Backups: Kristers Gudlevskis, Ervins Mustukovs. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The team represents Latvia at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF World U20 Championship. Berzins, who is committed to the University of Maine in 2023-24, boasts an impressive .921 save percentage (SV%) and 3.65 goals-against average (GAA) through 13 appearances for the Danbury Junior Hat Tricks. The Kuwait women's national ice hockey team (Arabic: ) is the ice hockey team representing Kuwait internationally in women's competition. The Jelgava-born defenceman is in his second season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, for whom he has contributed 39 points (11 goals, 28 assists) in 84 appearances in the Western Hockey League. Men's National Team. IIHF - Latvia - IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation . Theres always been Latvians in recent years even in tier II NA junior leagues but I wonder if the disbanding of HK Riga in the MHL (and Dinamo having to shift back to domestic play) has contributed to an even higher rate of Latvian juniors looking to come to North America? Despite the NHL opting against sending its players to Beijing back in December, a number of nations have still managed to fill their rosters with a sizeable big-league contingent. Roberts Bukarts, Deniss Smirnovs. The former Bruins draft pick adds a little size to the lineup. But you can also get the sense here that its not always super clean in the offensive zone. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. OVERTIME Let's take a look at @lhf_lv's tying goal by Niks Fenenko from the 2nd period. Women's World. However, Team Latvia is determined to break the cycle at the 2023 World Junior Championship and arrive in Canada with an ambitious squad, filled with players based in development leagues dotted across Europe and North America. [3] He has also shown an ability to pinch and apply pressure over all 200 feet of the ice, and his tight gaps and mobility make it very hard for the opposition to create offence or keep possession in the offensive zone. Gudlevskis played a total of three NHL games for the Tampa Bay Lightning before continuing his career overseas. "We've got a great group of players who we know will represent our country extremely well . Here is Latvias 25-player squad for the tournament, with an analysis of the key players at the disposal of head coach Artis Abols. Even if Gudlevskis never suits up for his country again, his legacy from that one game alone will endure forever. Not a subscriber? As the opening ceremony inches closer and closer, nations continue to unveil the rosters that they will take to Beijing next month to compete for Olympic gold. 2023 The Hockey News, Roustan Media Ltd, Get the latest news right to your inbox > Sign up here. Cloud State Mens Hockey Announces Additions of Portz and Falk, Hobey Baker Candidate Dylan Anhorn Returns for 2023-24, Pair of Huskies Elect to Return for Fifth Season. Cipulis is an experienced veteran who has been a consistent scorer in Latvia's pro league over the years. The IIHF said no team will be relegated from this 2022 WJC to be held in Edmonton from Aug. 9-20. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. At the 2018 World Championship the team finished 8th. In 2013, they were relegated to Division IB, but at the following tournament in 2014, they gained promotion on the home ice in Ventspils, Latvia to Division IA. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Age at time of tournament, 6 April 2019. Sadly the group played out in a way that after two games chances at QF are already rather minimal. More importantly, he will be looked to for solid defensive play. Last season, he played well in the KHL, finishing with a 17-11-3 record and a 2.94 goals-against average. Men's national ice hockey team representing Latvia Latvia Association Latvian Ice Hockey Federation General manager Rdolfs Kalvtis Head coach Harijs Vtoli Assistants Artis bols Viktors Ignatjevs Juris Klodns Raimonds Vilkoits Captain Rodrigo bols Most games Rodrigo Lavi(230) Top scorer Leonds Tambijevs(66) Most points However, if the Latvians hope to surprise in this tournament and earn a spot in the Quarter-Final, their goaltending will need to steal a game or two. Niks Fenenko, Bogdans Hodass, Edgars Adrians Kazaks, Elvis Laskovs, Silvers Lazarenoks, Dario Mackevics, Gustavs Ozolins, Rihards Simanovics. Martins Cipulis should be on Latvia's top forward line and has a lot of international experience. The Latvians saw their preparation derailed by airline issues and lost both of their pre-tournament games, falling 6-3 to Czechia and Germany, but could yet make an impact in Group B. Latvian men's national ice hockey team. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/QSB1Txe3Vp. Final roster likely to be announced after them. The former fifth round pick is adept at using his 6-foot-1 frame to protect the puck and has a powerful wrist shot to match. While it will be difficult for Team Latvia to break their sequence of second season relegations, their squad is resilient and determined to break the habit of a lifetime. Their performance in the 2019 Division IB tournament was much weaker than in the previous several tournaments and culminated in a last place finish and relegation to Division IIA. Their best ever finish at the World Championships was 7th place in 1997, 2004 and 2009. