THE LATVIANS are never an easy out at the world juniors, but a low ceiling has also prevented them from ever making noise in the medal round.
Their grinding, physical style allows them to hang in with power teams respectably, but a lack of high-end talent means the offense is rarely there to get the win. Having said that, Latvia had the No. 1 penalty kill last year and was also one of the most disciplined squads. After scoring just four goals in the round-robin, the Latvians knocked Austria down a level in the relegation round, winning two straight while scoring nine goals.
With nine players eligible to return from 2023, Latvia will be an experienced squad, and two of its most important players will be forwards Dans Locmelis (BOS) and Sandis…
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The Hockey News (Digital) - 1 Issue, World Juniors Special 2024