Kristiāns Rubīns (born 11 December 1997) is a Latvian professional ice hockey defenceman for Modo Hockey of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). Playing with the Latvian national team, Rubīns played a central role in the country's first-ever medal at Ice Hockey World Championships in 2023.
| Kristiāns Rubīns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Kristiāns Rubīns, 2023 | |||
| Born |
11 December 1997 Riga, Latvia | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| SHL team Former teams |
Modo Hockey Frederikshavn White Hawks Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| National team |
 Latvia | ||
| NHL draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2018–present | ||
Playing career
editRubīns played for Latvian and Swedish junior clubs, making his professional debut with VIK Västerås HK in the HockeyAllsvenskan before moving to Canada to play for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). On 3 August 2018, he left junior hockey, signing a professional contract with the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL, an affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs.[1]
During the 2019–20 season, Rubīns, having signed an American Hockey League (AHL) contract extension with the Toronto Marlies, remained with the club for the duration of the campaign, posting two goals and 14 points in 47 games before the season was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.[2]
On 2 April 2020, Rubīns was signed as an undrafted free agent to a two-year, entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.[3] Rubīns made his NHL debut on 7 December 2021, a 5–4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.[4]
At the conclusion of his NHL debut season, Rubīns was not extended a qualifying offer by the Maple Leafs to retain his exclusive playing rights, and he was subsequently released to unrestricted free agency. On 13 July 2022, the opening day of free agency, Rubīns signed as a free agent with the Ottawa Senators to a one-year, $750,000 contract.[5] In the 2022–23 season, Rubīns contributed with two goals and six points through 42 games with Ottawa's AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.
On 10 March 2023, Rubīns was traded by Ottawa to the Calgary Flames in exchange for future considerations.[6] Upon joining the Flames, Rubīns was immediately assigned to the Calgary Wranglers, the team's AHL affiliate for the remainder of the season.
On 6 June 2023, as a pending free agent from the Flames, Rubīns opted to halt his North American career by signing a one-year contract with the newly-promoted Swedish club, Modo Hockey of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).[7]
International play
edit| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Latvia
| ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
 |
2023 Finland/Latvia | |
Rubīns represented Latvia through the junior level. He was selected by Bob Hartley for Latvia's roster in the 2018 IIHF World Championship.[8] He made his debut in the opening game against Norway.[9] Rubīns was selected to represent the Latvian national team in the 2022 Winter Olympics,[10] but did not play for them when the NHL announced that its players would not be permitted to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics.[11]
He represented Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship where he recorded two goals, including the game-winning overtime goal to defeat the United States and won a bronze medal, Latvia's first ever IIHF World Championship medal.[12][13]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2011–12 | Prizma/Pārdaugava | LAT U16 | 24 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Prizma/Pārdaugava | LAT U16 | — | 14 | 13 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Prizma/Pārdaugava | LAT U18 | 20 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | VIK Västerås HK | J18 | 22 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | VIK Västerås HK | J18 Allsv | 18 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 50 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | VIK Västerås HK | J18 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | VIK Västerås HK | J18 Allsv | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | VIK Västerås HK | J20 | 31 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | VIK Västerås HK | Allsv | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | VIK Västerås HK | J20 | 21 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | VIK Västerås HK | Allsv | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 49 | 3 | 21 | 24 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 2017–18 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 60 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 36 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | Newfoundland Growlers | ECHL | 56 | 2 | 16 | 18 | 28 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 23 | ||
| 2018–19 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 15 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 47 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Frederikshavn White Hawks | DEN | 21 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 22 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 58 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Belleville Senators | AHL | 42 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Calgary Wranglers | AHL | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Latvia | U18 D1A | 11th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | |
| 2015 | Latvia | WJC D1A | 13th | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2015 | Latvia | U18 | 9th | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Latvia | WJC D1A | 11th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2017 | Latvia | WJC | 10th | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2018 | Latvia | WC | 8th | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Latvia | WC | 11th | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Latvia | OGQ | Q | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2022 | Latvia | WC | 10th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 | Latvia | WC | 
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 27 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 31 | ||||
| Senior totals | 25 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 | ||||
Awards and honours
edit| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| ECHL | ||
| Kelly Cup champion | 2019 | [14] |
References
edit- ^ "Growlers sign rookie defenseman Rubins". ECHL. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
- ^ "AHL suspends play". theahl.com. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Maple Leafs sign Filip Kral and Kristians Rubins". Toronto Maple Leafs. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ "Rubins makes NHL debut". 8 December 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
- ^ "Senators sign Kristians Rubins to one-year, two-way deal". Sportsnet. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ "Flames acquire Kristians Rubins". NHL.com. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ "Kristians Rubins ny back i MoDo Hockey!" [Kristians Rubins new defenseman with Modo] (in Swedish). Modo Hockey. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ DELFI sports (2 May 2018). "Paziņots Latvijas hokeja izlases kaujas sastāvs pasaules čempionātam" (in Latvian). delfi.lv. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- ^ iihf (5 May 2018). "Team LAT match stats". iihf. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- ^ "Latvia adds Balcers, Girgensons and Rubins to Beijing 2022 roster". TSN. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ Gulitti, Tom (22 December 2021). "NHL players will not participate in 2022 Beijing Olympics". NHL.com. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ "Latvia wins historic bronze in OT". IIHF.com. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ^ Nnamdi, Eberechi (28 May 2023). "Latvia's Kristians Rubins Scores Game-Winning Goal in Overtime to Give Latvia Bronze at 2023 Ice Hockey World Championship". nnn.ng. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ^ "Kelly Cup win is like 'a dream' for Newfoundland Growlers". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database