The Washington Capitals announced on Friday that they have signed Eriks Mateiko, their third-round draft pick from 2024, to a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old forward played for the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL and is the first Latvian-born player to be drafted by the Capitals. Mateiko joins Terik Parascak, Leon Muggli, and Ilya Protas as the fourth member of Washington’s 2024 draft class to secure an entry-level contract. His contract includes a salary of $889,167 in the NHL and $85,000 in the AHL.
NEWS | The Capitals have signed forward Eriks Mateiko to a three-year entry-level contract. Mateiko's contract will carry an average annual value of $889,167.#ALLCAPS | @Shift4
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) September 27, 2024
Mateiko has played for the Sea Dogs in the QMJHL for the past two seasons. The six-foot-five-inch, 216-pound winger tallied 43 points (23 goals, 20 assists) in 49 games last year, leading the team in goals and finishing second in overall points. He also served as one of the team’s alternate captains. He participated in both Development Camp and Rookie Camp, making his preseason debut with the Capitals last week. However, Washington returned him to junior after their first round of Training Camp cuts. Mateiko is set to make his season debut with Saint John against the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday night. Originally from Jelgava, Latvia, he also represented his country at the 2024 U20 World Junior Championship, where he scored one goal in five games. He is Latvia’s highest draft pick since 2015, when the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Martins Dzierkals with the 68th overall pick.
The #ALLCAPS signed '24 3rd Round Pick F Eriks Mateiko to 3 year ELC
Year 1 775K NHL, 97.5K Signing Bonus, GP Bonus 102.5K
Year 2 & 3 800/97.5K/77.5Cap Hit 889K, AAV 975K
Rep'd by @HockeyAgent1 @GoldStarHockey https://t.co/3qqpAlI2k4
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) September 27, 2024
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have officially signed forward Eriks Mateiko to a three-year entry-level contract, as announced today by senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick. The contract has an average annual value of $889,167. The Capitals selected Mateiko, 18, with the 90th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He made his NHL preseason debut against the Philadelphia Flyers on September 22. The 6’5″, 207-pound forward recorded 43 points (23 goals, 20 assists) in 49 games with the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL during the 2023-24 season. Serving as an alternate captain, Mateiko led the Sea Dogs in goals, tied for first in power-play goals (6), and finished second in overall points. A native of Jelgava, Latvia, he also represented his country at the 2024 World Junior Championship, scoring one goal in five games. During his rookie season with Saint John in 2022-23, Mateiko tallied 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 62 games, ranking third in goals and fourth in points among first-year players. He captained the Latvian team at the 2023 Under-18 World Championship, contributing two points in five games. NHL Central Scouting ranked Mateiko fifth among North American left wings and 33rd among all North American skaters.
Leave a Reply