Rihards Bukarts

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Rihards Bukarts
Latvijas hokeja izlases sveiksana - Rihards Bukarts.jpg
Rihards Bukarts, 2023
Born (1995-12-31) 31 December 1995 (age 28)
Jūrmala, Latvia
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Right
ELH team
Former teams		 HC Vítkovice
Springfield Thunderbirds
HC Zlín
Dinamo Riga
Eisbären Berlin
Schwenninger Wild Wings
Düsseldorfer EG
Admiral Vladivostok
National teamFlag of Latvia.svg  Latvia
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2009–present

Rihards Bukarts (born 31 December 1995) is a Latvian professional ice hockey forward. He is currently playing for HC Vitkovice in the Czech Extraliga (ELH). Bukarts was selected 9th overall in the 2012 KHL Junior Draft by the Dinamo Riga. [1] With the selection, Bukarts became the highest-drafted Latvian in KHL history, four spots higher than his brother Roberts Bukarts in 2009.

Contents

Playing career

Bukarts is youngest player ever who score in MHL on 15 September 2011 [2] On 2 July 2012 Rihards Bukarts signed with Dinamo Riga two-way contract. [3] Bukarts was selected 7th overall in the 2013 CHL Import Draft by Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL). [4]

Bukarts was the highest-drafted player in Wheat Kings' history. In the summer of 2013, Bukarts broke contract with Dinamo Riga and left for North America to play for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League. He officially signed a contract on 19 July 2013 with the major junior team. [5] In his first season in North America in 2013–14, Bukarts in 65 games scored (28) goals (WHL Most Goals by Rookie) and gave 26 assists.

In the following 2014–15 season, he featured in 62 games, scoring (33) goals totalling the most goals scored by a European player in the team's history (single-season record) as well as adding 41 assists. On February 8, 2015, Bukarts was named Denny's WHL Player of the Week. Bukarted helped the Wheat Kings reach the WHL finals in the post-season, suffering defeat against the Kelowna Rockets. In 16 playoff games, Bukarts scored 4 goals and 18 points.

Undrafted, Bukarts accepted a try-out over the summer to attend the 2015 NHL training camp of the Edmonton Oilers. After his release from the Oilers, Bukarts returned to the Wheat Kings for the 2015–16 season before he was traded to the Portland Winterhawks on 29 October 2015. [6] On December 14, 2015, Rihards Bukarts was named 2nd time in his career as the WHL player of the Week. In 55 games with the Winterhawks, Bukarts amassed 53 points. At the conclusion of his major junior career, Bukarts joined the Portland Pirates of the AHL, an affiliate to the Florida Panthers, on an amateur try-out basis to complete the season. He recorded an assist in a solitary game.

Bukarts attended the Panthers' rookie camp after signing a one-year deal with the Panthers' inaugural AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. After attending Florida's main training camp, before he was reassigned to begin the 2016–17 season with the Thunderbirds. He split the season between Springfield and the ECHL with the Manchester Monarchs.

As a free agent in the following off-season, Bukarts returned to Europe in agreeing to an initial one-year contract with HC Zlin of the Czech Extraliga on August 21, 2017. [7] In the 2017–18 season, Bukarts left the Czech Republic after 17 games, making appearances in the Kontinental Hockey League with Dinamo Riga before completing the season with German club, Eisbären Berlin of the DEL.

Bukarts opted to continue in the DEL as a free agent, agreeing to a one-year deal with Schwenninger Wild Wings on July 13, 2018. [8] In the 2018–19 season, Bukarts contributed with 22 points through 42 games, unable to help the Wild Wings progress to the post-season. At the completion of the season, Bukarts left Schwenninger at the conclusion of his contract. [9]

On May 13, 2019, Bukarts secured a one-year contract to continue in the DEL with Düsseldorfer EG. [10]

International play

Medal record
Representing Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia
Ice hockey
World Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2023 Finland/Latvia

Bukarts participated at the 2012 and 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships and also 2013 IIHF World U20 Championships he was a member of the Latvia men's national junior ice hockey team. He finished with the most penalty minutes in the tournament.

He represented Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship where he recorded three goals and eight assists and won a bronze medal, Latvia's first ever IIHF World Championship medal. [11]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2008–09SK SāgaLAT.2149514—————
2009–10SK Rīga 18LAT U189711182—————
2010–11SK SāgaLAT.21919304910—————
2011–12 Kapitan Stupino MHL 4711112222—————
2011–12SK SāgaLAT.21128315912—————
2012–13 HK Rīga MHL621817354430000
2012–13 HK Rīga LAT —————20110
2013–14 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL 652826545090440
2014–15 Brandon Wheat KingsWHL623341742116414188
2015–16 Brandon Wheat KingsWHL1054911—————
2015–16 Portland Winterhawks WHL552627532442136
2015–16 Portland Pirates AHL 10110—————
2016–17 Springfield Thunderbirds AHL140334—————
2016–17 Manchester Monarchs ECHL 3716173326—————
2017–18 Aukro Berani Zlín ELH 1722420—————
2017–18 Dinamo Rīga KHL 141010—————
2017–18 Eisbären Berlin DEL 20110164486
2018–19 Schwenninger Wild Wings DEL429132214—————
2019–20 Düsseldorfer EG DEL481091924—————
2020–21 Dinamo RīgaKHL331161710—————
2021–22 Admiral Vladivostok KHL2563912—————
KHL totals721892722—————

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2012 Latvia WJC18 9th60552
2013 Latvia WJC 10th60114
2013 LatviaWJC1810th61120
2017 Latvia WC 10th70332
2018 LatviaWC8th81234
2019 LatviaWC10th70334
2021 LatviaWC11th71010
2021 Latvia OGQ Q31120
2022 LatviaOG11th40000
2022 LatviaWC10th72350
2023 LatviaWCBronze medal icon.svg1038118
Junior totals181786
Senior totals538202818

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References

  1. ↑ "Dinamo" draftē Bukartu un Golovkovu" (in Latvian). Sportacentrs.com. 26 May 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  2. ↑ "Rihards Bukarts gūst pirmos vārtus MHL čempionātā" (in Latvian). Delfi.lv. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  3. ↑ "Dinamo" paraksta līgumu ar Rihardu Bukartu" (in Latvian). Sportacentrs.com. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "CHL draftā ar 7. numuru izvēlēts Rihards Bukarts" (in Latvian). Nra.lv. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "Rihards Bukarts un Golovkovs karjeru turpinās Kanādā" (in Latvian). Tvnet.lv. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Winterhawks acquire Rihards Bukarts". Portland Winterhawks . 29 October 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "Bukarts agrees to terms with Zlin". Instagram. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Rihards Bukarts moves to Schwenninger". Schwenninger Wild Wings (in German). 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  9. ↑ "First personnel decisions made". Schwenninger Wild Wings (in German). 4 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  10. ↑ "Addition from Latvia: Rihards Bukarts moves to DEG". Düsseldorfer EG (in German). 13 May 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  11. ↑ "Latvia wins historic bronze in OT". IIHF.com. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
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