The Washington Capitals have signed prospect Eriks Mateiko to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Mateiko was selected No. 90 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft by Washington.
Mateiko spent the 2023-24 campaign with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) where he tallied 23 goals and 20 assists for 43 points in 49 games. The year prior, during his QMJHL rookie season, Mateiko tallied 16 goals and 36 points in 62 games, he added one goal in five QMJHL Playoff contests.
The 6-foot-5 forward has represented his native country of Latvia on multiple occasions including the 2022 and 2023 IIHF World Under-18 Men’s Championship, where he was captain during the 2023 installment of the tournament. Last year, he represented Latvia at the IIHF World Juniors, registering one goal in five games.
Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis ranked Mateiko No. 75 in his final 2024 NHL Draft Rankings. “I really like Mateiko, who I feel is a bit underrated,” said Ellis. “The Latvian forward is strong, competes hard and plays exceptionally well in the defensive zone. I don’t expect him to put up a ton of points at the pro level but I think he finds enough ways to be valuable in different areas of the game, including the penalty kill, to make himself valuable. He’s getting more comfortable using his size to his advantage, including in front of the net and along the boards. There’s enough potential here to get excited about Mateiko.”
The Jelgava, Latvia native is expected to play for the Sea Dogs during the 2024-25 QMJHL season.
