HOCKEY PLAYERS from Latvia

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Latvian Hockey Players of all time. This list of famous Latvian Hockey Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Latvian Hockey Players.

1. Artūrs Irbe (b. 1967)

With an HPI of 51.77, Artūrs Irbe is the most famous Latvian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages on wikipedia.

Artūrs Irbe (born 2 February 1967) is a Latvian professional ice hockey coach and former goaltender. Born during the Soviet era, Irbe played for various Soviet league teams and the Soviet Union national team before moving to North America in 1991. Irbe played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, and Carolina Hurricanes. In 2004 Irbe returned to Europe to play until he retired in 2007. He has served as a goaltending coach with Dinamo Riga, the Washington Capitals, and the Buffalo Sabres, as well as internationally with the Latvia men's national ice hockey team. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2010. Irbe was rated number 93 on The Hockey News list of the Top 100 Goalies of All-Time in 2018.

2. Kārlis Skrastiņš (1974 - 2011)

With an HPI of 48.68, Kārlis Skrastiņš is the 2nd most famous Latvian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Kārlis Skrastiņš (July 9, 1974 – September 7, 2011) was a Latvian professional ice hockey player. Skrastiņš was drafted by the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League in 1998 as a defenceman and spent twelve years in the league playing for the Predators, the Colorado Avalanche, the Florida Panthers, and the Dallas Stars. For the 2011-2012 season, Skrastiņš left the NHL and signed a contract to play in Russia for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). However, he never got to play a game for Lokomotiv as he was killed in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash that killed almost the entire team on September 7, 2011.

3. Sandis Ozoliņš (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 46.99, Sandis Ozoliņš is the 3rd most famous Latvian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Sandis Ozoliņš (born 3 August 1972), commonly spelled Sandis Ozolinsh in North America, is a Latvian former professional ice hockey player and coach. During his career in North America, Ozoliņš was a seven-time NHL All-Star, Stanley Cup champion (as a member of the 1995–96 Colorado Avalanche), and James Norris Memorial Trophy finalist. He is also the all-time leader for goals, assists, points, and games played by a Latvian in the NHL and holds several Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks franchise records. Ozoliņš was also the highest-paid sportsman in Latvian history, before NBA basketball player Andris Biedriņš succeeded him in 2008. He briefly became the head coach of Dinamo Riga in 2017. Ozoliņš was drafted in the 1991 NHL entry draft by the San Jose Sharks as the 8th pick of the second round, 30th overall. He played for the Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and New York Rangers. He is often considered a prototype "offensive defenceman," becoming heavily involved in his team's offense and scoring opportunities. In 2014, Ozoliņš was awarded Order of the Three Stars for his long-standing contributions to Latvian ice hockey and sports.

4. Sergejs Žoltoks (1972 - 2004)

With an HPI of 45.29, Sergejs Žoltoks is the 4th most famous Latvian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Sergei Zholtok (Russian: Сергей Жолток), also known as Sergejs Žoltoks (December 2, 1972 – November 3, 2004) was a Latvian professional ice hockey centre. He played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators from 1993 to 2004.

5. Kaspars Daugaviņš (b. 1988)

With an HPI of 42.15, Kaspars Daugaviņš is the 5th most famous Latvian Hockey Player.  Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Kaspars Daugaviņš (born May 18, 1988) is a Latvian professional ice hockey player who most recently played for HK Dukla Michalovce of the Slovak Extraliga. Daugaviņš has played professionally in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins. The Senators selected him in the third round, 91st overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

6. Jānis Sprukts (b. 1982)

With an HPI of 40.03, Jānis Sprukts is the 6th most famous Latvian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Jānis Sprukts (born January 31, 1982) is a retired Latvian professional ice hockey forward.

7. Lauris Dārziņš (b. 1985)

With an HPI of 38.58, Lauris Dārziņš is the 7th most famous Latvian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Lauris Dārziņš (born January 28, 1985) is a former Latvian professional ice hockey forward who played with Dinamo Riga in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) before retiring in 2022. Currently (2024) he is the assistant of the Latvian team coach.

8. Miķelis Rēdlihs (b. 1984)

With an HPI of 38.16, Miķelis Rēdlihs is the 8th most famous Latvian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Miķelis Rēdlihs (born July 1, 1984) is a Latvian professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for HK Olimp of Latvian Hockey League (LAT). He has played for Latvian national team in the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 World Championships. Two of Miķelis Rēdlihs' brothers also are hockey players - Jēkabs Rēdlihs and Krišjānis Rēdlihs.

9. Miks Indrašis (b. 1990)

With an HPI of 37.97, Miks Indrašis is the 9th most famous Latvian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Miks Indrašis (born 30 September 1990) is a Latvian professional ice hockey forward who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for Brynäs IF in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

10. Viktor Tikhonov (b. 1988)

With an HPI of 37.41, Viktor Tikhonov is the 10th most famous Latvian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Viktor Vasilievich Tikhonov (Russian: Виктор Васильевич Тихонов; born 12 May 1988) is a Russian former professional ice hockey forward. Tikhonov was originally selected 28th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, by the Phoenix Coyotes. After several years in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Coyotes, Tikhonov moved to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia, where he spent four years with SKA St. Petersburg. In 2015, he returned to the NHL, signing a contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, appearing in 11 games for them before he was claimed on waivers by the Coyotes. He was named after his grandfather, Viktor Vasilyevich Tikhonov, the late Soviet ice hockey player and coach. His father was Vasili Tikhonov, who was also an ice hockey coach. Born in Latvia while it was still a member of the USSR, Tikhonov has represented Russia internationally, participating in several World Championships and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.