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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 16 points, the twelfth most of any country, and Latvia sits tenth of 11 in the nations league. Sandis Vilmanis leads with 7 points.

6
NHL players
16
Points
10th
Nations league
5
Goalie wins
2026–27Active season17/84 games
2025–26
LatviaLATVIANS LAST NIGHT · NOV 90 games
No Latvian players were in action last night.
NEXT GAMES · NOV 11 · upcoming
4Latvians in2games
COL@TORLatvia2 LatviansNOV 11 · 01:00
Teddy Blueger
· C4 pts this season
Elvis Merzlikins
· G0 W this season
FLA@CBJLatvia2 LatviansNOV 11 · 01:30
Sandis Vilmanis
· LW7 pts this season
Uvis Balinskis
· D1 pts this season

LATVIAN LEADERS

In the nations league

10th
of 11 ranked nations
17
league points
Rate11thTop trio11thBlue line10thGoalies7thPer million4th

Latvia accounts for 0.7% of the NHL's players and 0.3% of its points so far.

The full nations league

Latvian goalies

Regular season. Most games first.
GoalieGPW-L-OTLSV%GAASO
Arturs SilovsPIT
125-6-0.8733.352

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 →

Latvia against Belarus

The nations league's five categories plus raw points and player count. The higher value takes the round.
Latvia
Latvia
10th in the league
2–4
Belarus
Belarus
11th in the league

Belarus wins 4–2 against Latvia.

0.43Points per game0.45
15Best trio20
0.33Defencemen's points per game0.34
.887Goalies' save percentage–
3.2NHL players per million inhabitants0.7
16Total points25
6Players in the NHL6
Latvia against Belarus season by season
Pick a rivalCanadaCanadaRussiaRussiaUSAUSAGermanyGermanySwedenSwedenFinlandFinlandCzechiaCzechiaSwitzerlandSwitzerlandSlovakiaSlovakiaBelarusBelarus
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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.