so lately, since the Sochi Olympics, to be exact, i've noticed that people are starting to get more interested in the national hockey team of Latvia. mainly because of that Latvia-Canada game and Gudļevskis' amazing performance. that's why i decided to make posts about this national team so that people could get to know the players a little bit more. because let's face it - this is not the most popular hockey team in the world. :D i will be writing not only about those who are regularly playing in the team, i will also be including some players that are/have been quite close to the team.
there are going to be 3 parts:
there are going to be 3 parts:
- goalkeepers + important players;
- defensemen;
- forwards.
if you click the players' names, it will bring you to a picture of them. i'll try to find pictures that are as recent as possible. :) also, if you want to see their stats, just check out this website, you'll be able to find each and every one of them there. :)
i am going to start with the important people.
- Artūrs Irbe - was born in 02.02.1967. despite his short height - 175 cm/5'9" - he's a legendary Latvian goalkeeper. he is the first Latvian goalkeeper that's ever been drafted in the NHL - #196 overall by the Minnesota North Stars in 1989, it was the 10th round. he played in the NHL for 13 seasons (1991-2004). his teams were San Jose Sharks (5 seasons), Dallas Stars (1 season), Vancouver Canucks (1 season) and Carolina Hurricanes (6 seasons). in 2002, he and the Canes got to the final round of the Stanley Cup final but lost to the Detroit Red Wings (1-4 in the series). he took part in the NHL All-Star Games two times - in 1994 and 1999. he retired as a player at the age of 40. Irbe has been the goalie coach for several teams - Dinamo Rīga [KHL, 2008-2009], Washington Capitals [NHL, 2009-2011]. he was a team consultant/goalie coach for team Latvia in 2013.
- Sandis Ozoliņš (a.k.a. Sandis Ozolinsh) - another legendary Latvian player who retired at the age of 41 - after the 2013/2014 hockey season and moved to politics. he was a defenseman and is the 2nd highest drafted Latvian in the NHL ever - #30 overall by the San Jose Sharks in 1991 in the 2nd round. he played in the NHL for 20 seasons (1992-2007). he played in San Jose Sharks (5 seasons), Colorado Avalanche (5 seasons) and 2 seasons in Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers and he also played 3 seasons in the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Ozoliņš won the Stanley Cup in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche and is the only Latvian to do that so far. he played in the NHL final in 2003 with the Mighty Ducks, too, but lost to the New Jersey Devils (3-4 in the series). he took part in 7 NHL All-Star Games (1994, 1997-2003) and in 4 KHL All-Star Games (2009-2011, 2014). he didn't play two seasons - 2004/2005 and 2008/2009 . he had problems with alcohol but stopped using it when he came to Latvia. in his own words, his professional career started when Latvia's best hockey team - Dinamo Rīga - signed him. since then he was an amazing leader in every team he played and since 2009 there hasn't been a season where he hasn't worn the letter C on his jersey.
- Kristiāns Pelšs - was born in 09.09.1992. he was a left winger and he got drafted in the NHL in 2010, #181 overall by the Edmonton Oilers. he lost his life in 2013 when he jumped in the river Daugava after celebrating the end of his season to go for a swim.. he went missing and after 3 days they found his body and he was already gone. everyone is sure that if the tragic accident didn't happen, he would've made it to the NHL. he wasn't one of the most talented guys but he always worked extremely hard and always played with all of his heart. the Edmonton Oil Kings devoted the 2013/2014 season to him, their motto was "Play for Pelssy!". and, when the Oil Kings won the WHL and after that the Memorial Cup this year, they took the champion photo while holding Pelšs' jersey.
- Kārlis Skrastiņš - was born in 09.07.1974. he was one of the best Latvian d-men. he got drafted in 1998, #230 overall by the Nashville Predators. he played in Nashville Predators (5 seasons), in Colorado Avalanche (4 seasons) and 2 seasons in Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars. he was the captain of team Latvia in an Olympic Game qualification (2005), for two Olympic Games (2006 and 2010) and for two World Championships (2005 and 2009). he signed with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in 2011 and lost his life in the plane crash along with his whole team.
