Latvia has brought a roster of 23 players to Ostrava as it begins its defense of the bronze medal it claimed last year in Riga and Tampere. While definitely not favored for a repeat medal performance, this squad led by Kaspars Daugaviņš, Roberts Bukarts and Rodrigo Ābols will be a confident one.
Goalies (3): Elvis Merzļikins (Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL), Kristers Gudļevskis (Fischtown Pinguins, Germany), Ēriks Vītols (KeuPa, Finland)
Defensemen (7): Oskars Cibuļskis (Blue Fox Herning, Denmark), Ralfs Freibergs (Mountfield HK, Czechia), Jānis Jaks, Kristaps Zīle (both Litvínov, Czechia), Roberta Mamčičs (Nové Zámky, Slovakia), Kārlis Čukste (Brynäs, Sweden), Arvils Bergmanis (University of Alaska-Fairbanks, NCAA), Markuss Komuls (Trois-Rivières Lions, ECHL).
Forwards (13): Kaspars Daugaviņš (Dukla Trenčín, Slovakia), Roberts Bukarts, Rihards Bukarts (both Vítkovice, Czechia), Miks Indrašis (Brynäs, Sweden), Oskars Batņa (Jukurit, Finland), Rodrigo Ābols (Rögle, Sweden), Haralds Egle (Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia), Mārtiņš Dzierkals (Skellefteå AIK, Sweden), Eduards Tralmaks (Rytíři Kladno, Czech Republic), Renārs Krastenbergs (Graz 99ers, ICEHL), Raivis Ansons (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL), Fēlikss Gavars (St. Lawrence University, NCAA), Martins Laviņš (University of New Hampshire, NCAA), Dans Ločmelis (University of Massachusetts at Amherst, NCAA).
The only full-time NHLer currently on the squad is veteran Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Elvis Merzļikins, although it won’t necessarily stay that way.
According to LSM.lv, goalie Ēriks Vītols, defenseman Arvils Bergmanis and forward Martins Laviņš will not initially be registered in hopes that Artūrs Šilovs and Teodors Bļugers of the Vancouver Canucks or Uvis Balinskis of the Florida Panthers could become available if their teams are eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Šilovs, of course, was MVP of last year's World Championship.
Bergmanis and Laviņš are two of four NCAA players on the list. Center Dans Ločmelis, a Boston Bruins prospect, had three points as a 19-year-old in last year’s bronze-medal effort and had a point per game as captain of Latvia’s World Junior team this past winter, so he might be expected to take on a larger offensive role this year.