BLOG: Tralmaks owing it to himself to take another crack at making the NHL

EDMONTON, AB – Eduards Tralmaks isn’t ready to give up on his dream.

At the age of 29, the Latvian forward is closer than he’s ever been to reaching the NHL, and there may not be a better opportunity for him to make it a reality than the one that's in front of him with the Edmonton Oilers.

“Another year, another try,” Tralmaks said on Tuesday ahead of his Oilers pre-season debut. “I've been working towards this my whole life. I haven’t had a chance to play yet, but I think this is the spot for me to just improve as a player, keep going, and potentially get an opportunity.

"A lot of guys here are competing for the spot, but I just need to show my game as best I can.”

Tralmaks is hoping to finally crack the NHL after being a late arrival in professional hockey, having spent four seasons with the NCAA’s University of Maine from 2018-21 before signing with the Boston Bruins’ organization out of college, only to return overseas to Czechia and build his game back up for another run at making it happen.

Following two strong years with Jaromir Jagr’s Kladno Knights in the Czech Extraliga, leading the league in points in 2024-25 with 51 points (23 goals) in 48 games, Tralmaks returned to North America with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, finishing ninth in goals with 26 goals in 64 games while starring for Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“I've played a lot of different levels and stuff like that, and it's obviously very close to where I want to be playing here,” Tralmaks said. “I've proven myself in the Latvian national team, and hopefully I can prove myself in the NHL.”

Tralmaks sees himself as "a power forward who can pick up the trash" with a strong shot that can be a weapon on the power play for any team. Signing with the Oilers this past offseason, Tralmaks has more confidence than ever that his game is in the right spot to crack the NHL, believing he owes it to himself to give everything he’s got to make a childhood dream come true.

“I guess I haven't given up on my dream yet,” he said. “I’m 29 already. It's been a hard way up here, but I still believe in myself. I still believe I can make it. Ever since I was a kid, I've had one wish: to play in the NHL. So just one more try. Hopefully not the last one, and hopefully it works out this time.”

Coming from the small hockey nation of Latvia, Tralmaks hopes to make a name for himself like one of his favourite all-time players, the late great Sergei Zholtok, who played half a season with the Edmonton Oilers and had four goals and 16 assists in 3 7 games during the 2000-01 campaign.

Tralmaks wears No. 34 – a homage to the former Oilers forward.

"I picked the number because of him, and I was 33 when I was growing up because of that," he said. "I played with Zemgus Girgensons and Teddy Blueger in the Olympics. Those are the top names that I grew up watching, and I still watch them until this day"