Vitaly is entering his fifth season as a coach for the Jr. Ducks, and he brings a wealth of experience to the club. 

Vitaly, who holds a USA Hockey Level 3 coaching certification, played nearly 1,000 games of professional hockey. He played 416 of his 552 NHL games with the then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who drafted him fifth overall in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. Vitaly, who was born in Ukraine, also played 409 games in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Vitaly's player development philosophy is strongly rooted in character development. "My philosophy as a hockey coach is bringing up a well-balanced, strong, compassionate, kind and willful character in each hockey player, raising individuals and leaders who build up their team's spirit. 

"I think that hockey unites people, helps them set goals and positively influences their lives. As an ex-NHL player, I want to pass my passion on to the next generation."

Vitaly, who helped Russia win the World Junior Championship in 1999, earned a Bachelor's Degree from Yaroslavskiy Gosudarstvennyy Pedagogicheskiy Universitet Im. K.D. Ushinskogo in 2003.