On Thursday, the Latvian national team led by Ābola played a respectable duel 2:3 with strong Sweden in the quarter-finals of the world junior championship. 19 of the 24 players on Sweden’s national team have already been selected in the NHL draft, and that number is likely to increase. Even before the championship Apple gave an extensive interview, published in December Sports newspaper and available for the last few days at the best press outlets.
The specialist warmed up when talking about the fact that there are few physically strong, big forwards in Latvia and many young hockey players look like cyclists. “It is absolutely true! We can cite many examples showing that we are so-called late bloomers. Perhaps the closest person to me is Rodrigo (son of Rodrigo Abols – author). Shouldn’t have gone to Bob Hartley or been put in the Vancouver system where they said you have the talent but lack the physicality. We saw that here on the spot.”
Abols concludes that hockey players should be given a more competitive local championship, but the country’s economic situation does not allow it. “However, we are able to raise them physically stronger. In order to do this, every sports school should have at least one physical training specialist, and then the coaches who work with their groups would consult with him. The question is complex, we can immediately start talking about salaries, because the coach does not train only one team, he wants to earn money, so he trains several and additionally works with amateurs. It’s the never ending story. So the big snowball is rolling and we can’t stop it. Physical fitness is a separate science. When you get a coaching diploma, you open the door or at least look through the keyhole to see what needs to be done to make work more productive.”
Arta Abol’s son Rodrigo will celebrate his 29th birthday on Sunday, but he has finally reached the threshold of the National Hockey League (NHL). It has not yet been possible to break it. Playing for the Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL), he scored seven goals and six assists in 25 games this season.
“It is impossible to say one correct way to get there, because this path was completely different for every Latvian. I really hope that Rodrigo will have the strength to overcome the final threshold as well. Adaptation was not easy for him at the beginning of this season, but the last matches I watched were already good,” concludes Artis Ābols, expressing that the reasons why things are difficult in North America can be various – the field is different, you also need to get used to the environment. “For example, in the previous North American run at Springfield, he was not very happy with the environment he was in. It has always been important for me to have family by my side. The first year, when I went to Sweden, the beginning was not great, because I was alone for a month, but when my family came, the game took off. I would like to think that it will be the same for him, because his wife and son recently left.”
Also, Artis Ābols adds that he believes that Rodrigo should not have helped the Latvian national team in the Olympic qualification tournament last fall, but should have gone to North America and prepared in time. “I don’t know if that would change and speed things up, but I think it should have been done that way.”
The extravagant goalkeeper Elvis Merzlikin is slowly becoming more and more successful in the NHL, whose Columbus “Blue Jackets” team, represented by him, has won four of the last seven games and, after a long break, has climbed out of the last place in his division. Merzlikin had helped Columbus win points in four consecutive games in which he played, but lost to the Detroit Red Wings 4-5 on Thursday.
“As far as we can judge from the publicly available information, this year he is leaving that rock stardom and is no longer so ostentatious. The game is respectable for him this season. When you’re on a wave, ostentatiousness gives you even more brilliance, but when you get under the wave, it comes back to you like an additional boomerang,” Artis Ābols judged goalkeeper Merzlikin and his rock star image.
Look for an extensive interview with Arti Abolas Sports newspaper with Baib Bendika on the cover. It is still available in the best press outlets for the last few days.