NHL Draft 2025: No Latvian Players Selected

This was the third time in the last five years that Latvians have not been selected in the NHL draft. In 2022 and 2024, teams received the right to three Latvian players in each draft.

On Wednesday, the first round took place, with teams winning 32 players, but on Thursday the next six rounds took place, with the teams choosing another 192 players.

This year’s draft selected players from 13 countries and the biggest representation as usual for Canadians – 85 players. 52 players were selected from the US, followed by Sweden with 30 hockey players.

In San Jose, the Sharks, with the 33rd number of Van Haosji, became the highest drafted hockey player born in China. The 17 -year -old guard had previously played in the Canadian junior leagues, but will be the National College Sports Association (NCAA) next season.

In the first round of this year’s draft, the New York Islanders selected Canadian guard Matthew Scheifer on Friday. Canadian striker Michael Misa chose the Sharks in the second number, while the Chicago Blackhawks chose Swedish striker Anton Frondel with the third.

In the context of the NHL draft, Latvian hockey earned the biggest recognition in 2012, when Buffalo “Sabers” chose Zemga Girgenson with the 14th round, but in the second round, Pittsburgh’s Penguins “took” Theodore Blugger.

In total, 43 Latvian hockey players are drafted in the NHL.

Drafting in NHL teams does not guarantee a contract, as more than half of the draft players do not lead any NHL game either.