Off the top of my head the best and only Latvian hockey player I can think of is Sandis Ozolinsh. So I checked on elite prospects to see who else I forgot from Latvia. Other notables include Arturs Irbe, Zegmus Girgensons, Sergei Zholtok, and Elvis Merzlikins. Girgensons was the highest ever Latvian player who was drafted at 14th overall in 2012. He was playing in the USHL when he got drafted. I get Latvia and Lithuania mixed up alot.
Also wondering a bit too as the Latvian roster has 2 kids that played minor hockey last season in North America. Not junior but Midget level hockey.
Maxim Masse Central Scouting’s 30th ranked North American Skater scored for Canada on the Power Play at 5:08 of the first period after Canada had a whack load of shots on the poor Latvian goaltender who got plastered. 1-0 with the assists going to Gavin McKenna who got his 15th point of the tournament with the assist on that goal tying the record for most points by a Canadian in a tournament. His assist on a power play goal tied him with Tyson Jost and Macklin Celebrini. The second assist on the goal went to Tij Iginla.
Ryder Ritchie makes it 2-0 Canada with the assists going to Tij Iginla and Kamloops Blazers Harrison Brunicke at 12:12 of the first period.
Shots on goal in the first period were 16-12 for Canada according to the website (I thought the tv said more) Latvia played quite well that first period.
No Scoring in the second period. Latvia had a few chances also. Shots on goal were 11-6 for Canada.
Porter Martone makes it 3-0 for Canada from Caleb Desnoyers and Harrison Brunicke at 12:47
Latvia pulled the goalie with 2 minute left in the game. They did alright then 30 seconds in the face off went back in their zone so he went back in the net. They yanked him again with a little over a minute left and this time they weren’t so lucky. Jett Luchanko fired it into the empty net unassisted with exactly 1 minute remaining.
Shots on goal in the third period were 11-5 for Canada with Canada outshooting Latvia 38-23 in the game.
Carter George stopped all 23 shots that he faced for the win for Canada. While Mikus Vecvanags made 34 saves on the 37 shots that he faced.
Player of the game for Latvia was Captain Krists Retenais and the player for team Canada was goalie Carter George.
Canada will face Sweden in the semi final on Saturday.
Daniels Serkins was one of the better Latvians. Born in Latvia and plays in Switzerland now but elite prospects has him as playing minor hockey in England for a few years when he was really young like 12-14. Yet couldn’t find much about him online.
Samuel Drancak and the Czechs lost to Slovakia today in their quarter final game 3-2.
Finland lost to Sweden 2-1 before the Canada game also.
Norway beat Kazakhstan in a shootout in the relegation game today one that went into an 11th round of a shootout. So next season Germany will take Kazakhstan’s place as they won the Division 1 A World Juniors.