# Aleksandrs Kerčs

Aleksandrs Kerčs (sometimes anglicised as Alexander Kerch, Russian: Александр Ярославович Керч, Aleksandr Jaroslavovich Kerch; born March 16, 1967) is a retired Soviet and Latvian professional ice hockey left winger who played five games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers. He also appeared in several World Championships and the 2002 Winter Olympics for the Latvian national team. Previously, he represented the Soviet Union at the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

## Career

Kerčs enjoyed a lengthy career in European professional leagues, interrupted by a brief stint in North America for the 1993–94 season.
The Edmonton Oilers acquired the third-round draft pick of the New York Rangers (60th overall) along with Roman Oksiuta in a trade that saw Kevin Lowe join the Rangers. The Oilers used the pick on Kerčs, a 26-year-old of the Russian Elite League. Kerčs came to North America for the following season, where he spent the majority of the year with the Cape Breton Oilers of the AHL. He scored at a better-than-point-per-game clip in the minors and went pointless in five games with the Oilers. In the following year, Kerčs played one game with the Providence Bruins, before returning to Russia.

## International

Kerčs played internationally for Latvia between 1993-2005 and was part of the team that won the World Championships B-pool in 1996.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1984–85 | Dinamo Rīga | USSR | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984–85 | Latvijas Berzs | USSR-3 | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | Dinamo Rīga | USSR | 23 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986–87 | Dinamo Rīga | USSR | 26 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987–88 | Dinamo Rīga | USSR | 50 | 14 | 4 | 18 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89 | Dinamo Rīga | USSR | 39 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | Dinamo Rīga | USSR | 46 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990–91 | Dinamo Rīga | USSR | 46 | 16 | 17 | 33 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Stars Rīga | CIS | 27 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992–93 | Pārdaugava Rīga | IHL | 42 | 23 | 14 | 37 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 1992–93 | Pārdaugava–2 Rīga | LAT | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | Cape Breton Oilers | AHL | 57 | 24 | 38 | 62 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | Pārdaugava Rīga | IHL | 11 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | EHC Biel | NDA | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1995–96 | Allianse Rīga | LAT | 29 | 28 | 21 | 49 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | EV Landsberg | GER-2 | 47 | 39 | 52 | 91 | 52 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 1997–98 | Tappara | SM-l | 46 | 14 | 17 | 31 | 57 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1998–99 | Revierlöwen Oberhausen | DEL | 38 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–2000 | Revierlöwen Oberhausen | DEL | 55 | 14 | 27 | 41 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2000–01 | Revierlöwen Oberhausen | DEL | 57 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 48 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | Berlin Capitals | DEL | 56 | 15 | 19 | 34 | 52 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 2002–03 | HK Rīga 2000 | EEHL | 8 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | SKA Saint Petersburg | RSL | 17 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | HK Rīga 2000 | EEHL | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Vilki OP | LAT | 10 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Molot-Prikamye Perm | RUS-2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Nyköpings Hockey | SWE-2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004–05 | HK Gomel | BEL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004–05 | Vilki OP | LAT | 9 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004–05 | Fischtown Pinguins | GER-2 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | Khimik Voskresensk | RUS-2 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005–06 | Vilki OP | LAT | — | 10 | 7 | 17 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2006–07 | ASK/Ogre | LAT | 40 | 23 | 34 | 57 | 64 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 18 |
| 2007–08 | ASK/Ogre | LAT | 41 | 26 | 47 | 73 | 68 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| 2008–09 | ASK/Ogre | BEL | 38 | 10 | 32 | 42 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2008–09 | ASK/Ogre | LAT | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 10 |
| 2010–11 | DHK Latgale | LAT | 34 | 16 | 37 | 53 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 |
| 2011–12 | HK SMScredit | LAT | 14 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| 2012–13 | HK Ozolnieki/Monarhs | LAT | 12 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| USSR/CIS totals | USSR/CIS totals | USSR/CIS totals | 265 | 62 | 54 | 116 | 189 | — | — | — | — | — |
| LAT totals | LAT totals | LAT totals | 196 | 124 | 178 | 302 | 259 | 39 | 23 | 30 | 53 | 58 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
* LAT totals do not include stats from the 2005–06 season.

### International

| Year | Team | Event | | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1987 | Soviet Union | WJC | | 6 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 20 |
| 1993 | Latvia | WC C | | 7 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 4 |
| 1994 | Latvia | OGQ | | 4 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
| 1996 | Latvia | WC B | | 7 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 20 |
| 1996 | Latvia | OGQ | | 4 | 1 | 8 | 9 | |
| 1997 | Latvia | WC | | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 |
| 1998 | Latvia | WC | | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 1999 | Latvia | WC | | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 |
| 1999 | Latvia | WC Q | | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2000 | Latvia | WC | | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2001 | Latvia | OGQ | | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 2001 | Latvia | WC | | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 2002 | Latvia | OG | | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 2002 | Latvia | WC | | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2003 | Latvia | WC | | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2004 | Latvia | WC | | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
| Junior totals | Junior totals | Junior totals | Junior totals | 6 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 20 |
| Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | 84 | 35 | 46 | 81 | 74 |