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Medal record
Representing Latvia
Ice hockey
World Championships

Rodrigo Ābols
Rodrigo Ābols
Born	5 January 1996 (age 28); Riga, Latvia
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	187 lb (85 kg; 13 st 5 lb)
Position	Forward
Shoots	Left
NHL team (P); Cur. team; Former teams	Philadelphia Flyers; Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL); Dinamo Riga; Örebro HK; Rögle BK
National team	Latvia
NHL draft	184th overall, 2016; Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	2014–present

Rodrigo Ābols (born 5 January 1996) is a Latvian professional ice hockey forward for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ābols was selected in the seventh round, 184th overall, by the Vancouver Canucks during the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

During the 2014–15 season, Ābols skated for both Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and HK Rīga of the Minor Hockey League (MHL). He made his KHL debut on 27 December 2014 with Riga, whom his father, Artis Ābols, coached.^[1]

Ābols joined the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the 2015–16 season. In 62 games, Ābols registered 20 goals and 49 points. During the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Ābols was selected in the seventh round, 184th overall, by the Vancouver Canucks. Ābols split the 2016–17 season between the Winterhawks and the Acadie–Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Ābols skated for Örebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) during the 2017–18 season. While on loan, he also played for BIK Karlskoga of HockeyAllsvenskan. With his rights expired from the Canucks, he continued his tenure with Örebro HK in the 2018–19 season, increasing his production with 18 goals and 26 points in 45 games.

On 28 May 2019, the Florida Panthers signed Ābols to a two-year, entry-level contract.^[2]

Approaching his second season under contract with the Panthers, on 3 August 2020, Ābols returned to Sweden to begin the 2020–21 season on loan with his former club, Örebro HK. He returned to the SHL with the North American season delayed until mid-November due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[3] On 13 January 2021, Ābols was released by the Florida Panthers.^[4]

Following four seasons in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), Ābols returned to North America after securing a one-year, two-way contract with the Philadelphia Flyers for the 2024–25 season on 16 June 2024.^[5]

Personal life

Ābols is the son of Artis Ābols, who also played ice hockey and has been the head coach of Dinamo Riga and Lada Togliatti of the Kontinental Hockey League, and Zemgale of the Latvian Hockey Higher League, as well as assistant coach of the Latvia men's national ice hockey team.

International play

Ābols participated at the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships as a member of the Latvian national junior team. He made his senior international debut in Prague at the 2015 IIHF World Championships.

He represented Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship where he recorded five goals and two assists and won a bronze medal, Latvia's first ever IIHF World Championship medal.^[6]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2011–12	SK Rīga 16	LAT U18	22	20	18	38	18	—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	SK Rīga 17	LHHL	14	10	13	23	6	—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	HK Rīga	MHL	44	7	9	16	34	10	1	0	1	12
2013–14	HK Rīga	LHHL	1	1	3	4	0	—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	HK Rīga	MHL	35	20	18	38	61	3	0	1	1	2
2014–15	Dinamo Rīga	KHL	14	1	4	5	4	—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Portland Winterhawks	WHL	62	20	29	49	42	4	0	1	1	4
2016–17	Portland Winterhawks	WHL	2	0	1	1	7	—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Acadie–Bathurst Titan	QMJHL	52	18	32	50	43	11	5	6	11	12
2017–18	Örebro HK	SHL	26	0	1	1	6	—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	BIK Karlskoga	Allsv	18	7	10	17	20	—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Örebro HK	SHL	45	18	8	26	20	2	0	1	1	0
2019–20	Springfield Thunderbirds	AHL	36	7	16	23	15	—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Greenville Swamp Rabbits	ECHL	4	3	1	4	4	—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Örebro HK	SHL	47	20	15	35	16	9	3	7	10	2
2021–22	Örebro HK	SHL	47	14	20	34	6	8	7	3	10	0
2022–23	Örebro HK	SHL	51	19	22	41	12	13	0	6	6	2
2023–24	Rögle BK	SHL	50	14	12	26	10	15	5	7	12	2
KHL totals			14	1	4	5	4	—	—	—	—	—
SHL totals			266	85	78	163	70	47	15	24	39	6

International

Year	Team	Event	Result	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2013	Latvia	EYOF	5th	3	1	3	4	0
2013	HK Rīga	JCWC	5th	4	0	1	1	29
2013	HK Rīga	CC	DNQ	3	0	2	2	0
2014	Latvia	WJC D1A		5	3	2	5	2
2014	Latvia	U18 D1A		5	1	3	4	2
2014	HK Riga	JCWC	5th	5	1	0	1	4
2015	Latvia	WJC D1A		5	2	2	4	2
2015	Latvia	WC	13th	7	0	0	0	0
2016	Latvia	WJC D1A		5	4	1	5	0
2016	Latvia	WC	13th	7	0	1	1	0
2016	Latvia	OGQ	DNQ	3	1	2	3	0
2018	Latvia	WC	8th	8	1	4	5	4
2019	Latvia	WC	10th	2	1	0	1	0
2021	Latvia	WC	11th	7	1	1	2	2
2021	Latvia	OGQ	Q	3	3	1	4	0
2022	Latvia	OG	11th	4	1	1	2	2
2022	Latvia	WC	10th	7	1	1	2	4
2023	Latvia	WC		10	5	2	7	4
2024	Latvia	WC	9th	7	2	2	4	8
2024	Latvia	OGQ	Q	3	2	2	4	0
Junior totals				35	12	14	26	39
Senior totals				72	19	20	39	24

Awards and honours

Award	Year
Juniors
MHL All-Star game	2015
SHL
SHL Best Plus/Minus	2022
International
World Juniors D1A silver medal	2014
U18 D1A champion	2014
World Juniors D1A bronze medal	2015
World Juniors D1A champion	2016
World Championship bronze medal	2023
Team Latvia Top 3 Player	2023, 2024