Rihards Bukarts

Rihards Bukarts (born 31 December 1995) is a Latvian professional ice hockey forward. He is currently playing for Düsseldorfer EG in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). 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, 4 spots higher than his brother Roberts Bukarts in 2009.

Rihards Bukarts
Born (1995-12-31) 31 December 1995
Jūrmala, Latvia
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Right
DEL team
Former teams		 Düsseldorfer EG
Springfield Thunderbirds
HC Zlín
Dinamo Riga
Eisbären Berlin
Schwenninger Wild Wings
National team  Latvia
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2009–present

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 in 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. In the post-season, Bukarted helped the Wheat Kings reach the WHL finals, suffering defeat against the Kelowna Rockets. In 16 play off 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.

As a free agent, Bukarts opted to continue in the DEL, 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

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.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2008–09 SK Saga LHL 2 14 9 5 14  —  —  —  —  —  —
2009–10 SK Riga 18 LHL U18 9 7 11 18 2  —  —  —  —  —
2010–11 SK Saga LHL 2 19 19 30 49 10  —  —  —  —  —
2011–12 Kapitan Stupino MHL 47 11 11 22 22  —  —  —  —  —
2011–12 SK Saga LHL 2 11 28 31 59 12  —  —  —  —  —
2012–13 HK Riga MHL 62 18 17 35 44 3 0 0 0 0
2012–13 HK Juniors Riga LHL  —  —  —  —  — 2 0 1 1 0
2013–14 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL 65 28 26 54 50 9 0 4 4 0
2014–15 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL 62 33 41 74 21 16 4 14 18 8
2015–16 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL 10 5 4 9 11  —  —  —  —  —
2015–16 Portland Winterhawks WHL 55 26 27 53 24 4 2 1 3 6
2015–16 Portland Pirates AHL 1 0 1 1 0  —  —  —  —  —
2016–17 Springfield Thunderbirds AHL 14 0 3 3 4  —  —  —  —  —
2016–17 Manchester Monarchs ECHL 37 16 17 33 26  —  —  —  —  —
2017–18 HC Zlín ELH 17 2 2 4 20  —  —  —  —  —
2017–18 Dinamo Riga KHL 14 1 0 1 0  —  —  —  —  —
2017–18 Eisbären Berlin DEL 2 0 1 1 0 16 4 4 8 6
2018–19 Schwenninger Wild Wings DEL 42 9 13 22 14  —  —  —  —  —
2019–20 Düsseldorfer EG DEL 48 10 9 19 24 — — — — —
KHL totals 141010 —————

International
Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
2012 Latvia WJC U18 6 0 5 5 2
2013 Latvia WJC U18 6 1 1 2 0
2013 Latvia WJC 6 0 1 1 4
2017 Latvia WC 7 0 3 3 2
2018 Latvia WC 8 1 2 3 4
2019 Latvia WC 7 0 3 3 4
Junior totals 18 1 7 8 6
Senior totals 22 1 8 9 10

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.
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