Daugavins and Kalnins lead the way: top Latvians in the KHL
It was a big season for the Baltics in 2020-2021, with Finland’s Teemu Hartikainen and Latvia’s Kaspars Daugavins setting a stack of national records. KHL.ru continues its review of our national heroes with a trip to Latvia.
Goalies
|
|
Player |
Clubs |
Appearances |
|
1 |
Janis Kalnins |
Dinamo Riga, Jokerit |
199 |
|
2 |
Edgars Maskalskis |
Dinamo Riga, Ugra, Lada |
198 |
|
3 |
Kristers Gudlevskis |
Dinamo Riga |
42 |
|
4 |
Maris Jucers |
Dinamo Riga |
38 |
|
5 |
Sergejs Naumovs |
Dinamo Riga |
30 |
Most shut-outs in one regular season: Janis Kalnins (Jokerit, 2018-2019) – 4.
Last season, Janis Kalnins moved ahead of the legendary Edgars Masalskis to take the lead for appearances by a Latvian goalie in the KHL. His immediate future is unclear, but it’s hard to imagine he will lose this record any time soon.
In the coming season, Dinamo Riga is relying on goalies from the Czech Republic and Sweden but there are some encouraging prospects within the club’s ranks. Eriks Vitols is just 20 years old but already has four KHL games – and could add to that if either of his new clubmates runs into trouble in the months ahead.
Defenseman
|
|
Player |
Clubs |
Appearances |
|
1 |
Guntis Galvins |
Dinamo Riga, Ugra |
144 (32+112) |
|
2 |
Krisjanis Redlihs |
Dinamo Riga, Kunlun Red Star |
137 (37+100) |
|
3 |
Sandis Ozolins |
Dinamo Riga, Atlant |
132 (29+103) |
|
4 |
Kristaps Sotnieks |
Dinamo Riga, Lada |
108 (36+72) |
|
5 |
Georgy Pujats |
Dinamo Riga, Lada, Sibir, Avangard, Neftekhimik |
105 (29+76) |
Most goals in one regular season: Sandis Ozolins (Dinamo Riga, 2011-2012) and Georgijs Pujacs (Dinamo Riga / Lada, 2008-2009) – 10;
Most assists in one regular season: Sandis Ozolins (Dinamo Riga, 2010-2011) – 26;
Most KHL games: Kristaps Sotnieks – 653
Kristaps Sotnieks is the only player in the top five scorers who is still active and in the coming season he has an outside chance of taking top spot. However, to do that he will need 36 points, and his career best to date is 28. Oddly, as players Sotnieks and Sandis Ozolins were team-mates at Dinamo Riga, but as player and coach this has yet to happen. In the coming season, Sotnieks is set to reach 700 games in the KHL.
Gunars Skvorcovs is one of the active players in the top 10 scorers. He has 55 points and could theoretically overtake Georgijs Pujacs and break into the top five, but that would take more than one season. However, Skvorcovs could break into the top five for games in the coming campaign – he is 38 short of fifth-placed Arturs Kulda.
Forwards
|
|
Player |
Clubs |
Points |
|
1 |
Lauris Darzins |
Dinamo Riga, Ak Bars, Traktor |
351 (144+207) |
|
2 |
Mikelis Redlihs |
Dinamo Riga, Lokomotiv |
317 (130+187) |
|
3 |
Martins Karsums |
Dinamo Riga, Dynamo Moscow, Spartak |
293 (144+149) |
|
4 |
Kaspars Daugavins |
Dinamo Riga, Dynamo Moscow, Torpedo, Spartak, Vityaz |
293 (118+175) |
|
5 |
Miks Indrasis |
Dinamo Riga, Dynamo Moscow |
285 (127+158) |
Most goals in one regular season: Kaspars Daugvins (Dynamo Moscow, 2014-2015) – 22;
Most assists in one regular season: Kaspars Daugavins (Vityaz, 2020-2021) – 32;
Most KHL games: Mikelis Redlihs – 690
Last season, Kaspars Daugavins set two new records for Latvian players in the KHL. He now has more points and more assists than any of his compatriots in a single regular season. However, he won’t be moving into third place among all-time Latvian scorers next term – Daugavins is off to Switzerland, while Martins Karsums is coming home to play for Dinamo Riga. Last season also saw the end of Mikelis Redlihs’ long association with Riga – his contract was cancelled during the campaign, with Mikelis just 10 games shy of 700 KHL appearances.
Lauris Darzins, the all-time leading Latvian scorer in the KHL, extended his contract with Dinamo and is ready to start his 13th campaign in Riga. If Darzins matches Daugavins’ new scoring record, he’ll reach 400 career points. In any event, there’s no doubt that Dinamo’s captain will finish the season ahead of his compatriots in the all-time standings. There are no current rivals: Redlihs is currently without a club and Karsums is more than 50 points behind.
