Latvian hockey players had a fruitful spring in the finals of the strongest leagues in Europe

IN SHORT:

Rūdolfs Balcers and Ronald Kēniņš meet face to face in Switzerland, but Mārtiņš Dzierkals and Rodrigo Ābols ended the fight for the championship title in Sweden. The Latvians had won trophies in Switzerland before, but it was the first time in Sweden. In Germany, goalkeeper Kristers Gudlevskis tried to become the champion, but this time he still has to settle for silver.

Swedish hockey connoisseur and father of Rodrigo Ābols, Artis Ābols, emphasized that two leagues – Switzerland and Sweden – are interested in strong hockey players who moved back to Europe from the National Hockey League (NHL). The strongest and wealthiest hockey leagues in Europe have fallen in love with hockey players nearing the end of their careers.

10 players went to Switzerland in search of not only hockey, but also material benefits from the NHL this season, but seven hockey players, including Rudolph Balzer, joined from the American Hockey League (AHL).

On the other hand, in Sweden, there is a higher proportion of NHL farm club players – a total of 17 hockey players. From the NHL, three players joined clubs on rental terms. This means that young hockey players who did not survive the competition in the NHL teams better choose to play with professionals in Sweden, rather than in junior leagues or a farm club.

Since Aleksandrs Beļavskis became the first Latvian hockey player to play in Sweden’s top hockey league 31 years ago, a total of 23 Latvians have played at least one game there, but this year is special.

For the first time, one of the Latvian hockey students reached the finals, and immediately with a guarantee of victory, because the debutants of their clubs fought against each other – Rodrigo Ābols in Engelholm’s “Rogle” and Mārtiņš Dzierkals in Šellefteo’s AIK shirt.

This is already the sixth season for Abol in Sweden, but the first as part of the “Rogle” team. Although the club aimed for the finals, it managed to make it through the playoffs with great difficulty. In the future, however, other revolutions were switched on.

“That team changed, but what exactly? I think they believed, – play-off it’s something else,” said Artis Ābols even before the decisive match in the final series. “We win or now everything ends, one wins, the other wins. Ok, quarter finals, let’s try to leave. 2-0 in the series – wait. We will immediately catch “Farjestad” and bam – 4-0. What comes next? That’s how it happens, Vekši won the first ones, after the regular season, now against Schellefteo, we have to win.”

Of course, Dzierkals also wanted to win, who had the worst season in his career in terms of points. Only two goals and an assist in 45 regular season games, same stats in playoffs. Mārtiņš has a different role in the team – minority maestro. AIK did not concede a goal in 55 minutes in the regular season with Dzierkala. Last season’s finalist AIK won the coveted title with Monday’s victory.

For the second year in a row, the Latvians won the gold in the Swedish second league.

Last year it was Kristers Gudljevskis, but this year Kārlis Čukste and Miks Indrašis in “Brynas”. In the rematch, the team represented by Latvians earned a ticket to the top league, and at least Indrašis will remain in the team next season as well.

A Latvian will also become the Swiss champion this year, only to find out who will be in the finals – Ronalds Kēniņš hopes to win his fourth title in Switzerland, Rudolfs Balcers does not want to allow it.

In his debut season, Balcers was the fourth most productive player in Zurich “Lions” with 38 points. The goal was to rehabilitate in Europe and go back to the NHL, but a new two-year contract in Switzerland was put on the table – Rudolph accepted it. However, Kēniņš, including playoffs, has already played 588 matches in Switzerland.

The strength of both teams in the series is so similar that the winner will have to be determined in the last – seventh – duel on April 30.

Harijs Vītoliņš, the head coach of the Latvian national team, experienced in Swiss hockey, emphasized that the teams play different hockey in the elimination tournament.

“If there is a shot, they clear the front of the goal immediately. In the regular season, there were still moments after the shot, so here maybe one good moment is played, but after the shot, the opponent neutralizes everything, simply throws the puck into the corner and there are no more dangerous moments,” said Vītoliņš.

Goalkeeper Gudlevsky wanted to win the championship title for the second year in a row. If last year they managed to do it in the second league of Sweden, then this year they were a little short of the title of the German championship. In the regular season, with a 91.44% shooting percentage and an average of two goals allowed, Gudlevsky was the best puck catcher in the DEL league. In the final, the winner of the regular tournament, the Bremerhaven “Fischtown Pinguins” could not score more than two goals per game on average and lost to the Berlin “Eisbären” in five matches.

German hockey connoisseur Herbert Vasiliev praised Gudlevski for a great season in the Bremerhaven team.

“It was not an easy start, they had two good goalkeepers, one German and Gudis [Gudļevskis], who were always changing. One played one game, the other another. Gudi was also a little lucky, which can be said with luck if the second goalkeeper gets injured,” Vasiliev said. “It was a little bit of a boost that he is also the first goalkeeper and it definitely gave him an impulse. Definitely also [Edgars] Lūsiņš helped here as a goalkeeper coach. He had before stints [iespējas] In Germany, who were not so successful. This season was great, I hope he will also sign a new contract.”

It is clear that Latvia will be champions in the two strongest European hockey leagues. Of course, some will be able to raise a glass and drink champagne, but the second place, unfortunately, will have to accept the loss and, of course, unpleasant emotions.

CONTEXT:

The Latvian hockey team is preparing for the world championship, which will start in the Czech Republic on May 10. Some of the potential leaders of the national team are still continuing their club season and could join the national team later.

Latvian ice hockey players will start the world championship on May 11 in the Czech city of Ostrava with a game against Poland. In the continuation of the group stage, they will have to play against France (May 12), Kazakhstan (May 14), Germany (May 15), Sweden (May 18), Slovakia (May 19) and the USA national team (May 21).