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Medal record
Representing Latvia
Ice hockey
World Championships

Jānis Jaks
Jānis Jaks
	Jānis Jaks, 2023
Born	22 August 1995 (age 29); Riga, Latvia
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Defense
Shoots	Right
team; Former teams	Free Agent; Dinamo Riga; Bakersfield Condors; HC Sochi
National team	Latvia
NHL draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2014–present

Jānis Jaks (born 22 August 1995) is a Latvian professional ice hockey defenceman currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for HC Sochi of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Playing career

Collegiate

Jaks joined the Yellow Jackets for the 2016–17 campaign and quickly became a mainstay of their blue line, scoring five goals and six assists for 11 points as a freshman, including two game-winning goals.^[1]

Professional

On 30 March 2020, Jaks was signed to a one-year contract with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL for the 2020–21 season.^[2] With the commencement of the 2020–21 North American season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jaks was signed to a try-out contract with Latvian-based KHL club, Dinamo Riga, on 23 August 2020.^[3] Jaks appeared in 17 contests with Dinamo, collecting 1 goal and 4 points before returning to the AHL and the Condors. In completing his first professional season, Jaks contributed with two goals and 6 points from the blueline with the Condors.

Jaks left North America as a free agent and signed a one-year contract to return to the KHL with Russian-based club HC Sochi on 19 July 2021.^[4]

International play

Jaks played for Latvia's junior team at the 2013 and 2014 World Junior Championships. He played his first game at the senior international level in the 2014 World Championships for Latvia's national team against Russia's national team.^[5]^[6]

He represented Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship where he recorded two goals and five assists and won a bronze medal, Latvia's first ever IIHF World Championship medal.^[7]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2012–13	HK Riga	MHL	30	0	3	3	20	—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	HK Riga	MHL	38	0	2	2	22	10	1	1	2	12
2014–15	Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees	NAHL	2	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Minnesota Wilderness	NAHL	41	2	11	13	63	11	1	1	2	4
2015–16	Minnesota Wilderness	NAHL	56	7	20	27	80	9	1	3	4	18
2016–17	American International	AHC	27	5	6	11	10	—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	American International	AHC	37	8	15	23	20	—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	American International	AHC	38	4	10	14	12	—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	American International	AHC	33	6	9	15	6	—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Dinamo Riga	KHL	17	1	3	4	12	—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	HK Zemgale	LHL	1	0	0	0	2	—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Bakersfield Condors	AHL	20	2	4	6	21	—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	HC Sochi	KHL	41	6	12	18	22	—	—	—	—	—
KHL totals			58	7	15	22	34	—	—	—	—	—

International

Year	Team	Event	Result	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2013	Latvia	U18	10th	6	1	1	2	6
2014	Latvia	WJC-D1	12th	4	2	2	4	2
2014	Latvia	WC	11th	3	0	0	0	0
2015	Latvia	WJC-D1	13th	5	1	1	2	12
2017	Latvia	WC	10th	4	0	0	0	0
2019	Latvia	WC	10th	3	2	0	2	0
2021	Latvia	WC	11th	6	0	0	0	2
2021	Latvia	OGQ	Q	3	1	1	2	0
2022	Latvia	OG	11th	4	0	0	0	2
2022	Latvia	WC	10th	7	1	2	3	2
2023	Latvia	WC		10	2	5	7	10
Junior totals				15	4	4	8	20
Senior totals				40	6	8	14	16