Jānis Sprukts

Who is Jānis Sprukts?

Jānis Sprukts is a Latvian professional ice hockey forward. He was drafted by Panthers as their eighth-round pick, #234 overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Sprukts has played two seasons of hockey in North America, then three seasons in Europe with Odense Bulldogs, ASK/Ogre, HK Rīga 2000, HPK. In 2006 he returned to North America, where he signed with the Florida Panthers. He started the 2006/2007 season in Panthers farmclub AHL team Rochester Americans. In October 2006, after 4 games in AHL, he was called up to the Florida Panthers. On 20 October he played his first NHL game against the Philadelphia Flyers, but on 21 December, playing against the New York Rangers, recorded his first point in the NHL. On April 6, 2007, Jānis scored his first career NHL goal against Marc Denis and the Tampa Bay Lightning in a Panthers 7-2 victory. In 2009 he left North America and then played in the KHL for Dinamo Riga and CSKA Moscow.