Historic NHL Draft: Berzkalns Lands with Edmonton Oilers
Latvian hockey player Rudolfs Berzkalns became the sixth highest-drafted Latvian in NHL history when the Edmonton Oilers selected him as their first pick in a draft that featured a record four Latvian players.
The NHL draft concluded on Saturday with a historic milestone for Latvia: for the first time, four Latvian hockey players were selected in a single year. Among them was center Rudolfs Berzkalns, chosen by the Edmonton Oilers as their first-round pick.
Berzkalns is only the third Latvian ever drafted by the Oilers. He now ranks as the sixth highest-drafted Latvian in NHL history. Edmonton is a powerhouse team led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, still chasing the Stanley Cup.
A prominent media analyst described the selection as somewhat surprising. Berzkalns already has a question for McDavid, whom he considers the best player in the world, and compares his own game to another Oilers star.
This week, Berzkalns will attend the Oilers' development camp, but he is unlikely to be part of the main training camp before the season starts.
