| Rodrigo Ābols | |
| Birth Date: | 1996 1, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Riga, Latvia |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 4 |
| Weight Lbs: | 187 |
| Position: | Forward |
| Shoots: | Left |
| League: | NHL |
| Team: | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Former Teams: | Dinamo Riga Örebro HK Rögle BK |
| Ntl Team: | LVA |
| Draft: | 184th overall |
| Draft Year: | 2016 |
| Draft Team: | Vancouver Canucks |
| Career Start: | 2014 |
Rodrigo Ābols (born 5 January 1996) is a Latvian professional ice hockey forward for Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ābols was selected in the seventh round, 184th overall, by the Vancouver Canucks during the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
During the 2014–15 season, Ābols skated for both Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and HK Rīga of the Minor Hockey League (MHL). He made his KHL debut on 27 December 2014 with Riga, whom his father, Artis Ābols, coached.[1]
Ābols joined the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the 2015–16 season. In 62 games, Ābols registered 20 goals and 49 points. During the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Ābols was selected in the seventh round, 184th overall, by the Vancouver Canucks. Ābols split the 2016–17 season between the Winterhawks and the Acadie–Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Ābols skated for Örebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) during the 2017–18 season. While on loan, he also played for BIK Karlskoga of HockeyAllsvenskan. With his rights expired from the Canucks, he continued his tenure with Örebro HK in the 2018–19 season, increasing his production with 18 goals and 26 points in 45 games.
On 28 May 2019, the Florida Panthers signed Ābols to a two-year, entry-level contract.[2]
Approaching his second season under contract with the Panthers, on 3 August 2020, Ābols returned to Sweden to begin the 2020–21 season on loan with his former club, Örebro HK. He returned to the SHL with the North American season delayed until mid-November due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] On 13 January 2021, Ābols was released by the Florida Panthers.[4]
Ābols is the son of Artis Ābols, who also played ice hockey and has been the head coach of Dinamo Riga and Lada Togliatti of the Kontinental Hockey League, and Zemgale of the Latvian Hockey Higher League, as well as assistant coach of the Latvia men's national ice hockey team.
Ābols participated at the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships as a member of the Latvian national junior team. He made his senior international debut in Prague at the 2015 IIHF World Championships.
He represented Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship where he recorded five goals and two assists and won a bronze medal, Latvia's first ever IIHF World Championship medal.[5]
| Team | League | GP | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | SK Rīga 16 | LAT U18 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 38 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | SK Rīga 17 | LHHL | 14 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | HK Rīga | MHL | 44 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 34 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | ||
| 2013–14 | HK Rīga | LHHL | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | HK Rīga | MHL | 35 | 20 | 18 | 38 | 61 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 | Dinamo Rīga | KHL | 14 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Portland Winterhawks | WHL | 62 | 20 | 29 | 49 | 42 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2016–17 | Portland Winterhawks | WHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Acadie–Bathurst Titan | QMJHL | 52 | 18 | 32 | 50 | 43 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 12 | ||
| 2017–18 | Örebro HK | SHL | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | BIK Karlskoga | Allsv | 18 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Örebro HK | SHL | 45 | 18 | 8 | 26 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Springfield Thunderbirds | AHL | 36 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Greenville Swamp Rabbits | ECHL | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Örebro HK | SHL | 47 | 20 | 15 | 35 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | Örebro HK | SHL | 47 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Örebro HK | SHL | 51 | 19 | 22 | 41 | 12 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | Rögle BK | SHL | 50 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 10 | 15 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 2 | ||
| KHL totals | 14 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| SHL totals | 266 | 85 | 78 | 163 | 70 | 47 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 6 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Latvia | EYOF | 5th | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2013 | HK Rīga | JCWC | 5th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 | |
| 2013 | HK Rīga | CC | DNQ | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Latvia | WJC D1A | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2014 | Latvia | U18 D1A | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2014 | HK Riga | JCWC | 5th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2015 | Latvia | WJC D1A | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2015 | Latvia | WC | 13th | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | Latvia | WJC D1A | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Latvia | WC | 13th | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2016 | Latvia | OGQ | DNQ | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2018 | Latvia | WC | 8th | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2019 | Latvia | WC | 10th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021 | Latvia | WC | 11th | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Latvia | OGQ | Q | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Latvia | OG | 11th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2022 | Latvia | WC | 10th | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2022 | Örebro HK | SC | 3rd | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2023 | Latvia | WC | 10 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 2024 | Latvia | WC | 9th | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | |
| Junior totals | 35 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 39 | ||||
| Senior totals | 69 | 17 | 18 | 35 | 24 | ||||
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Juniors | ||
| MHL All-Star game | 2015 | |
| SHL | ||
| SHL Best Plus/Minus | 2022 | |
| International | ||
| World Juniors D1A silver medal | 2014 | |
| U18 D1A champion | 2014 | |
| World Juniors D1A bronze medal | 2015 | |
| World Juniors D1A champion | 2016 | |
| World Championship bronze medal | 2023 | |
| Team Latvia Top 3 Player | 2023, 2024 | |