Mārtiņš Karsums facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mārtiņš Karsums
Karsums with the Boston Bruins in 2009
Born	(1986-02-26) 26 February 1986 (age 39) Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	216 lb (98 kg; 15 st 6 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Right
Slovak team Former teams	MHk 32 Liptovský Mikuláš Boston Bruins Tampa Bay Lightning Dinamo Riga Dynamo Moscow Spartak Moscow Krefeld Pinguine
National team	Latvia
NHL Draft	64th overall, 2004 Boston Bruins
Playing career	2000–present

Mārtiņš Karsums, born on February 26, 1986, is a professional ice hockey player from Latvia. He plays as a right winger for MHk 32 Liptovský Mikuláš in the Slovak Extraliga. Mārtiņš was chosen by the Boston Bruins in the 2004 NHL Draft. He also played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Playing Career: Mārtiņš Karsums' Journey in Hockey

Early Days in Europe

Mārtiņš Karsums first caught the eye of hockey scouts in 2003. He played for Latvia in the U18 and World Junior Ice Hockey Championship tournaments. In the U18 event, he scored two goals. In the World Junior Championship, he showed his tough side by getting 35 penalty minutes in just five games.

Playing in North America

Junior Hockey Leagues

Mārtiņš wasn't happy with how little he played for his club team in Latvia, Vilki Rīga. So, he decided to move to North America and join the Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL. This league is for junior players, usually under 20 years old.

He had a great first season with the Wildcats. He scored 53 points, with 30 goals and 23 assists. He also had 76 penalty minutes. Mārtiņš also shined in the 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship Division I tournament. He scored seven goals and added six assists, totaling 13 points in five games.

In the 2004-05 season, injuries limited his playing time. But even with injuries, he still managed to score 26 points in 30 games.

His most successful junior season was 2005–06. Karsums scored 65 points and helped his Moncton Wildcats win two big trophies: the Jean Rougeau Trophy and the President's Cup. He also won the Guy Lafleur Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. He scored 27 points in 22 playoff games. He was the first European player to win this award! Eight of his 16 playoff goals were game-winners. This included three game-winning goals in the championship series against the Quebec Remparts.

He also played in the 2006 Memorial Cup, scoring one goal and three assists in five games.

Professional Hockey Leagues

On May 22, 2006, Mārtiņš Karsums signed a three-year contract with the Boston Bruins. For most of this time, he played for the Providence Bruins. This team is in the American Hockey League (AHL), which is a top league for players who are developing their skills to play in the NHL. In his best season with Providence (2007-08), Karsums scored 20 goals and had 63 points in 79 games.

On December 13, 2008, Karsums played his first game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins. This was a 4–2 win against the Atlanta Thrashers. On March 4, 2009, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. While playing for the Lightning, Karsums scored his first NHL goal on April 3, 2009. He scored against New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur.

Coming Back to Europe

On January 14, 2010, after playing for the Norfolk Admirals (an AHL team), Karsums returned to Europe. He was loaned to Dinamo Riga in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

After a tough first season, he became a very important player for Dinamo Riga. He was one of their top scorers and leaders for the next three seasons. He played at least 50 games each season and scored over 30 points. In the middle of the 2012–13 season, Karsums was even named captain of the team.

Karsums with the Latvian national team in 2008.

After four seasons with Dinamo Rīga, Karsums signed a contract with HC Dynamo Moscow. He played five seasons with them.

After the 2017–18 season, Karsums left Dynamo Moscow and signed a one-year deal with HC Spartak Moscow in the KHL.

Karsums played 11 seasons in the KHL before moving to Germany. On December 22, 2020, he signed a one-year contract with Krefeld Pinguine in the DEL, which is Germany's top hockey league.

After one season in Germany, Karsums decided to return to Dinamo Riga in the KHL on May 8, 2021.

International Play: Representing Latvia

Mārtiņš Karsums started playing for Latvia internationally at a young age. He played for the Latvian U18 team in 2001.

At the 2004 World Junior Championships (Division I), Karsums helped Latvia win a bronze medal. He was the top scorer in the tournament with 13 points in 7 games. Later, in 2005, he won a gold medal at the World Junior Championships (Division I-B), helping Latvia move up to the top level of junior hockey.

On May 11, 2008, Karsums played his first game for the senior Latvian national team. It was a 4–1 win against Norway, and he got his first international point with an assist. Since then, Karsums has played in three World Championships. He missed some championships due to injuries.

Karsums scored a very important goal against France in the qualifying tournament for the 2014 Winter Olympics. This goal helped the Latvian national team qualify for their fifth Olympic Games, and their fourth in a row!

Awards and Honours