The Swiss league champion joins the Latvian national team camp

Sandis Smon | Photo: Eddy Palen/LETA

Defenseman Sandis Smons has joined the training camp of the Latvian hockey team before the upcoming world championship. https://twitter.com/lhf_lv/status/1775401503227842890 Latvian Ice Hockey Federation (LHF).

This season, together with Tom Anderson, as part of the “La-Chaux-de-Fonds” team, Smon became the champion of Switzerland’s second strongest hockey league (SL). Smon, who missed a large part of the season due to an injury, won the title for the second year in a row – last year he triumphed in the Swiss top league (NL) with Geneva “Servette”. This season, the 24-year-old Smon has one goal in eight SL regular season games and one assist in the playoffs.

It has already been announced that the training camp of the Latvian national team started on April 1 to prepare for the world championship, which will take place from May 10 to 26 in the Czech Republic. Currently, the national team is preparing without several leaders, and will play test matches against Austria on April 4 and 5 in an experimental composition – they will take place behind closed doors.

Earlier, goalkeeper Elvis Merzlikins, defenders Uvis Balinskis, Ralf Freibergs, Oskars Cibulskis, Jānis Jaks, Kārlis Čukste, Kristaps Zīle and Roberts Mamčić, as well as forwards Kaspars Daugaviņš, Oskars Batņa, Miks Indrašis, Renārs Krastenbergs, Eduards Tralmaks, Haralds have expressed their readiness to join the national team. Egle, Andris Džeriņš, Rodrigo Ābols, Rudolfs Balcers, Tom Anderson, Rihards Marenis and Rihards Bukarts. It has already been reported that Finn Ville Peltonen will join the coaching staff of the national team at the upcoming world championship, who will replace Arti Ābola.

This year, the championship will take place from May 10 to 26 in the Czech cities of Prague and Ostrava. Latvia will play in one group with USA, Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, France, Kazakhstan and Poland. Earlier it became known that due to injury, the hero of the last WC, Kristians Rubins, striker Georgs Golovkovs, as well as defenders Miks Tumanovs and Nauris Sējēs, will not help the national team.

The hockey team will start preparing for the WC in an experimental composition