“Hokejazinas.com” reports that the return of Sotnieks to Latvia and the conclusion of the contract for the whole season has been approved by the club’s head coach Ęirts Ankipāns.
The 37-year-old Sotnieks has returned to Latvia after two seasons spent in foreign championships, playing the 2022/2023 season in the Czech Ekstraliga unit Kladno “Rytiri”, and last season winning the French championship together with Rouen “Dragons”.
In 44 games of the main tournament, the defender collected 15 (four goals and 11 assists) productivity points, but in nine “play-off” matches, he has scored three goals.
“I can still play, but I also want to be with my family. I have always played hockey, and it would be difficult to put an end to it now,” the defenseman explains in a conversation with “Hokejazinas.com” about his return to the Latvian club.
Since 2008, the defender has played for “Dinamo” of Riga, and also spent two seasons with “Lada” of Togliatti. In 14 seasons of the KHL, Sotnieks collected 104 (36+68) points of success in 644 games of the main tournament, and six (1+5) points of success in 36 games of the Gagarin Cup during five seasons.
In the Latvian national team, Sotnieks has played 90 games in 13 world championships, accumulating 21 performance points (2+19). The defender also represented the Latvian national team at the Olympic Games in Vancouver and Sochi, accumulating two performance points (1+1) in nine games.
“Mogo”/LSPA defeated “Zemgali”/LBTU 4-1 in the Latvian championship finals in the series to four victories.
2024-08-13 22:48:09