The Florida Panthers have secured defenseman Uvis Balinskis with a two-year contract extension starting in the 2026-27 season. General Manager Bill Zito praised Balinskis for his reliability and work ethic. This deal keeps the Latvian defender, a Stanley Cup winner, in Sunrise for years to come.
In an announcement from Sunrise, Florida, Panthers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Zito revealed the two-year contract extension for defenseman Uvis Balinskis, effective from the 2026-27 season. Zito highlighted Balinskis' contributions, stating, “Uvis has proven his ability to be a dependable NHL blueliner on a consistent basis. He possesses a relentless work ethic and we are excited that he will continue his career with the Panthers.” At 29 years old, the 6-foot, 196-pound native of Ventspils, Latvia, has been a steady presence on the Panthers' blue line since joining the NHL undrafted. In the current 2025-26 season, Balinskis has recorded eight points (1 goal, 7 assists) with a plus-one rating in 36 games, averaging 14:38 of ice time per contest. His previous year, 2024-25, marked career highs with 76 games played, 4 goals, 14 assists, and 18 points during the regular season. Balinskis also contributed in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, appearing in five games and scoring a goal in Game 1 of the second round against Toronto. Notably, he became the third Latvian-born player to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, following Sandis Ozolinsh (1996 with Colorado) and Teddy Blueger (2023 with Vegas). Over 138 career NHL games, all with Florida, Balinskis has tallied 29 points (6-23-29). Before arriving in the NHL, he excelled in Europe, earning the Czech Extraliga's Best Defenseman award in 2022-23 with Liberec White Tigers, where he led defensemen in goals (11) and points (35). He previously played for HC Litvinov in the Extraliga and Dinamo Riga in the KHL. Internationally, Balinskis has represented Latvia at multiple IIHF World Championships (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023), the 2022 Beijing Olympics (3 assists), and helped secure Latvia's first IIHF medal with a bronze in 2023 after a 4-3 overtime win over the United States. He is slated for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics alongside Panthers teammate Sandis Vilmanis.
