The head coach of the national team stated at the press conference that 24 players – three goalkeepers, eight defenders and 14 forwards – will go to the championship, but not all of them will be included in the application yet. Kaspars Daugavins was elected captain of the national team, who will be assisted by Rodrigo Ābols and Roberts Bukarts.
The Latvian national team will go to the championship for the first time as a medal winner, however Vītoliņš noted that it is already history and all work must be started from the end.
“I told the guys on the first day that the past is cool, but we live in the present and the future. There are seven debutants in the national team, five of them students – this has never happened before. It is a completely different team, but with a good character. There is a fantastic atmosphere in the team and it is ready to write a new page in the history of Latvian hockey,” said Vītoliņš.
Three more hockey players are expected from North America if they finish the Stanley Cup. Among them is goalkeeper Artūrs Šilovs, so Elvis Merzlikins and Kristers Gudlevskis will be entered for the master race for now.
“All goalkeepers are currently in good physical condition and try to catch all the pucks in training. Goalkeepers also make our players better in every episode of training,” said Vītoliņš.
National team captain Daugavins noted that the young players, who play everyday at the college level, have settled into the national team very well.
“The student league in the USA is quite strong and it’s a good development league to get to the NHL. They already play fast and physical old hockey there, which you can see in training. The main thing is to have healthy competition in which everyone gets better,” said the captain.
For the time being, Daugavins himself is scheduled to play in the same forward line with the finalists of the Swedish championship, champion Mārtiņas Dzierkals and vice-champion Rodrigo Ābolas.
“I played with Mārtiņas already in the last match, my job became easier and it was time to skate to the opponent’s zone. Both just played in the final of one of the best leagues in Europe, we will have to keep up with them,” concluded Daugavins.
The general manager of the national team, Rudolfs Kalvits, emphasized that the goal is to reach the quarter-finals and then fight for every subsequent victory.
Regarding Teodora Blūger, Šilov and Uvi Balinski, who are busy in the Stanley Cup competition, Kalvītis said that they should not disturb the hockey players unnecessarily while their teams are playing in the Stanley Cup.
“At the moment, we have communicated with them as far as congratulating them on entering the next round. Everything was discussed with them before the elimination tournament. We are waiting for them to get free or win the Stanley Cup. We wish them the same,” said Kalvītis.
In test matches, Latvian ice hockey players beat Austria twice in penalty kicks at home with 3:2 and lost to Finland twice with 2:3, lost to Switzerland 1:5 and 0:4 away, but lost to Norwegians 0:1 in extra time in Riga, winning by 8 in the replay :0.
In the Latvian national team, the head coach Harijs Vītoliņš is assisted by coaches Lauris Dārziņš, Artūrs Irbe, Petri Nummelins, Ville Peltonens, Raimonds Vilkoits, video coach Pēteris Groms and physical training specialist Āriks Visockis.
The Latvian national team will go to the world championship in the Czech Republic on May 9.
The 2024 championship will take place in Prague and Ostrava from May 10 to 26.
The first opponents of the Latvian national team in subgroup B in Ostrava on May 11 at 17.20 will be the Polish national team, which competed in the first division last year and returned to the elite after a 22-year break. After that, on May 12, Latvia will meet with France, on May 14 – with Kazakhstan, on May 15 – with Germany, on May 18 – with Sweden, on May 19 – with Slovakia, and in the final group game on May 21, the Latvians will play against USA hockey players , who were beaten last year in the fight for bronze awards. All matches of the Latvian national team can be followed live on LTV7.
The composition of the Latvian national team for participation in the world championship:
goalkeepers – Elvis Merzlikin (Columbus “Blue Jackets”, NHL), Erik Vitols (Keuru “KeuPa”, Finland), Kristers Gudlevsky (Bremerhafen “Fischtown Pinguins”, Germany);
defenders – Jānis Jaks, Kristaps Zīle (Litvīnovas “Verva”, Czech Republic), Roberts Mamčić (“Nove Zamky”, Slovakia), Arvils Bergmanis (University of Alaska Fairbanks, NCAA), Markus Komuls (Trois-Riviera “Lions”, Canada), Ralfs Freiberg (“Mountfield” of Hradec Králova), Oskars Cibulskis (“Blue Fox” of Herning, Denmark), Kārlis Čukste (“Brynas” of Jävle, Sweden);
forwards – Oskars Batnia (Mikeli “Jukurit”, Finland), Roberts Bukarts (Vítkovice “Ridera”, Czech Republic), Renars Krastenbergs (Graz “99ers”, Austria), Haralds Egle (Liptovski Mikuláš “MHK 32”, Slovakia), Martins Laviņš (University of New Hampshire, NCAA), Felix Gavar (University of St. Lawrence, NCAA), Dan Lochmelis (University of Massachusetts Emerst, NCAA), Kaspars Daugavins (Mihalovce “Dukla”, Slovakia), Eduards Tralmaks (Kladno “Rytīrži”, Czech Republic), Raivis Ansons (Penguins of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL), Miks Indrašis (Brynas of Jävle, Sweden), Mārtiņš Dzierkals (Šellefteo AIK, Sweden), Rodrigo Ābols (Rogle of Engelholm, Sweden).
