Nailers agree to terms with Hodass

WHEELING, W.Va. - The Wheeling Nailers, ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, announced the team has signed defenseman Bogdans Hodass to a contract for the 2025-26 season.

Hodass, 22, played his first professional season in 2024-25 as a member of the Iowa Heartlanders registering nine points (3g-6a) in 40 games.

Prior to turning pro, the Jelgava, Latvia native played three seasons of junior hockey with the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers, tallying 87 points (25g-62a) in 178 games. His best offensive season came in 2022-23, when he finished tied for the team lead among defensemen with 11 goals, and tied for second among defensemen with 35 points. The following season, he led the entire Medicine Hat club with a +24 rating.

Although Hodass has spent the majority of the last four seasons in North America, he has enjoyed multiple opportunities representing Latvia during international play. He played in the 2022 and 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, in which he totaled six points (3g-3a) in 11 contests.