Player's Profile
- Name: Kristians Pelss
- Position: RW
- Shoots: Left
- Height: 5-11
- Weight: 179 lbs
- Birthdate: 1992-07-09
- Eligible for Draft: 2010
- Drafted: 2010
- Hometown: Preili, Latvia
- Acquired: 7th round (181st overall), 2010
- Playing In: CHL
Kristians Pelss
Prospect Grade: 5.5 C (About Prospect Grades)
Profile Contributed By: HF Staff
History
2008-09: Pelss played in 31 games for DHK Latgale in his native Latvia as a 16-year old and scored 3 goals with 4 assists.He also played for DHK Latgale's second team and was the team's leading scorer with 9 goals and 11 assists in 22 games. Pelss skated for Latvia in the 2009 Division 1B U18 World Junior Championship and had 1 assist with 6 PMs in four games. Latvia finished 4-1 in the tournament to advance to the main pool in 2010.
2009-10: Pelss skated for Dynamo Riga's U 20 team in the Belarus League and competed for Latvia at the 2010 U18 World Junior Championship. In 46 games for Dynamo he scored 6 goals with 3 assists and 28 PMs. Pelss was selected by Dynamo Riga in the 7th round (175th overall) of the 2010 KHL draft and by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round (19th overall) of the 2010 CHL Import Draft.
2010-11: In his first season in North America Pelss slowly adapted to the higher level of competition in Canadian junior hockey. Playing for the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings, Pelss' offensive numbers were modest - 14 goals with 19 assists in 63 games - but his +11 plus/minus was one of the better marks on an Oil Kings team that made the WHL playoffs despite finishing below .500. In the Oil Kings' four-game playoff series with Red Deer he had 2 assists and was -1 with 6 PMs.
Talent Analysis
Originally thought to be another undersized skill forward, Pelss has shown a solid two-way game in his time in the WHL, though that is offset by less offense than one might have hoped. He is a shifty, smart, skilled forward who isn't afraid to work hard or go to the grittier places on the ice. He is small and slight, which is always a challenge to overcome, and doesn't have a skill level that could be considered high end.
Future
Pelss is a solid contributor and key piece of one of the best teams in the CHL in 2011-12, the Edmonton Oil Kings. That said, he's not quite big enough, not quite skilled enough, and just not quite good enough to been seen as a legitimate NHL prospect. He will probably be able to carve out a career at the AHL or top European league level once his WHL days are done, but he just doesn't have the tools to establish himself in the NHL.
Stats
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Profile Last Updated: January, 25th 2012
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