Rihards Bukarts Explained

Caption:Rihards Bukarts, 2023
Position:Forward
Shoots:Right
Height Ft:5
Height In:10
Weight Lb:185
Team:HC Vítkovice
League:ELH
Former Teams:Springfield Thunderbirds
HC Zlín
Dinamo Riga
Eisbären Berlin
Schwenninger Wild Wings
Düsseldorfer EG
Admiral Vladivostok
Ntl Team:LAT
Birth Date:1995 12, df=yes
Birth Place:Jūrmala, Latvia
Career Start:2009
Draft:Undrafted

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.

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 8 February 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 14 December 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 21 August 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 13 July 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 13 May 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.

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

Team League GP GPG A Pts PIM
2008–09SK SāgaLAT.2149514
2009–10SK Rīga 18LAT U189711182
2010–11SK SāgaLAT.21919304910
2011–12Kapitan StupinoMHL4711112222
2011–12SK SāgaLAT.21128315912
2012–13HK RīgaMHL621817354430000
2012–13HK RīgaLAT20110
2013–14Brandon Wheat KingsWHL652826545090440
2014–15Brandon Wheat KingsWHL623341742116414188
2015–16Brandon Wheat KingsWHL1054911
2015–16Portland WinterhawksWHL552627532442136
2015–16Portland PiratesAHL10110
2016–17Springfield ThunderbirdsAHL140334
2016–17Manchester MonarchsECHL3716173326
2017–18Aukro Berani ZlínELH1722420
2017–18Dinamo RīgaKHL141010
2017–18Eisbären BerlinDEL20110164486
2018–19Schwenninger Wild WingsDEL429132214
2019–20Düsseldorfer EGDEL481091924
2020–21Dinamo RīgaKHL331161710
2021–22Admiral VladivostokKHL2563912
KHL totals72 18 9 27 22

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2012LatviaWJC189th60552
2013LatviaWJC10th60114
2013LatviaWJC1810th61120
2017LatviaWC10th70332
2018LatviaWC8th81234
2019LatviaWC10th70334
2021LatviaWC11th71010
2021LatviaOGQQ31120
2022LatviaOG11th40000
2022LatviaWC10th72350
2023LatviaWC1038118
Junior totals181786
Senior totals538202818

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dinamo" draftē Bukartu un Golovkovu. 26 May 2012. Sportacentrs.com. Latvian. 26 May 2012.
  2. Web site: Rihards Bukarts gūst pirmos vārtus MHL čempionātā. 16 September 2011. Delfi.lv. Latvian. 16 September 2011.
  3. Web site: Dinamo" paraksta līgumu ar Rihardu Bukartu. 2 July 2012. Sportacentrs.com. Latvian. 2 July 2012.
  4. Web site: CHL draftā ar 7. numuru izvēlēts Rihards Bukarts. 3 July 2013. Nra.lv. Latvian. 3 July 2013.
  5. Web site: Rihards Bukarts un Golovkovs karjeru turpinās Kanādā . 19 July 2013. Tvnet.lv. Latvian. 19 July 2013.
  6. Web site: Winterhawks acquire Rihards Bukarts . . 2015-10-29 . 2015-10-29.
  7. Web site: Bukarts agrees to terms with Zlin . . 2017-08-21 . 2017-08-21.
  8. Web site: Rihards Bukarts moves to Schwenninger . . 2018-07-13 . 2018-07-13 . German.
  9. Web site: First personnel decisions made . . 2019-03-04 . 2019-03-04 . German.
  10. Web site: Addition from Latvia: Rihards Bukarts moves to DEG . . 2019-05-13 . 2019-05-13 . German .
  11. Web site: Latvia wins historic bronze in OT . IIHF.com . 28 May 2023 . 28 May 2023.