Last season, a young Latvian team made the quarterfinals at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenberg, Sweden. The team that Latvia is taking to Ottawa this year has nine returnees from last year’s team.
Among those are two NHL draftees – defenseman Darels Uljanskis, an 18-year-old Anaheim Ducks prospect who is eligible to play again next year, and 6-foot-6 winger Eriks Meteiko, a Washington Capitals prospect who is the captain of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs.
Overall, Latvia’s 27-man training-camp roster is an intersting mix of players based in Europe and North America. Only one of the players – defenseman Oskars Briedis – currently plays for a club in Latvia – the lack of high-level professional or junior hockey in the country of less than two million people means young Latvians generally go abroad at a young age if they want to make a career in hockey.
Of the 27 players, 16 are based in North America. Seven play Canadian major-junior hockey in the OHL or QMJHL, eight play U.S. junior hockey in the USHL or NAHL, and one – 16-year-old Roberts Naudinš – plays U.S. high-school hockey in the famous Shattuck St. Mary’s program. Of those based in Europe, three each play in Sweden and Czechia, two play in Finland and one each play in Switzerland and Denmark.
The Latvian team is currently holding training camp in Arnprior, Ont. Latvia has upcoming pre-tournament games Dec. 20 in Brockville, Ont. against Czechia and Dec. 23 in Arnprior against Switzerland.
Goaltenders:
LINARDS FELDBERGS
2005 "Sherbrooke Phoenix", QMJHL
AKSELS OZOLS
2005
HK "Zemgale/LBTU", OHL
JĀNIS FECERS
2005
"Herning Blue Fox", Denmark
Defencemen:
VIKTORS KURBAKA
2005
"Ocelari Trinec", Czechia U20
BRUNO PETROVIČS
2006
"JYP", U20 SM-sarja
OSKARS BRIEDIS
2006
HK "Zemgale/LBTU" Latvia
DARELS UĻJANSKIS 2006
"AIK U20", J20 Nationell
PĒTERIS BULĀNS
2005
"Chicoutumi Sagueneens", QMJHL
HARIJS CJUNSKIS
2006
"Rouyn-Noranda Huskies", QMJHL
KRIŠJĀNIS SĀRTS
2007
"St. Cloud Norsemen", NAHL|
EMĪLS ŠĶELTIŅŠ
2005 "Amarillo Wranglers", NAHL
KRISTS RETENAIS
2006
"Aberdeen Wings", NAHL
Forwards:
DAVIDS LIVŠICS
2005
"RoKi", U20 SM-sarja
ĒRIKS MATEIKO
2005
"Saint John Sea Dogs", QMJHL
VALDIS DOMMERS
2005
"Mountfield HK U20", Czechia U20
TOMS MOTS
2005
HK "Zemgale/LBTU", OHL
RAULS OZOLLAPA
2005
"HC Zubr Prerov U20", Czechia U20
OLIVERS MŪRNIEKS
2008
"Sioux City Musketeers", USHL
BRUNO OSMANIS
2006
"IF Bjorkloven", Allsvenskan
MARKUSS SIERADZKIS
2006
"IF Bjorkloven", J20 Nationell
KĀRLIS FLUGINS
2007
"Flint Firebirds", OHL
RŪDOLFS BĒRZKALNS
2008
"Muskegon Lumberjacks", USHL
DANIELS SERKINS
2007
"SC Bern Future", U20-Elit
ANTONS MACIJEVSKIS
2006
"Watertown Shamrocks", NAHL
DMITRIJS DIĻEVKA
2006
"Watertown Shamrocks", NAHL
MARTINS KLAUCĀNS
2008
"St. Cloud Norsemen", NAHL
ROBERTS NAUDIŅŠ
2008
"Shatttuck St.Mary's", USHS-Prep