Edgars Kulda Explained

Caption:Kulda with Latvia in 2013
Position:Left wing
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:192
Team:Dinamo Riga
League:KHL
Former Teams:PSG Berani Zlín
Birth Date:1994 11, df=yes
Birth Place:Riga, Latvia
Ntl Team:LAT
Draft:193rd overall
Draft Year:2014
Draft Team:Arizona Coyotes
Career Start:2011

Edgars Kulda (born 13 November 1994) is a Latvian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for Dinamo Riga in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was selected 193rd overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Arizona Coyotes.[1] He played in Latvian minor and youth leagues.[2]

Playing career

Junior

Kulda began playing hockey in BHS hockey school and founded by former Dinamo Rīga player Helmuts Balderis.[3]

In 2011–12 season Kulda moved to North America to play for Edmonton Oil Kings of WHL. His most successful season as Oil King was 2013–14, when Oil Kings won Memorial Cup and Kulda received Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as Memorial Cup Most Valuable Player.[4] [5]

Professional

In 2015–16 season Kulda moved back to Latvia and joined his hometown club Dinamo Riga of KHL. He made his KHL debut on 3 September 2015, in overtime loss against Medveščak Zagreb.[6]

After a three year absence, highlighted with a lone season with PSG Berani Zlín of the Czech Extraliga, Kulda returned to Dinamo Riga on a one-year contract as a free agent on 7 August 2021.[7]

International play

Kulda represented Latvia in junior and U18 championships. In 2016, he made his debut in 2016 World Championships in opening match overtime loss against Sweden.[8]

Personal life

Edgars Kulda is the younger brother of Arturs Kulda.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2009–10SK Rīga 18LAT U1817 36 27 63 8
2011–12HK RīgaMHL1 0 0 0 0
2011–12HK Juniors RīgaMHL B33 15 11 26 817 2 9 11 4
2011–12HK Juniors RīgaLAT25 21 15 36 185 3 2 5 0
2012–13Edmonton Oil KingsWHL64 6 11 17 3422 2 12 14 10
2013–14Edmonton Oil KingsWHL66 30 30 60 5721 10 12 22 12
2014–15Edmonton Oil KingsWHL47 13 17 30 355 0 2 2 4
2015–16Dinamo RīgaKHL39 4 3 7 23
2016–17Dinamo RīgaKHL39 3 6 9 6
2017–18Dinamo RīgaKHL31 1 0 1 33
2017–18HK LiepājaLAT5 2 3 5 0
2018–19PSG Berani ZlínELH52 11 11 22 32500 0 2
2019–20Saryarka KaragandaVHL37 12 8 20 16621 3 0
2020–21Metallurg NovokuznetskVHL41 8 8 16 141425 7 5
2021–22Dinamo RīgaKHL18 0 3 3 6
2021–22HK Zemgale/LLULAT16 10 20 30 410 4 8 12 0
KHL totals127 8 12 20 68

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2012LatviaWJC189th611214
2013LatviaWJC10th62460
2014LatviaWJC D1A12th51672
2016LatviaWC13th70000
Junior totals298152322
Senior totals70000

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Arizona Coyotes 2014 draft 7th round selections. NHL. nhl.com. 2016-05-08.
  2. Web site: Spēlētāja dati. Latvijas Hokeja fedrācija. lhf.lv. Latvian. 2016-05-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20160602102329/http://statistika.lhf.tiesraides.lv/lv/players/4949. 2 June 2016. dead.
  3. Web site: HOCKEY PLAYERS FROM BHS. EliteProspects. eliteprospects.com. 2016-05-08.
  4. Web site: Arturs Kulda won the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player at the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup. Yahoo Sports. yahhoo.com. 2014-05-25. 2016-05-08.
  5. Web site: HOCKEY AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS. EliteProspects. eliteprospects.com. 2016-05-08.
  6. Web site: Player Match Log . KHL . khl.ru . 2016-05-08 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160214221444/http://www.khl.ru/players/18399/ . 14 February 2016 . dmy .
  7. Web site: Two more sign contracts after training camp . . 7 August 2021 . 7 August 2021 . Latvian . 7 August 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210807153527/https://www.dinamoriga.lv/lv/zinas/kluba-zinas/pec-treninnometnes-pilnvertigus-ligumus-nosledz-vel-2-uzbruceji . dead .
  8. Web site: Match Statistics. IIHF. iihf.com. 2016-05-08.