Teddy Blueger

Teodors Bļugers, commonly known as Teddy Blueger, is a professional ice hockey center from Latvia who has built a reputation as a dependable two-way forward across seven NHL seasons. Drafted 52nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2012, Blueger has played for three NHL organizations and won the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. He currently skates for the Vancouver Canucks and has represented the Latvian national team in multiple international competitions, establishing himself as one of his country more respected NHL players.

Blueger was born on August 15, 1994, in Riga, Latvia, to parents Valentīns Bļugers, an attorney and member of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation, and Jana Bļugere. His mother was a close friend of fellow Latvian NHL goaltender Elvis Merzļikins parents, and the two grew up playing hockey together in Riga. As a youth, Blueger played both ice hockey and soccer until the age of 12 or 13 and grew up supporting FC Barcelona and Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho. He attended the International School of Latvia before moving to the United States to further his hockey career.

Blueger path to elite hockey began when he chose to attend Shattuck-Saint Mary’s in Faribault, Minnesota, after watching a television segment about alumnus Sidney Crosby. His younger brother Roberts later followed him to Shattuck-Saint Mary’s, where he played from 2012 to 2016. While at Shattuck, Blueger helped lead the team to a USA Hockey national under-18 title and the 2011 Bauer National Invitational Tournament championship. His strong play at the prep school level earned him a commitment to play collegiate hockey for Minnesota State University.

At Minnesota State, Blueger spent four seasons in the NCAA from 2012 to 2016 and emerged as one of the top forwards in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. He earned All-Tournament Team honors at the 2014 WCHA Men Ice Hockey Tournament and was named to the All-WCHA First Team for the 2015-16 season. His steady development at the college level attracted NHL scouts and prepared him for the transition to professional hockey.

On March 22, 2016, Blueger signed an entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins and finished the 2015-16 season with Pittsburgh AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In his first full season at the AHL level during 2016-17, Blueger set a new Wilkes-Barre/Scranton franchise record for plus-minus rating by a rookie with a plus-24. He spent the majority of the next few seasons splitting time between the AHL and NHL, developing his two-way game and earning recognition as a reliable depth forward.

Blueger made his NHL debut on January 30, 2019, in Pittsburgh game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Two nights later, he scored his first career NHL goal against the Ottawa Senators in a 5-3 Penguins victory. Over seven seasons with Pittsburgh, Blueger became a fixture on the Penguins bottom six forward lines, known for his defensive reliability, faceoff proficiency, and penalty-killing ability. On July 16, 2019, he re-signed with the Penguins on a two-year, one-way contract with an average annual value of $750,000. On July 14, 2021, he signed a two-year, $4.4 million contract extension that recognized his growing value to the roster.

On March 1, 2023, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded Blueger to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2024 and prospect Peter DiLiberatore. He made an immediate impact with the Golden Knights, recording four points in his first eight games following the trade. While his regular-season production with Vegas was modest, his postseason contribution proved historic. During the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, Blueger scored his first playoff goal in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Stars and finished the postseason with two points over six games as the Golden Knights captured their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Although his name was not initially eligible for engraving on the Stanley Cup, the Golden Knights successfully petitioned the NHL to have his name added to the trophy.

On July 1, 2023, Blueger left Vegas as a free agent and signed a one-year, $1.9 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks for the 2023-24 season. He quickly established himself as a valuable contributor on the Canucks roster, recording his 100th career NHL point on November 24, 2023, in a game against the Seattle Kraken. Recognizing his steady play and chemistry with teammates, the Canucks signed him to a two-year contract extension on June 26, 2024, with an average annual value of $1.8 million. During his time in Vancouver, Blueger has continued to provide responsible two-way play, strong faceoff work, and offensive support from the center position.

Blueger international career began at the junior level, where he represented Latvia at the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championships and four consecutive World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He made his debut with the Latvian senior national team at the 2017 IIHF World Championship and returned to compete at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. His experience at the international level has complemented his NHL career and made him one of the most recognizable Latvian players in professional hockey today.

Blueger met his wife, Monique LaFontaine, while both attended Minnesota State University, and the couple married in 2021. He is a practicing Christian and has been open about his faith journey, explaining that he grew up non-religious in Latvia before discovering Christianity after moving to the United States to pursue hockey. He began attending church services after he started dating LaFontaine and now regularly participates in church services and Bible studies.

Entering the 2024-25 NHL season, Blueger is in the first year of his two-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks and remains a key depth forward on the roster. After helping Vancouver reach the postseason in his first season with the organization and reaching the 100-point milestone, he brings Stanley Cup-winning experience to a young and competitive Canucks lineup. As the team builds around its core of skilled forwards, Blueger two-way reliability and faceoff expertise provide valuable stability down the middle, positioning him to continue contributing at the NHL level throughout the 2025 season.

Blueger career wins include his 2014 WCHA Tournament All-Tournament Team recognition, the 2016 All-WCHA First Team selection, his rookie AHL plus-minus franchise record with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and the 2023 Stanley Cup championship with the Vegas Golden Knights. His 100th career NHL point in November 2023 with the Canucks marks another significant personal milestone. Across his NHL career, Blueger has recorded over 100 regular-season points while playing primarily a defensive and penalty-killing role, an unusually high offensive output for a forward in his usage category. His international play for Latvia has produced solid showings at both junior and senior world championship levels, where he has been a consistent contributor on both special teams.