Will be a tight and fast game / day

Today, Latvian hockey players will play the first of two test games with Switzerland, with the fight at the Xiaomi Arena at 7.30 pm. The match will be broadcast live on TV6.

« We always want to win, so we play in our home. As shown games with Finland, the atmosphere in the arena is like the World Cup. It helps us a little mobilizing and the guys find extra strength. We have done hard, but I like the dynamics with some guys running and trying.

Vitolins revealed that Kristers Gudlevskis will guard the Latvian national team goal on Thursday and Gustav Grigals will be in the reserve, but in the second match with Switzerland will be Marek Miten.

The head coach explained that day after day, the physical condition of the players was observed who had been injured at the start of the training camp.

« The main thing is that the guys want, and understand that they all want to play and want to do their best to test themselves in those games. Today (Tom) Anderson will play, after the game we can say more about how he feels.

He highlighted that it is not yet known when Christian Rubin and Eduard Tralmax could be ready to return, because until the players are completely recovered from injuries, it is difficult to understand their physical condition.

« As we talked to tralmak, one is to train in the small group, but it is quite different for 20 players with battles, dynamics and speed. One could feel that these two days are harder for him. Eduard understands he wanted to play. But the player is asking for a little more in the attack, « the coach explained.

Meanwhile, Latvian national team general manager Rudolfs Kalvītis pointed out that test games with Switzerland are introduced to the final stage of the Latvian national team training camp.

« There are exactly two weeks before we go to Stockholm, and in these two weeks we will have four test games. The game with Switzerland will be a very good test, as the team is only made of Swiss’s top league players. The high -level team that has already played four test games and all won, » said Kalvītis.

« At the same time, good players have joined us and today (Mārtiņš) Dzierkals, (Ralph) Freiberg and (John) Yak.

On Friday, the Latvian and Switzerland team will meet again at the Xiaomi Arena. After the preparation phase, the Latvian team will meet with the Norwegian team after match with Switzerland in early May.

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.

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.