Latvian hockey team will be ready to adjust the lineup / day during the World Cup
On Thursday, the Latvian hockey team will go to Stockholm, where they will start participating in the World Cup on Saturday.
« The team is in a good mood. We have played well, despite the fact that we lost to the Norwegians in the last game. There are the best ones now who deserve to be in the team, » Vitolins said.
Kaspars Daugaviņš has been elected captain of the team, assisted by Kristaps Zīle and Kristiāns Rubīns.
« There was a great consensus for the captain, but there was a wide choice among the assistants. Unlike previous years, this time the assistants will be guards, not the attackers. It shows that the team is very serious about our defense, » Vitolins emphasized.
Currently, four Latvian hockey players continue in the National Hockey League (NHL) and the American Hockey League (AHL).
« Three players will have free space, with the possibility that some players could have a team closing the season. We have two other players under the auspices of the NHL team. Based on the experience of previous years, we have left three places free.
Latvian national team general manager Rudolfs Kalvītis also added that the team is following all hockey players in North America, and their accession to the team will depend on the coaching decisions.
Meanwhile, the Latvian national team captain Daugavins emphasized that the team is waiting for the first game, which always gives the atmosphere of pleasure. Hockey players want to enjoy the atmosphere of the World Cup, the captain said.
In the preparation phase and test games, hockey players worked on ice rinks of different sizes, but in Stockholm there will be the so -called Great Square.
« These are two different hockeys – on the big square and on the small square. It is easier to control the puck on the big square, but there is always a press. The difference is in decision -making.
The World Championship can apply for the elite division 22 field players and three goalkeepers. The Latvian team will do the official hockey team for the tournament shortly before the start of the tournament.
Latvian hockey players will play in the same group with Austria, Canada, Finland, Sweden, France, Slovakia and Slovenia. The first game for the Latvian team is scheduled for Saturday against France.
The 2025 World Cup will begin this week and will take place in Stockholm, where the Latvian team will also play, and in the Denmark city of Herning.
