📸: Hershey Bears
Washington Capitals prospect Eriks Mateiko scored his first AHL goal as a member of the Hershey Bears on Wednesday night.
The 6-foot-6 Latvian centerman was the beneficiary of a great netdrive to the slot by Justin Nachbaur, who then slid the puck over to Mateiko for a one-timer from the right circle.
The goal narrowed the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ lead to 5-3 with 2:08 remaining in the game. The Bears would go on to lose 6-3.
The tally marked Mateiko’s second point of his professional career after he recorded an assist on a Spencer Smallman goal during a 5-4 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on October 24.
The rookie, who turned 20 on November 18, is currently playing his first season for the Bears after spending the 2024-25 campaign in junior as a member of the QMJHL with the St John Seadogs and Rimouski Océanic. Mateiko recorded 41 points (26g, 15a) in 47 games.
His most significant moments of the season came in the 2025 World Junior Championship where he led Latvia to a huge upset victory over Canada, scoring the team’s first goal of the game and the game-winning shootout goal.
He also scored twice, including the overtime game-winner, in a 4-3 win over Germany and briefly led the entire tournament in goals after scoring twice against Sweden.
Mateiko, a Capitals’ third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, has spent most of the season centering the Bears’ fourth line, but has also seen time at wing. He lives with Bogdan Trineyev and Ilya Protas.