Zemgus Girgensons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zemgus Girgensons |
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Girgensons with the Buffalo Sabres in 2016
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| Born | 5 January 1994 Riga, Latvia |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Tampa Bay Lightning Buffalo Sabres |
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| National team |  Latvia |
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| NHL Draft | 14th overall, 2012 Buffalo Sabres |
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| Playing career | 2012–present | ||
Zemgus Girgensons (born 5 January 1994) is a professional ice hockey player from Latvia. He plays as a forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was chosen very early in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. This made him the highest-drafted Latvian player in NHL history. He was also picked for the NHL All-Star Game in 2015.
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Playing Career Highlights
Zemgus started playing hockey in Latvia. He learned the game at the EVHS hockey school. He played in youth leagues in his home country before moving to North America.
Junior Hockey Journey
In 2009, Zemgus moved to North America. He played for the Green Mountain Glades in the EJHL. The next year, he joined the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the United States Hockey League (USHL). In 2011, his team, the Fighting Saints, won the USHL championship. He also played in the USHL All-Star Game that year. In his last junior season (2011–12), Zemgus was named the captain of the Fighting Saints.
Becoming a Professional Player
Joining the Buffalo Sabres
Zemgus was expected to be a top pick in the NHL Draft. The Buffalo Sabres chose him as the 14th overall pick in 2012. The Sabres traded up to get him, showing how much they wanted him. He had planned to play college hockey, but he signed a professional contract with the Sabres in July 2012. This meant he could start his pro career right away.
Zemgus began the 2012–13 season with the Rochester Americans, the Sabres' minor league team. He had a strong finish to that season. He scored his first NHL goal on 2 October 2013, in his first season with the Sabres.
All-Star and Key Player
Zemgus was very popular with fans. He received the most votes for the 2015 NHL All-Star Game, thanks to many votes from his home country of Latvia. He signed new contracts with the Sabres in 2016, 2017, and 2019.
In the 2019–20 season, he scored 12 goals, which was his second-best season for goals. He played well on a line with Johan Larsson and Kyle Okposo. Fans called them "The Roarin' 20's" because of their jersey numbers. In October 2020, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Sabres.
Unfortunately, in January 2021, Zemgus got a lower-body injury during training camp. He had surgery and missed the entire 2020–21 season. Before the 2021–22 season, the Sabres named him one of their alternate captains. He signed another one-year contract with the Sabres in June 2023.
Moving to Tampa Bay
On 1 July 2024, Zemgus became a free agent for the first time in his career. He had played 10 seasons with the Sabres. He then signed a three-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He joined the Lightning to help strengthen their forward group.
Playing for Latvia
Zemgus has proudly represented his home country, Latvia, in many international hockey tournaments.
Junior International Play
He played for the Latvian junior team in the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He also played in the 2010 IIHF World U18 Championships.
Senior International Play
Zemgus made his debut for the senior national team in the 2013 IIHF World Championship. He scored his first international goal against Slovakia.
In January 2014, he was chosen to play for Latvia in the 2014 Winter Olympics. He scored his first Olympic goal against Sweden's goalie, Henrik Lundqvist. Zemgus has continued to play for Latvia in several other World Championships, including in 2014, 2016, and 2017.
Personal Life
Zemgus comes from a family that loves ice hockey. His father, Aldis Girgensons, was also a hockey player. He played as a defenceman and is now a general manager for a hockey team in Japan.
Zemgus and his wife have two children.
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2009–10 | Green Mountain Glades | EmJHL | 19 | 17 | 12 | 29 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Green Mountain Glades | EJHL | 42 | 28 | 29 | 57 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | Dubuque Fighting Saints | USHL | 51 | 21 | 28 | 49 | 46 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 2011–12 | Dubuque Fighting Saints | USHL | 49 | 24 | 31 | 55 | 69 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 61 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 70 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 61 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 71 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 75 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 71 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 72 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 69 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 56 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 80 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 63 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 47 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 770 | 91 | 103 | 194 | 239 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Latvia | WJC18 | 9th | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2011 | Latvia | WJC D1 | 11th | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 8 | |
| 2012 | Latvia | WJC | 9th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | |
| 2013 | Latvia | WC | 11th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Latvia | OG | 8th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Latvia | WC | 11th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 29 | |
| 2016 | Latvia | WC | 13th | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2016 | Latvia | OGQ | DNQ | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2017 | Latvia | WC | 10th | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 17 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 16 | ||||
| Senior totals | 33 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 37 | ||||
Awards and Honours
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| USHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 2011 | |
| Clark Cup champion | 2011 | |
| First All-Star Team | 2012 | |
| NHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 2015 | |
| Latvia | ||
| Rising Star of the Year Award | 2013 | |
