The El Paso Rhinos have announced the signing of 6’1”, 190 lb. forward Kristians Zelts from Riga, Latvia. Zelts is a highly skilled, speedy forward who spent last season in Latvia and Norway with eight points in 16 games. A prolific scorer, Zelts has amassed 130 goals in 104 games since beginning his youth hockey career in 2009.
Zelts comes to El Paso with the stated goal of wanting to improve his skills on the ice in order to not only improve as an individual but also to “bring the title back to El Paso.” Zelts is a left-handed shooter with a very large social media presence and an even larger personality. There is no doubt that he will quickly become a fan favorite for his goal scoring prowess and charm.
The excitement within the Rhinos fan-base to have another great young talent in the mix is definitely reciprocated according to Kristians Zelts.
“I have heard that El Paso has the best fans in the WSHL,” said Zelts. “So, I am definitely looking forward to seeing all of the fans.”
Zelts is grateful for the opportunity to join the El Paso Rhinos and looks forward to arriving in America very soon.
“I want to say thanks to Pierre (Rhinos Director of Recruiting, Pierre-Luc Racette) and Cory (Head Coach Cory Herman) for bringing me in and I want to say thanks to my parents for supporting me through this.”
While playing last season in Latvia and Norway, Zelts was attending school. When his time with the El Paso Rhinos is through, he hopes to leave El Paso with a Thorne Cup – and a chance to continue his education while playing hockey at an NCAA school.
–Jason Green
