The Latvian national team will not have Elvis Merzļikins or Artūrs Šilovs in goal at this year’s IIHF World Championship – the Columbus Blue Jackets goalie cited family reasons last month and the Vancouver Canucks prospect is still involved in the AHL playoffs. But the small nation of less than two million seems to have no trouble producing goalies and Latvia will give the net to 32-year-old Kristers Gudlevskis, the two-time top goalie of Germany’s DEL.

This will already be the seventh World Championship for Gudlevskis, who was named one of Latvia’s three best players last year. Gudlevskis helped Latvia qualify for the Olympics last August when Šilovs had to pull out at the last moment. 

With no high-level professional league in Latvia, the players for the team are scattered around Europe and North America. It includes five players based in North America – two in the AHL and three in the NCAA. Of the players based in Europe, eight are based in Czechia (including six defensemen), three are based in Slovakia, two each in Finland, Denmark and Switzerand, one – Gudlevskis – in Germany and one in Sweden – Vegas prospect Martinš Dzierkals.

The team also has one player with no team – Kaspars Daugaviņš, the former NHLer and longtime captain of the Latvian national team who abruptly retired in November but announced in March that he would return to play for his country in this year’s Worlds.

Goaltenders: Kristers Gudlevskis (Fischtown Penguins, GER), Gustavs Grigals (HK Dukla Trenčín, SVK), Mareks Mitens (HK Spišská Nová Ves, SVK).

Defensemen: Oskars Cibulskis (Herning Blue Fox, DEN), Ralfs Freibergs (Mountfield HK, CZE), Janis Jaks, Roberts Mamčics (both HC Energie Karlovy Vary, CZE), Kristaps Zile (Bílí Tygři Liberec, CZE), Kristian Rubins (HC Škoda Plzeň, CZE), Markuss Komuls (Rytíři Kladno, CZE), Miks Tumanovs (JYP Jyväskylä, FIN).

Forwards: Toms Andersons (HC La Chaux-de-Fonds, SUI), Rudolfs Balcers (ZSC Lions, SUI), Oskars Batna (Mountfield HK, CZE), Rihards Bukarts (HC Vítkovice Ridera, CZE), Filips Buncis (Odense Bulldogs, DEN), Kaspars Daugavinš (no team), Martinš Dzierkals (Skelleftea AIK, SWE / Vegas Golden Knights), Haralds Egle (HK 32 Liptovský Mikuláš, SVK), Felikss Gavars (Minnesota State University, NCAA), Martins Lavinš (University of New Hampshire, NCAA), Dans Ločmelis (Providence Bruins, AHL / Boston Bruins), Glebs Prohorenkovs (Niagara University, NCAA), Anri Ravinskis (HPK Hämeenlinna, FIN), Eduards Tralmaks (Grands Rapids Griffins, AHL / Detroit Red Wings).

Kaspars Daugavins Will Come Back To Play For Latvia In 2025 World Championship Latvian forward Kaspars Daugaviņš, who <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/kaspars-daugavin%C5%A1-retires">suddenly and surprisingly announced his retirement in October</a>, announced on Friday that he intends to play for Latvia at this year’s IIHF World Championship.