- Sergejs Žoltoks (a.k.a. Sergei Zholtok) - was born in 02.12.1972. he was a center, who got drafted in 1992, #55 overall by the Boston Bruins. played 10 seasons in the NHL - 2 in the Boston Bruins, 1 in the Ottawa Senators, 3 in the Montreal Canadiens, 3 in the Minnesota Wild and two incomplete seasons in the Nashville Predators and the Edmonton Oilers. in the NHL lockout which lasted for the whole 2004/2005 NHL season he played in HK Rīga 2000, which took part in the Belorussian Championship. but on November 3, 2004, he lost his life due to heart failure.
goalkeepers:
- Kristers Gudļevskis (31.07.1992.) is obviously the best-known Latvian hockey goalkeeper at the moment of those who have not retired. a lot of people saw him for the first time in the Sochi Olympics. he is already legendary because he's the only hockey goalkeeper in the world who has played in ECHL, AHL, NHL and the Olympic games in one season. and last season he was still a goalkeeper for an MHL (a junior league, teams from Europe and Russia play there) team - HK Rīga. i remember watching HK Rīga's games and thinking - wow, this guy is actually amazing.. he got to play a little more than 80 minutes in KHL that season, too. he showed himself at the World Championship 2013 by becoming the main goalkeeper for team Latvia because Masaļskis had just came back from an injury and Jučers.. you'll soon read his story. Kristers was also a top 3 player on team Latvia in World Championships 2013. then, in summer 2013 he got drafted by Tampa Bay Lightning - 5th round, #124 overall. (if you're wondering, he's the only Latvian that got drafted in the NHL last year.) and that's how his way to NHL started. quite a lot of people see him playing in Lightning in the future, though he will have to compete for a place in the main team with Andrei Vasilevsky, who is another very promising goalkeeper for the organization.
- Māris Jučers (18.06.1987.) was a promising goalkeeper. he's a big (190 cm / 6'3") butterfly style goalie, who's quite skilled and plays very well in shootouts. he has played in Tyringe SoSS (Sweden, Division 1), Metalurgs Liepāja (Belorussian and Latvian championships) and then signed with Dinamo Rīga (KHL), went to two world championships, was the backup goalie at the Sochi Olympic qualification, quite regularly went to team Latvia's training camps.. what went wrong, you might ask. well, in 2012/2013 KHL season he somehow lost his confidence. he had a promising start of the season, Dinamo's other goalkeeper - Mikael Tellqvist - was struggling but then things turned around. maybe because Tellqvist won while playing badly and Jučers lost while playing well. Jučers won only 2 games of 19 in the season. (2012/2013 was the worst season in the new Dinamo's history, btw.) this season Jučers played in a Latvian championship team called Dinamo Juniors Rīga. Latvian championship does not have a high level but, for example, his GAA after the regular season was only 3.33 . he's signed with Beibarys Atyrau (Kazakhstan) for the next season. we'll see how it goes but his main goal must be to get his confidence back. because, let me tell you - when he's playing his best game, he is quite amazing!
- Jānis Kalniņš (13.12.1991.) might be the least known Latvian goalkeeper of those who have something to do with the national team. since 2007 'till 2013 (when the team bankrupted) he played in Metalurgs Liepāja (in Latvian & Belorussian championships and MHL-B league) and was the main goalie for at least the last seasons of the team. he played the 2013/2014 season in Hungary, its U20 championship and MOL Liga (which, i believe, is their best hockey league). Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák is the team's name. (and you thought Latvian language is hard. :D) anyway, he has also played in the national U18 and U20 teams of Latvia. for the last few years he has regularly went to the men's national team of Latvia's training camp but hasn't got to go to any World championships (yet?). even though he is quite short (178 cm / 5'10"), he sees the game well and is able to move positionally smart.
