SUNRISE, Fla.– Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito announced today that the club has agreed to terms with defenseman Uvis Balinskis on a two-year contract extension commencing in the 2026-27 season.
“Uvis has proven his ability to be a dependable NHL blueliner on a consistent basis,” said Zito. “He possesses a relentless work ethic and we are excited that he will continue his career with the Panthers.”
Balinskis, 29, has logged eight points (1-7-8) and a plus-one rating over 36 games with the Panthers in 2025-26, averaging 14:38 time on ice per game.
In 2024-25, Balinskis recorded career highs in games played (76), goals (4), assists (14) and points (18) in the regular season. In the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Balinskis skated in five games and scored a goal in Game 1 of the second round at Toronto. He became the third Latvian-born NHLer to have their name engraved on the Stanley Cup, joining Sandis Ozolinsh (1996, Colorado) and Teddy Blueger (2023, Vegas).
The 6-foot, 196-pound native of Ventspils, Latvia has competed in 138 career NHL games, all with Florida, producing 29 points (6-23-29). He previously played for the Liberec White Tigers (2022-23) and HC Litvinov (2020-21 to 2021-22) of the Czech Extraliga, logging 75 points (25-50-75) in 140 appearances.
In the 2022-23 season, Balinskis was named the Extraliga’s Best Defenseman, leading all Extraliga defenseman in goals (11) and points (35). He also skated in parts of five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), collecting 34 points (10-24-34) over 135 contests with Dinamo Riga from 2015-16 to 2019-20.
On the international stage, Balinskis represented Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, notching two assists over 10 tournament games, helping his home country secure its first-ever IIHF medal when Latvia downed the United States 4-3 in overtime of the bronze medal game. He also skated for Latvia at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, notching three assists, and at the IIHF World Championships in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021.
Undrafted, Balinskis was named to the roster for the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 alongside his Panthers teammate, Sandis Vilmanis.
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