Peteris Skudra is a famous Latvian hockey player, goalkeeper, who played in several elite clubs of the NHL. At the end of his career as a player, Peteris did not retire from the sport, but continued his sporting activities as a coach.
Content of article
- Early career of Peteris Skudra
- Career of Peteris Skudra in North America
- Return of Peteris Skudra in Russia
- Peteris Skudra's national team career
- Coaching career of Peteris Skudra
Peteris Skudra is a famous Latvian hockey player who started his playing career back in the Soviet Union. The future goalkeeper was born on April 24, 1973 in Riga. In the seventies of the twentieth century in the USSR among winter sports of particular interest was hockey. This contributed to numerous successes national team on the world arena, and also famous super Series the USSR – Canada (1972 and 1974 s), during which domestic fans first time saw professionals from better League world NHL. Young Peteris was brought up in this era, the boy from an early age imbued with love for hockey. Peteris ' sporting biography began in his native Riga. In this city the athlete received the first education and skills of game with a washer.
Early career of Peteris Skudra
The first professional hockey club at senior level for Peteris Skudra was "RVSM-Energo". The team played in the second League of the Union championship. In the 1990-1991 season, the goalkeeper played only one match for the team, and the next year he played 33 full games.
From 1992 to 1994 Skudra defended the gates of the Latvian club " Pardaugava "(since 1995, this team was renamed"Dynamo"). The Riga team played in the International hockey League.
Already in the first years of his professional career, Peteris Skudra began to show his playing talent. By 1994, the athlete became one of the best goalkeepers in Latvia, his reliability helped the team "Hockey centers" to win the title of champion of Latvia at the end of the season 1993-1994. For Peteris, this trophy was the first and only one as a player. It draws attention to the statistics of performances of goalkeeper. Peteris finished the 1993-1994 season with the best reliability coefficient.
Career of Peteris Skudra in North America
In 1994, the Latvian goalkeeper decided to go to North America in order to break into the NHL. The athlete began his performances overseas in the lower leagues. He first played for the team from Memphis, then moved to Greensboro, was the goalkeeper of the Erie Panthers, Johnstown Chiefs and Hamilton Bulldogs. All these teams though played in professional American leagues, but their level was not comparable to the clubs of the NHL.
In 1997, the talent of Peteris Skudra, his reliability at the last turn of defense, game creativity and thinking contributed to the transition to the famous club from Pittsburgh. In his debut season in the NHL with the penguins, Skudra played 17 games in the regular season, in which he missed 26 goals. In the 1998-1999 season, the confidence of the coaching staff of "penguins" to the Latvian goalkeeper increased. Peteris spent half of the regular season in goal for Pittsburgh. Played 37 games with a reliability rate of 2.89. In his third season in the NHL, Skudra was able to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time. However, the goalkeeper managed to play only one match in the decisive stage of the tournament. The goalkeeper played 20 minutes and missed one goal.
Since 2000, Peteris Skudra moved to the Boston Bruins, but in this team, the Latvian hockey player failed to gain a foothold. The goalkeeper played few games in the NHL Championship, after which he was sent to a farm club based in Providence.
The next three seasons Peteris played in two more NHL teams. He first defended the blades ' goal from Buffalo, and then moved to the Vancouver Canucks. He spent the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 seasons at the canadian club.
In total, during his playing career in the National Hockey League, Peters Skudra participated in 147 games, in which he conceded 326 goals.
The return of Peteris Skudra in Russia
From the 2003-2004 season Peteris Skudra became a player of "AK Bars" Kazan. He played only nine matches in the super League for Kazan.
From 2004 to 2006 he defended the gates of Voskresensky "Chemist". In this club, the confidence of the coaching staff was more significant. Peteris spent most of the regular season in goal. In his first season he played six games at "zero", in 2006 he was able to leave his goal intact in three matches.
The last years of his playing career Latvian goalkeeper played in the CSKA Moscow and Novokuznetsk "metallurg". In 2007 he finished his playing career.
Peteris Skudra's career in the national team
Since 1991, Peteris Skudra was involved in the Junior team. He played at the European Junior Championships, where he won silver medals. In 1993 and 1994 he took part in the world Championships, though not in the elite division. With the national team of Latvia goalkeeper first played in League C, then in League B. in 1997, Peteris with the national team of Latvia took part in the main international tournament for teams under the auspices of the IIHF. Latvians were able to break into the elite division of the world championship. At the end of the tournament, Skudra's team finished seventh.
Coaching career of Peteris Skudra
Coaching biography Skudra started with Cherepovets. In the 2011-2012 season, he became the goalkeeping coach of local Severstal. The following year, the specialist moved to Novosibirsk "Siberia".
Skudra made a name for himself as a coach, heading torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. It was in this team that his career began as the chief specialist of the KHL team. From the 2013-2014 season Peteris served as head coach of Nizhny Novgorod. In his debut season for the Latvian specialist 54 matches won in 26.
Prior to the 2017-2018 season, Peteris Skudra was in charge of torpedo. The team did not achieve significant success, but steadily made its way to the first round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs.
Since 2019, Peteris Skudra joined the coaching staff of Chelyabinsk "Tractor".
Peteris Skudra is a family man. He is married to the charming Julia. In may 2014, the couple had their first child.