- Edgars Masaļskis (31.03.1980.) is Latvia's #1 goalie at the moment. Masaļskis is not the tallest goalie (178 cm / 5'10") but he plays very stable and can pull a win for the team. he is quite experienced. has played in, of course, Latvian leagues (Metalurgs Liepāja, HK Rīga 2000), Allsvenskan (Sweden, Mörrums GoIS), Russian championship (Sibir Novosibirsk), in Czech Republic's teams (HC Karlovy Vary, HC Dukla Jihlava, IHC Pisek), in Russian second league (Neftyanik Almetievsk), in Germany (EHC Freiburg [3rd league], EV Duisburg [DEL league a.k.a. Germany's best hockey league]), KHL (Dinamo Rīga, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk). last season was quite empty for Masaļskis. he couldn't find a team for a long time and then, in November, in a pre-Sochi game the opposite team's player fell and bumped into Edgars' head with his knee and gave Masaļskis a concussion. but then, a little while before the Olympics, Slovakia's best league's team - HK SKP Poprad - signed him. even though he had such an empty season and got to play only 15 games (including national team's games in the Olympics and the Worlds, excluding pre games), he played them good. Masaļskis has been in national teams' rosters since season 1995/1996 - U18, U20 and of course, the men's team. though he didn't debit in the men's team until 2004. he was obviously the backup or the 3rd goalie since 2001-2003. Masaļskis hasn't signed with any team for the next season yet, though if i'm not wrong, Poprad wants him to stay but Dinamo Rīga's GM said that he is talking with Masaļskis' agent, so we'll see where he'll play next season. i am pretty sure that he won't have as empty season as this one.
- Elvis Merzļikins (13.04.1994.) is one of Latvia's young talents. he is a big (191 cm / 6'3") butterfly style goalie, who is quite athletic and covers a lot of the net. he handles the puck very well and is a good stickhandler, and can play long outlet passes. he loves to challenge shooters. he has played all of his career in Switzerland, in Lugano. he debuted in Switzerland's best league - NLA - this season and, if i'm not wrong, got the award as the best rookie in the team. has played in Latvia's U17 team (2010/2011), U18 teams (2011-2012) and U20 teams (2012-2014). it's very likely that he is going to be drafted in the NHL draft this year. in his own words, there are teams that are interested in him. Merzļikins also played an incomplete team Latvia's pre-worlds game this spring.
- Ervīns Muštukovs (07.04.1984.) has been team Latvia's third goalie for quite a while and hasn't actually played in the men's team in championships, Olympic qualifications or Olympic games. he's always been quite close playing in the team. to be completely honest with you, i have seen this guy play for only 20 minutes and it was this year in a pre-worlds game vs team Finland. he didn't finish the game because he hurt his ankle but he had very good 20 minutes. but look, here are some videos of him. :) :D he has played in Latvia and Belarus (HK NIK's Brih Riga, Stalkers Juniors Daugavpils, Metalurgs Liepāja, HK Rīga 2000, Dinamo Juniors Rīga), in SPHL (Knoxville Ice Bears), ECHL (Toledo Storm, Elmira Jackals), EIHL - in the UK (Sheffield Steelers), in Sweden - SuperElit and Allsvenskan (Mora & Mora J20) and Denmark (Odense, Esbjerg). he also played two games in KHL (Dinamo Rīga) in 2008. he has signed with a Danish hockey team - Aalborg - for the next season.
- Ivars Punnenovs (30.05.1994.) another young Latvian who could have a very good career. he sees the game well and moves positionally smart. just like Merzļikins, he has spent all of his career in Switzerland. but he has changed teams, - he's played in Pikes Oberthurgau II and Pikes Oberthurgau U17 (2009-2011), Kloten U20 (2011-2012) and since then he has played in Rapperswil Lakers. he debited in Rapperswil's main team this season and has a contract 'till at least the end of the 2014/2015 hockey season. he has also played in Latvia's U17 team (2011), U18 team (2012) and U20 teams (2012-2014). this year Punnenovs debuted in the men's national team in a pre-worlds game vs team Russia where he got a shutout (Latvia won, 1:0). and in the end of April, in a game vs team France he let in 3 goals, but team Latvia won, 6:3. and he went to the World championship 2014 as the third goalie for team Latvia.