Jēkabs Rēdlihs

Jēkabs Rēdlihs (born March 29, 1982 in Riga, Latvian SSR, USSR) is a Latvian ice hockey defenceman currently playing for Dinamo Riga in Kontinental Hockey League.

Playing career
Rēdlihs was selected in the fourth round 119th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Drafted from the New York Applecore of the EJHL, Rēdlihs then enrolled with Boston University of the Hockey East and completed a four-collegiate career with the Terriers earning Hockey East All-Rookie honors in his freshman year.

After his 2005–06 senior season with the Hockey East champions, Rēdlihs made his professional debut when he signed a ATO contract with the Blue Jackets affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL on March 30, 2006.

Un-signed by Columbus, Rēdlihs was invited to the Blue Jackets training camp for the 2006–07 season but was then re-assigned to play with the Syracuse Crunch and second tier affiliate, the Dayton Bombers of the ECHL. He was again invited to the Blue Jackets 2007–08 training camp on September 10, 2007, but was later released to the Crunch on September 20, 2007.

After spending the majority of the season with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, Rēdlihs left North America when he signed with HC Plzeň of the Czech Extraliga on January 9, 2008. Helping to strengthen 1929's defense, he was then re-signed to a one-year contract for the 2008–09 season on March 31, 2008.

On July 17, 2009, Rēdlihs, a free agent, signed a two-year contract with Dinamo Riga of the KHL.

Awards & achievements

 * 2002-03 HE  All-Rookie Team

Personal
Jēkabs Rēdlihs has three brothers. Two of them, Miķelis Rēdlihs and Krišjānis Rēdlihs, are hockey players. All three brothers have appeared together in Latvia national team.