Merzlikin will not play in the Latvian Hockey Team in the World Championship / Day due to family conditions and health

It has already been reported that Merzlikin was in training a week ago in a concussion and could not help the Blue Jackets in the closing five games of the season. For this time, Jeth Griv was called from the American Hockey League (AHL) to the Columbus unit.

The second reason is the family addition to the goalkeeper family.

31 -year -old Merzlikin averaged 3.18 pucks in 53 NHL games this season, scored 89.2% shots and played one « dry » game, winning 26 games and helping the team to score in five more games.

The Latvian team has represented the goalkeeper in six World Championships, scoring 13 wins in 31 games, averaging 2.79 pucks in their goal, defeating 90.7% shots and three games without losing the pucks.

At last year’s World Cup, Merzlikin fouled out 82.6% in four games and averaged 4.8 pucks per game.

In preparation for the World Cup, Latvian hockey players beat Austria in the first two test games, but played two matches against Finland in Riga, first winning by 3: 2 and then losing by 1: 4.

In the follow -up to the preparatory phase, the Latvian team in the Xiaomi Arena will also host the Swiss team, but will meet the Norwegian team in early May.

The 2025 World Championship in May will take place in Stockholm, where the Latvian team will also play, and in the Denmark city of Herning.