The Latvian national team has registered three goalkeepers, eight defenders and 14 forwards for the tournament, which will start already on Thursday.
Initially, it was planned to register for the tournament Shilov, who failed to recover quickly enough from knee ligament inflammation, which prevents him from participating in the tournament games with maximum performance.
This injury could jeopardize the start of the new season in the NHL club Vancouver “Canucks”. The national ice hockey team of Latvia has announced goalkeeper Vītola for the squad of the Olympic tournament, who just yesterday played a game in the Finnish club Jiviskeles JYP and today he will go on the ice with the Latvian national team.
It has already been reported that National Hockey League (NHL) players Teodors Bļugers and Elvis Merzlikins, as well as defenseman Kārlis Čukste, cannot help the Latvian national team in the qualification tournament due to personal reasons.
In preparation for the qualification tournament, the Latvians played two test matches with Denmark. In the first match, the Latvians conceded 2:3, but in the second match, Latvia won 5:3.
The Latvian national team will fight Slovenia on August 29, Ukraine a day later and France on September 1 for a ticket to the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Only the winner of the qualification will win the ticket to the 2026 Olympic Games.
Latvian men’s ice hockey team:
goalkeepers – Kristers Gudlevskis (Bremerhafen “Fischtown Pinguins”, Germany), Gustavs Grigal (Milwaukee “Admirals”, AHL), Erik Vitols (Jiviskeles JYP, Finland);
defenders – Uvis Balinskis (Florida “Panthers”, NHL), Jānis Jaks, Roberts Mamčić (both – Karlovy Vary “Energia”, Czech Republic), Kristians Rubīns (Plzen “Škoda”, Czech Republic), Kristaps Zīle (Litvīnova “Verva”, Czech Republic) ), Ralf Freiberg (“Mountfield” of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic), Markus Komul (“Nove Zamky”, Slovakia), Oskars Cibulskis (“Blue Fox” of Herning, Denmark);
forwards – Zemgus Girgensons (Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL), Rodrigo Abols (Philadelphia Flyers, NHL), Oskars Batnia (Mountfield Hradeckralov, Czech Republic), Haralds Egle (Bratislava Slovan, Slovakia), Dan Lochmelis (Massachusetts University of Emerst, NCAA), Rudolph Balcers (Zurich “Lions”, Switzerland), Kaspars Daugavins, Renārs Krastenberg (both – Mihalovce “Dukla”, Slovakia), Miks Indrašis (Jēvles “Brynas”, Sweden), Mārtiņš Dzierkals (Šlelefteo AIK, Sweden), Eduard Tralmak (Kladno “Rytīrži”, Czech Republic), Robert Bukart, Rihard Bukart (both – Vítkovice “Ridera”, Czech Republic), Felix Gavar (St. Lorenz University, NCAA).
2024-08-29 14:14:08