UConn commits '06 defenseman Darels Uljanskis

UConn men’s hockey has a burgeoning European pipeline. After the Huskies landed ‘06 forward Elias Straume Vatne out of Norway last week, they picked up a commitment from ‘06 defenseman Darels Uljanskis, the UConn Hockey Hub learned.

A native of Riga, Latvia, he’s listed at 6-2, 194 pounds with a left-handed shot. He was taken in the seventh round (214th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Anaheim Ducks and will arrive in Storrs ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Uljanskis has spent the last few years in the AIK youth system out of Sweden. This past season, he put up nine goals and 30 assists in 44 games with the J20 team and made one appearance at the senior level. Uljanskis also played in the last two World Juniors with Latvia, recording an assist in five games both times.

Regarded as a two-way defenseman, Uljanskis doesn’t have a standout trait but features a balanced skillset.

"There's just one hole in his game, he needs to get a little more mobile off of his pivots to defend better against speed," Ducks Assistant GM and Director of Amateur Scouting Martin Madden said after the draft. "He's got size, he's got strength, he's got really good hockey sense, really good hands, can really shoot the puck, so we'll help him get better."

This upcoming season, Uljanskis will play in a North American juniors league before joining the Huskies in 2026. He’ll be the first UConn player to hail from Latvia.