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Im not super concerned about it because his shot is underrated and he distributes the puck well. Tom Coolen is the acting head coach of the Latvian national hockey team. This year the tournament will include Latvian, Belarusian, Danish U20 teams, as well as the Russian U18 team. If all of that comes together, it could make him that valuable lower-line winger who excels on the forecheck and rounds out a team by being a reliable player all over the ice and on the penalty kill. pic.twitter.com/ZyAi8R5Blw. Game schedule, teams rosters, online results, games recaps, standings. The 19-year-old has seven points (two goals, five assists) in 15 appearances in the LHHL, which is the perfect preparation for a run at the World Juniors. report here . He has international experience, playing in the U18 WJC and was the starter versus the eventual 2021 gold medalist, Team Canada. Mezsargs has endured a wobbly start to life with the USHLs Tri-City Storm. They were saved from relegation in 2005, further to the extension of the Top Division. With 16 goals in 57 games for the QMJHLs Blainville-Boisbriand, Armada is the other top forward on his team in this tournament. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may . At 18 years old, he has the opportunity to gain enough experience to become the teams future starter, and with no team being relegated from this field, it wont be surprising if the coaching staff gives him a start. All rights reserved. If all goes well, this line will provide steady secondary scoring. Meanwhile, Sweden, the United States, Switzerland, Germany and Austria will compete in Group A.. Latvia must take points from Switzerland and/or Slovakia to stand any chance of avoiding the dreaded relegation playoff. He has been a steady player in the KHL since, but his offensive production fell off last season and he will be playing more of a checking role now. The very fact that there is a very strong overlap in quality between Latvia and Switzerland/Slovakia is viewed positively by any Latvian hockey fan. Shots were pretty even. Traditionally, they have struggled to keep top-rated international teams from scoring. However, 20-year-old Bruno Brveris will likely be Latvias starter. He also has experience playing in the Kontinental Hockey League, which should help, especially against stronger nations like Canada, which will be filled with players that have played professional style hockey in the Canadian Hockey League as well as participating in NHL development camps. Meanwhile, Sweden, the United States, Switzerland, Germany and Austria will compete in Group A. Latvia will begin their return on Aug. 9 with a fight against Team Finland. It will also play a key role in the generation of any offence for this squad. The team is ranked 10th in the world by IIHF as of 2019. After all, he led them in the U20 Division One WJC with a .939 save percentage and a 4-1 record. The other half of the top Latvian defensive pairing is Bogdan Hodas, the 6-foot-3, 203-pound left-hander who played heavy minutes in all situations for the Western Hockey League's (WHL) Medicine . At 6'2", he has some badly needed size. Im not super concerned about it because his shot is underrated and he distributes the puck well. Latvijas Hokeja Federcija Re.Nr.LV40008022294 IBAN: LV72PARX0000660041017 AS "Citadele banka", kods: PARXLV22 Jur.adr. [ F.A.Q | Opt Out | Opt Out Of Subreddit | GitHub] Downvote to remove | v1.5 Anyone knows what's the plan with Berzins? Lines that were practiced while the team was still in RIga: Latvia looked excellent through two periods in Halifax against Czechia. His ability to play with speed, play hard along the boards and take shots by the dozen will make him a key forward for this group. The Latvian team will rely heavily on moving the puck up and out of their zone with mobility and quick puck movement to defend. Berzins was drafted by the Minnesota Wild but never made it further than the ECHL in North America. The official 2022 roster of the Seattle Kraken, including position, height, weight, date of birth, age, and birth place. He also has experience playing in the Kontinental Hockey League, which should help, especially against stronger nations like Canada, which will be filled with players that have played professional style hockey in the Canadian Hockey League as well as participating in NHL development camps. Roger Bucart, Emls Veckakti, Robert Zjunski, Oscar Lapinsky, Raivis Ansons, Martins Lavi, Raimonds Vtoli, Felix Gavar, Darrell Dukur, Rainer Darwin, irts Silkalns, Arthur Karasha, Kristaps Kristi, Rainer Ruller, Dan Lochmel, Sandis Vilmanis, Klav Weinberg, Peter Purmalis, Daniel Anderson, Henri Ravinsky, Danila Naumov. Former NHL player Sandis Ozolinsh will lead Latvia's defense. Current team roster, players data, coaches, transfers. With the playing field as even as it has ever been this year, Olympic gold is anyone's to earn in Beijing next month. Official website 2022-23 . WC Division I. In 2019, the team won the gold medal in the 2019 IIHF World Championship Division II Group B tournament in Mexico City. Under 20 (U20) World Junior Championship (WJC), Report: Bruins star goalie played through 'debilitating' injury vs. Panthers, Dallas Stars vs. Seattle Kraken: 2023 Stanley Cup playoff series preview and pick, The 'Most three-pointers made in one postseason' quiz, Schmid, Devils shut out Rangers in Game 7, Yankees' Aaron Judge out through at least May 7, New England's stellar keeper draws interest from Premier League, Report: Pro Bowl RB returning to Cowboys looks unlikely, Heat star game-time decision for Game 2 vs. Knicks, Report: Bruins star goalie played through injury vs. Panthers, Aaron Rodgers practices for first time with Jets. . Latvian Hockey Federation has announced the Latvian national U20 team roster for the sixth Sergei Zholtok Memorial Cup, which will take place on September 1-4 in Riga, Latvia. Here is a look at Team Latvia for the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi. First, if you take a look at some of the biggest names in Latvian hockey and two of the most established Latvian NHL forwards, both of them have been trailblazers of sorts - Teddy Blueger spent 4 years in NCAA and Zemgus Girgensons was drafted straight out of USHL.