Earlier this week, Team Latvia announced that a former Tampa Bay Lightning forward has joined the team as they prepare for the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championships.
Rudolfs Balcers may not have had the most memorable run with the Lightning, but he did suit up for three games for the Bolts during the 2022-23 season after they claimed him off of waivers from their cross-state rival, the Florida Panthers.
Balcers did score one goal for the Lightning, on November 11, 2022 against the Boston Bruins, but that was his only point for Tampa Bay. He was then sent down to the Lightning's American Hockey League affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch and remained there for the rest of the season.
In the AHL, Balcers scored eight goals and 15 points in 36 games. After the season, he departed North America and returned to Europe, signing with the ZSC Lions in the Swiss National League.
Balcers has been a regular for the Latvian National Team for nearly a decade at this stage, playing alongside current Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons. The Lightning are certainly hoping to keep Girgensons out of this year's iteration of the World Championships though, as a long playoff run would prevent him from participating.