Team Latvia has named Florida Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis an alternate captain at the 2026 Olympics.
Florida Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis has been named alternate captain of Team Latvia at the 2026 Olympics.
The 29-year-old is competing in his second Olympic Games. His first time participating witnessed him record three assists in four games. This time around, he comes as one of the few players with NHL experience and is expected to play a big role.
After the initial practices, Balinskis is projected to skate on the first pairing alongside Kristians Rubins. Rubins currently plays in HC Plzen in the Czech Extraliga. The 28-year-old accumulated 187 AHL games and three NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Rubins and Balinskis are slated to play heavy minutes in a multitude of scenarios for Latvia.
Joining Balinskis as alternate captain is Zemgus Girgensons, a 32-year-old forward with 818 games of NHL experience. Latvia’s captain will be Kaspars Daugaviņš, a 37-year-old forward preparing to play in his fourth Olympics.
Balinskis, Sandis Vilmanis, and Team Latvia begin their tournament on Thursday when they take on Matthew Tkachuk and Team USA.
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