Klavs Veinbergs has been a monster on the faceoff dot for Colorado College this season. 

The junior center from Jelgava, Latvia, has 277 faceoff wins in 22 games for CC, which ranks third in the NCAA. 

“I think learning through all those three years helps me pick up information and experience, and kind of learned from the best. I try to always look at the guys who have the highest percentage and pick up the things they’re good at and adapt it to my game,” Veinbergs said. “I think what’s working this season is I’m taking a lot of draws and coaches trust me with a lot of them. I just have more opportunities to win the faceoffs. And obviously, it’s the linemates, I get to talk to them before the faceoff like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna do this and that, be here, be there.’”

Veinbergs, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the seventh round of the 2022 NHL draft, has been a top-six forward for the Tigers all season. He is fourth on the team in scoring with 11 points on six goals and five assists.

But Veinbergs has run into some hard times. 

He earned a majority of his points at the beginning of the season and has only had two assists since CC’s 5-4 home loss to Omaha on Nov. 1. The Tigers have played 14 games since, and currently Veinbergs hasn’t scored a goal or recorded an assist in his last seven. 

It’s an interesting statistic given the rate at which the center is winning possessions for the Tigers.

Veinbergs acknowledged the numbers are important, but they’re not the only things he’s focused on. 

“I just try to isolate those thoughts and set the goal for the game and go focus on the things that make me a better player,” he said. “It’s not the only thing that matters in hockey. It is important, obviously, because everyone sees that, but I’m feeling good where I’m at right now.” 

Tigers coach Kris Mayotte said the team needed to do more with the faceoff wins Veinbergs is earning, but he also commended the center for his consistent play both on and off the dot. 

“He’s winning so many faceoffs and he takes so many big ones for us. He’s done a really good job on not letting maybe a lack of points affect the rest of his game,” Mayotte said. “He has grown in that way from a maturity standpoint that he understands the value he brings. He understands that he can be a great F1 on the forecheck and create a turnover, he can win faceoffs and he takes a lot of pride in it. He can go out and be the first guy on the penalty kill, etc. etc.” 

Between Mayotte and Veinbergs, there’s a belief that if he keeps doing the right things, the points will take care of themselves. 

The Tigers play at Omaha this weekend and Veinbergs said he is focused on the collective success of the team and of his line, which, in the team’s most recent exhibition against Simon Fraser, included junior right wing Bret Link and freshman left wing Wilson Björck.

“We’re just setting goals as a line. In the past, we’ve done individually setting goals and obviously that’s important. But right now the team as a whole is focused on the lines and talking to your linemates,” Veinbergs said. “Me and Bret talked about how we gotta move the puck, give-and-go, not hold on to the puck too long. It feels good to also have someone next you that is also as hardworking and dedicated and not as focused on the points.”