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Thursday, August 27th

Latvia U20 World Junior Captain Oskars Briedis Signs with Greensboro for 2026-27

Latvia U20 World Junior Captain Oskars Briedis Signs with Greensboro for 2026-27

GREENSBORO, NC – The Greensboro Gargoyles, proud ECHL affiliate of the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes and the AHL's Chicago Wolves, announced today that the team has signed Latvian defenseman Oskars Briedis to a contract for the 2026-27 season.

Briedis, 20, will make his North American debut this season after spending the past four seasons playing in Latvia and Sweden. The 6-foot-3, 187-pound rookie broke into the U17 ranks with his hometown Ogre U17 team during the 2020-21 season before joining HS Riga. He spent the 2025-26 season in Sweden with Luleå HF U20.

Briedis brings extensive international experience, having represented Latvia in six international tournaments, including three World Junior Championships. He made his international debut with Latvia at the U17 International Junior level during the 2022-23 season. The Ogre native competed at both the U18 International Junior and U18 World Junior tournaments in 2023-24 before making his U20 World Junior debut in 2024-25. Last season, Briedis competed in the U20 International Junior Tournament and served as captain of Latvia's U20 World Junior team.

"Oskars brings a lot of experience, not only at the professional level but also internationally," said Head Coach Mitch Giguere. "Winning a silver medal at the European Youth Olympic Winter Festival, and serving as captain of his national team at the World Juniors speaks a lot about the type of player and person he is. He’s a versatile defenseman who can play both sides, is strong on retrievals, skates well, and makes a good first pass. With his size and skill set, we’re excited to see how his game translates to North America. We believe Oskars will be a great addition to the Gargoyles and our blue-line."

The defenseman has recorded 42 points (12G, 30A) in 80 career games in the Latvia League while adding 20 points (4G, 16A) in 40 Latvia2 games. Last season, he appeared in 30 games for  Luleå HF, totaling 11 points (3G, 8A). Briedis has also competed in 25 international games for Latvia.

Briedis joins defensemen Artyom Borshyov, Braden Doyle, Austen May, and Cullen Ferguson, along with forwards Demetrios Koumontzis, Shane Ott, Thomas Freel, and Tyler Cristall, on the Gargoyles' 2026-27 roster.

Season tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now. Opening Weekend is set for Friday and Saturday, October 16-17, when the Gargoyles host the Reading Royals. For more information about season tickets or group outings, call (336) 365-0295 or email info@gargoyleshockey.com.