Vitaly Atyushov

Vitaly Atyushov is a Russian defenseman on Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Atyushov was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2002, after scoring 11 points in his fifth year of play in the Russian SuperLeague. He spent the first two years of his career with Krylia Sovetov before joining Molot-Prikamie Perm. He never joined the Senators, opting to sign with Ak Bars Kazan instead. He played just one year with the team before joining Magnitogorsk. He has spent the rest of his career with the team, and has been the team captain since 2007. In his second season with the club, he set then-career highs with 6 goals and 24 points, and won his first league championship in 2007. The following year, after being named captain, he set new career highs with 10 goals, 32 assists and 42 points, while winning the league's award for best plus/minus. His production has dropped a bit in the last few years, but he is still a valuable asset on both offense and defense.

Atyushov has played for Russia at a number of international tournaments, winning a bronze medal in 2007, a gold medal in 2009, and a bronze in 2010.