Jānis Kalniņš (ice hockey player)

Jānis Kalniņš
Date of birth	December 13, 1991
place of birth	Limbaži , Latvia
size	182 cm
Weight	87 kg
position	goalkeeper
Catch hand	Left
Career stations
2007-2013	HK Liepājas Metalurgs
2013-2015	Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák
2015-2016	Alba Volán Székesfehérvár
2016-2018	Dinamo Riga
since 2018	Jokerite

Jānis Kalniņš (born December 13, 1991 in Limbaži ) is a Latvian ice hockey goalkeeper who has been under contract with Jokerit in the Continental Hockey League since 2018 .

Career

Jānis Kalniņš began his career at HK Liepājas Metalurgs , for whom he played in both the Latvian ice hockey league and the Belarusian extra league. With the club's second team, he won the Latvian championship in 2011 and 2012 . In 2011 , he achieved the lowest goalscorer in the league and was also voted their best goalkeeper. After his parent club dissolved in 2013 for financial reasons, he moved to the Hungarian club Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák in the MOL league . With the club from Central Transdanubia , he not only won the Hungarian ice hockey cup in 2014 but - as the best-placed Hungarian team in the MOL league - also the Hungarian championship title . In 2015 he moved to Alba Volán Székesfehérvár in Hungary and guarded the goal for his second team in the MOL league. From 2016 to 2018 he played for Dinamo Riga in the Continental Hockey League . Then he moved to the Finnish league competitor Jokerit .

International

Kalniņš played for Latvia at the U18 World Cup in 2009 in Division I and achieved promotion to the top division. With the Latvian U20 national team , he took part in the U20 World Championships in 2010 in the top division and, after relegation there, in division I in 2011 . With the best catch quota and the lowest goals against goals of the tournament, he made a significant contribution to the immediate return to the top division.

He made his debut in the Latvian men's selection in the 2013/14 season. In 2015 he took part in a men's world championship for the first time, but was not used in the top division tournament in the Czech Republic. Also in 2016 and 2017 he was part of the Latvian squad without being used.

Achievements and Awards

• 2009 Promotion to the top division at the U18 World Cup in Division I, Group B
• 2011 Latvian master with the HK Liepājas Metalurgs
• 2011 Lowest goalscoring and best goalkeeper in the Latvian Ice Hockey League
• 2011 Promotion to the top division at the U20 World Cup in Division I, Group A.
• 2011 Best catch quota and lowest goals against goals at the U20 World Cup in Division I, Group I.
• 2012 Latvian master with the HK Liepājas Metalurgs
• 2014 Hungarian champion and cup winner with Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák

Web links

• Jānis Kalniņš at eliteprospects.com (English)
• Jānis Kalniņš at eurohockey.com