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The day when 10th annual Latvian railway cup went underway, KHL's only Latvian team - Dinamo Riga announced that they have signed Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Martins Dzierkals to a one-year deal. The deal is suitable for both sides - Dzierkals gets a great place to spend his next season so he can return to North America as an unrestricted free agent while the team acquired a player with unique offensive skills to boost their offense.

To begin the tournament Latvian team won the first game on their home turf - 2:1 over Dinamo Minsk. Both goals were scored by their import players - Linus Videl and Mathew Maione. It's notable that Latvian guys had their fair chances to score and Martins Dzierkals was very noticeable and wasn't shy to speak to the media after the game.

''It was very interesting to play because I hadn't had a chance to have a serious game in like four months. Of course, I had to adjust to the rink size - I could feel that I wasn't in the right positions at times but I'm sure that I will adjust. In North America, dump and chase hockey is more common and you have to be quick when making decisions while in here (in Europe) you have time to think and I like it. After the first period, I was more tired than after the first period When you haven't played it's hard to adjust. The team had played before. Of course, at, the beginning you want to do too much but pobably the time will fix it.''

Dzierkals went to North America in 2015 when he was drafted by the Leafs organization meaning that he had very few chances to play at home and the last time he had played here was during the 2018 Olympic Qualification tournament when Team Latvia lost the deciding game 2:3 against Germany.

''Yeah, it was an unlucky game but I still learned from it. You can say that it was unlucky but as a hockey player I learned a lot.''

Dzierkals played with the team after three days of practicing.

''I was in Toronto and we spoke about the contract for the next season. What they offered me wasn't good enough. I had talked to Girts Ankipans (GM of Dinamo Riga) and he expressed interest to see me in a Dinamo jersey, he said that I would help the team. I spoke to Ankipans, then had a discussion with my agent and we decided to spend the year in Riga''

The previous season was his first a professional spending 4 games in the AHL and spending most of his time in the ECHL playing for the Orlando Solar Bears. If his time playing hockey there wasn't the greatest - he admitted that spending time in Disneyland was fun - one of his favorite rides was ''Pirates of the Caribbean''.

''During the negotiations for my next contract, there weren't any guarantees that the same thing wouldn't happen to me again. The team front office said the same - that I would play in the AHL. I spent some time there but they sent me down. I wasn't happy with their rules. Eventually, I got tired of waiting, I texted Kyle (Dubas) myself so I could figure things out.''

Dzierkals was drafted out of Europe means that the Leafs would hold his rights for four years. Next season will be the last when they will hold his rights and then Dzierkals will become an unrestricted free agent when he will be able to talk to any other team in the NHL which wasn't allowed right now.

''I don't know if I can tell you this but I had made a trade request because I wasn't happy with my contract. They (Leafs) had told me that they liked me and that they don't want to move me''

''My NHL dream isn't gone. I think that spending a season in the KHL will be a good thing for me. Just get out there and show what you can do. Dinamo always had an interest in me. (Team wanted to sign him last summer). There has always been interest. Dinamo GM told me that if something goes wrong to always call him. We spoke a year ago and I know him since he was my u20 coach. We know each other for a while. In Latvia everyone knows each other, it's not hard to call each other on WhatsApp.''

''I think that I'll gain some experience in the KHL, it's a great league and I will be playing at home. What can be better than this? After my first game, it looks like everything will be okay.''

The player admitted that he had worked hard during the summer and his physical condition is at 100%.

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