Rūdolfs Balcers

Rūdolfs Balcers is a Latvian professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL). He was selected by the San Jose Sharks, 142nd overall, in the 2015 NHL entry draft. Balcers played three seasons for the Stavanger Oilers before moving to North America in 2016, where he spent one season with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). After one season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Sharks minor league affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, Balcers was traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2018, and made his NHL debut with the team in 2019. He rejoined the Sharks in 2021. Playing with the Latvian national team, Balcers played a central role in the country's first-ever medal at Ice Hockey World Championships in 2023.