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LatviaNations in the NHL

Latvian NHL players 2026–27

6 Latvian players have played in the NHL in 2026–27. Together they have 7 points, the 13th most of any country, and Latvia sits ninth of 11 in the nations league. Sandis Vilmanis leads with 2 points.

6
NHL players
7
Points
9th
Nations league
5
Goalie wins
2026–27Active season11/84 games
2025–26
LatviaLATVIANS LAST NIGHT · OCT 251 game
1P
1G0A
1played
Sandis Vilmanis LW scored 1 goal in the win over Chicago Blackhawks.
Player of the night
Sandis Vilmanis
FLA
1G0A
FLA3–2CHILatvia1 LatviansOCT 25 · 20:00 · last night
Sandis Vilmanis
· LW1G 0A · 13:04 TOI
NEXT GAMES · OCT 27 · upcoming
3Latvians in2games
LAK@NYRLatvia1 LatviansOCT 27 · 00:00
Alberts Smits
· D0 pts this season
TOR@CGYLatvia2 LatviansOCT 27 · 01:30
Teddy Blueger
· C2 pts this season
Elvis Merzlikins
· G0 W this season

LATVIAN LEADERS

In the nations league

9th
of 11 ranked nations
18
league points
Rate11thTop trio11thBlue line11thGoalies5thPer million4th

Latvia accounts for 0.8% of the NHL's players and 0.2% of its points so far.

The full nations league

Latvian goalies

Regular season. Most games first.
GoalieGPW-L-OTLSV%GAASO
Arturs SilovsPIT
85-3-0.8902.872

Every Latvian player in the NHL, team by team

6 players across 5 teams.
FLAFlorida Panthers2 players
Sandis Vilmanis
LW · 11 GP · 1G 1A2P
Uvis Balinskis
D · 7 GP · 0G 1A1P
NYRNew York Rangers1 player
Alberts Smits
D · 13 GP · 0G 0A0P
PITPittsburgh Penguins1 player
Arturs Silovs
G · 8 GP · 5 W · .8905W
TBLTampa Bay Lightning1 player
Zemgus Girgensons
C · 11 GP · 1G 1A2P
TORToronto Maple Leafs1 player
Teddy Blueger
C · 13 GP · 1G 1A2P

Season by season

Latvia had 1 players in the NHL in 1989–90 and 7 in 2025–26. The peak was 1998–99, with 7. Under each bar is the nations league placing.
–
–
–
–2
–94
–
–
–
47
699
9
–
–
–3
–05
–
–
9
104
–10
–
–
–
–4
–15
–
–
–
–4
–20
–
–
–
–7
1125

In the NHL Draft

Four Latvian players were picked in the 2026 NHL Draft, one of them in the first round. Alberts Smits went first, at number 5 to the New York Rangers.

Every pick in 2026 →The draft through the years →

Latvian NHL players all time

Regular season, whole careers. The record seasons count completed seasons only.

Latvia against Russia

The nations league's five categories plus raw points and player count. The higher value takes the round.
Latvia
Latvia
9th in the league
1–6
Russia
Russia
1st in the league

Russia wins 6–1 against Latvia.

0.42Points per game0.52
6Best trio49
0.31Defencemen's points per game0.35
.891Goalies' save percentage.896
3.2NHL players per million inhabitants0.4
7Total points245
6Players in the NHL54
Latvia against Russia season by season
Pick a rivalRussiaRussiaCanadaCanadaUSAUSAGermanyGermanySwedenSwedenFinlandFinlandCzechiaCzechiaSwitzerlandSwitzerlandSlovakiaSlovakiaBelarusBelarus
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Continue reading

Top scorer
Sandis Vilmanis
Latvia's top scorer in 2026–27.
The team
Florida Panthers
Where Sandis Vilmanis plays.
Nations in the NHL
Every nation in the NHL
How many players each country has in the NHL, with a page for each.
Nations league
NHL battle of the nations 2026–27
The countries compared per player rather than in raw totals.
Against Sweden
Sweden vs Latvia
Seven rounds, season by season.
The Swedes
Every Swede in the NHL
Team by team, with position and stats.