Mārtiņš Dzierkals

Mārtiņš Dzierkals (born 4 April 1997) is a Latvian professional ice hockey forward who plays for HC Škoda Plzeň in the Czech Extraliga (ELH).

Mārtiņš Dzierkals
Mārtiņš Dzierkals, 2023
Born (1997-04-04) 4 April 1997
Riga, Latvia
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Left
ELH team
Former teams		 HC Plzeň
Toronto Marlies
Dinamo Riga
Jukurit
National team  Latvia
NHL Draft 68th overall, 2015
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career 2014–present

Playing career

In the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, he was selected 68th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs.[1] After two seasons with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, he spent much of the 2017–18 season with the Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL, before returning to Latvia to play for the Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).[2]

On trade deadline day of the 2019–20 NHL season, on 25 February 2020, the Maple Leafs traded Dzierkals rights away in a three-team trade to the Vegas Golden Knights via the Chicago Blackhawks, and gained a 5th-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.[3]

After spending the 2019–20 season with Jukurit in the Finnish Liiga, posting 7 goals and 15 points in 39 games, Dzierkals opted to return to his native Latvia by agreeing to a second tenure with Dinamo Riga with a one-year contract on 28 July 2020.[4]

International play
Medal record
Representing  Latvia
Ice hockey
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place2023 Finland/Latvia

He represented Latvia at the 2017 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships[5] and the 2019 IIHF World Championship.[6]

He represented Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship where he recorded two goals and three assists and won a bronze medal, Latvia's first ever IIHF World Championship medal.[7]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2012–13 SK Sāga 18 LAT U18 20 28 31 59 16 — — — — —
2013–14 SK Sāga 18 LAT U20 23 35 33 68 43 — — — — —
2014–15 Ogre/Sāga97 LAT 6 5 5 10 12 — — — — —
2014–15 HK Rīga MHL 32 10 18 28 49 3 1 0 1 2
2015–16 Rouyn–Noranda Huskies QMJHL 59 24 43 67 42 20 7 10 17 12
2016–17 Rouyn–Noranda Huskies QMJHL 47 21 28 49 44 6 0 2 2 10
2017–18 Orlando Solar Bears ECHL 51 15 21 36 46 7 1 2 3 19
2017–18 Toronto Marlies AHL 4 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2018–19 Dinamo Rīga KHL 42 5 8 13 22 — — — — —
2018–19 HK Liepāja LAT 4 1 4 5 6 — — — — —
2019–20 Jukurit Liiga 39 7 8 15 16 — — — — —
2020–21 Dinamo Rīga KHL 52 10 14 24 49 — — — — —
2021–22 HC Škoda Plzeň ELH 49 10 20 30 34 5 0 2 2 4
KHL totals 94 15 22 37 71 — — — — —
Liiga totals 39 7 8 15 16 — — — — —

International
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2014 Latvia U18 D1A 11th 5 0 2 2 16
2015 Latvia WJC D1A 13th 5 2 2 4 2
2015 Latvia U18 9th 6 3 6 9 10
2016 Latvia WJC D1A 11th 5 1 3 4 4
2016 Latvia OGQ DNQ 3 1 0 1 0
2017 Latvia WJC 10th 6 1 2 3 12
2019 Latvia WC 10th 7 0 0 0 0
2021 Latvia WC 11th 6 2 0 2 0
2021 Latvia OGQ Q 1 0 0 0 0
2022 Latvia OG 11th 4 0 0 0 0
2022 Latvia WC 10th 7 0 4 4 6
2023 Latvia WC 10 2 3 5 27
Junior totals 27 7 15 22 44
Senior totals 38 5 7 12 33

References
  1. "Toronto Maple Leafs select Martins Dzierkals 68th overall in 2015 NHL Draft". mapleleafshotstove.com. 27 June 2015.
  2. Johnston, Mike (2018-08-22). "Martins Dzierkals signs in KHL after asking Maple Leafs for trade". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  3. "Lehner traded to Golden Knights, Blackhawks get Subban". NHL.com. 2020-02-25. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  4. "Martins Dzierkals will play in Dinamo" (in Latvian). Dinamo Riga. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  5. Koshan, Terry (2016-12-27). "Latvia's blowout loss doesn't get Dzierkals down". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  6. "Nosaukts Latvijas nacionālās hokeja izlases sastāvs pēdējām pārbaudes spēlēm ar Šveici". lhf.lv. 30 April 2019.
  7. "Latvia wins historic bronze in OT". IIHF.com. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
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