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Martins CipulisHockey player, forward
Date of Birth: 29.11.1980
Country:  Latvia |
Content:
- Early Career and Success in Latvia
- International Career
- Overseas Ventures
- KHL and Return to Latvia
- Awards and Accolades
- - Latvian Champion (6): 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2018
Early Career and Success in Latvia
Born and trained in Riga, Latvia, Martiņš Cipulis began his professional hockey career in 1998 with Liepāja's "Metalurgs." In 2000, he secured his first Latvian championship title with just two playoff appearances. Following this victory, Cipulis signed with "Riga 2000," where he would go on to win four more Latvian championships, two silver medals in both the Latvian League and Eastern European League, and the distinction of Best Forward in the 2004 Latvian season. Over six seasons with "Riga," Cipulis amassed 226 points (122 goals, 104 assists) in over 300 games.
International Career
Martiņš Cipulis represented Latvia on the international stage at the 2000 World Junior Championship (Division I). At the senior level, he played in two Olympic Games (2006, 2010) and eight consecutive World Championships from 2005 onwards. In these tournaments, Cipulis contributed with 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) in 59 appearances.
Overseas Ventures
In the 2006/07 season, Cipulis joined Slovakian club "Poprad," where he earned 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists) in 51 games. Subsequently, he signed with Belarusian club "Metallurg Zhlobin" for the 2007/08 campaign. After an impressive season with 47 points (23 goals, 24 assists) in 59 games, Cipulis attracted interest from teams in the newly formed Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Despite rumors linking him to Moscow-based HC МВД, Cipulis returned to his homeland and became a player for Riga's "Dinamo." He spent two years in Riga, appearing in 124 matches and accumulating 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists).
KHL and Return to Latvia
In 2011, Cipulis rejoined "Dinamo," signing a one-year contract. After that, he moved to Khabarovsk's "Amur" before returning to "Dinamo" once again at the start of the 2011/12 season.
Awards and Accolades
Throughout his career, Martiņš Cipulis has won numerous awards and accolades, including:
- Latvian Champion (6): 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2018
- Latvian Silver Medalist (2): 2002, 2003, 2019- Belarusian Bronze Medalist (1): 2006
- VHL Silver Medalist (2): 2001, 2002
- Best Forward in Latvian Championship: 2004
- Continental Cup Finalist: 2006
- Top Scorer in Latvian Championship: 2019 (20 goals)
- Best Player in Latvian Championship (Points): 2019 (46 points)
- Player of the Month in Latvian Championship: January 2019
