in 2008. Viktor Kozlov played with the HC Lada Togliatti in the 1991-1992 season.

During the 1992-1993 season, Viktor Kozlov moved on to another team in the RSL, the HC Dynamo Moscow. Viktor Kozlov was drafted in 1993 by the San Jose Sharks, 6th overall, and was the San Jose Shark's first round pick. Although he was drafted in 1993, Kozlov remained with the HC Dynamo Moscow in the RSL until the beginning of the 1994-1995 season. He started out that season in the RSL, but moved to America to play with the San Jose Sharks after only three games with the HC Dynamo Moscow. Viktor Kozlov played 16 games with the San Jose Sharks before being moved to the Kansas City Blades, a team in the IHL (International Hokey League). The IHL was a league that was to serve the same purpose as the AHL (American Hockey League), but the league came to an end in 2001.

Viktor Kozlov played with the Kansas City Blades for the rest of the 1994-1995 season, and the beginning of the 1995-1996 season. After only fifteen games with the Kansas City Blades in the 1995-1996 season, Viktor Kozlov was called up by the San Jose Sharks and played the rest of the season with them. After not even two entire seasons in the IHL, Viktor Kozlov became a permanent NHL player. Kozlov remained with the San Jose Sharks until the 1997-1998 when he was traded the Florida Panthers.

It is often said that Viktor Kozlov's best years in the NHL were spent with the Florida Panthers. Kozlov was a part of the Florida Panthers from the season he was traded to until the 2003-2004 season. Viktor Kozlov spent the majority of that season with the Florida Panthers, but was traded to the New Jersey Devils for the rest of the season. 2004-2005 was the year of the NHL Lockout, so Viktor Kozlov went back to his home country, Russia, to play with his old team, the HC Lada Togliatti. When the Lockout was over, Kozlov returned to the New Jersey Devils, where he played his first full season with them and also his last. Kozlov then moved on to the New Yorks Islanders for one season, and to the Washington Capitals in the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 season. In 2009, the Salavat Yulaev Ufa announced that Viktor Kozlov has just signed a contract to play with them for three years in Russia.

In addition to his professional hockey career, Viktor Kozlov has also represented Russia in many international events. In both 1991 and 1992, he played in the European Junior Championships. In 1993, Kozlov played in the World Junior Championships. Viktor Kozlov also played for Russia in 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2005 in the World Championships. In 1994, he also played in the World Cup of Hockey. Kozlov was also part of Russia's Olympic Hockey Team at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

ref-www.nhl.com