The Latvian national hockey team starts the fight for the “Deutschland Cup” trophy

The match between the two teams in Krefeld will start at 16:00 Latvian time, broadcast live on Latvian Television Channel 7.

One game has already taken place in the tournament, in which the German national team convincingly defeated the German U23 (or Olympic) team with 7: 2.

On the first day of November, the Latvian Hockey Federation (LHF) announced that 27 players will go to the tournament, which is scheduled for November 5-8 – three goalkeepers, nine defenders and 15 attackers.

The first goalkeeper of the national team will be Artūrs Šilovs, who is under the auspices of the Vancouver “Canucks”, but from the guards in the Latvian national team shirt you can see such hockey players as Artūrs Kulda, Kārlis Čukste, Oskars Bārtulis and Krišjānis Rēdlihs. Mārtiņš Karsums, Rihards Bukarts, Andris Džeriņš and Gunārs Skvorcovs will represent the team from the leading players in the attack.

The first three of the strikers have not yet reached a new contract this season, while Skvortsov has played in four Continental Hockey League (KHL) games in Beijing’s Coon Red Star. He is the sole representative of KHL in this composition.

Nikolajs Jeļisevejs demonstrated the most striking performance of the local championship strikers, who scored ten goals and equally effective passes in 12 games in the ranks of “Olimp” / “Venta 2002”. Bruno Zabis has four points less (6 + 10), but another Liepāja resident Egīls Kalns has scored ten “goals” and five passes.

It is known that defender Kristofers Bindulis joined the national team in Germany.

The head coach of the Latvian national team in the tournament will be Artis Ābols, who will be assisted by Herberts Vasiljevs, Edgars Masaļskis and Maksims Širokovs, as well as daily communication with Bob Hartl, making decisions on the ranks of players.

A day later at 15.45 Latvian time, a meeting with the German national team is planned.

The team went to the tournament on Wednesday, November 4, and will be back on Monday, November 9. Each team member took two Covid-19 tests both before the start of the training camp and before leaving for Germany. Double tests will also be required upon return.

It has already been reported that all players of the national team tested negative for Covid-19 last week.

Composition of the Latvian men’s hockey team in the test tournament “Deutschland Cup”:

Goalkeepers – Artūrs Šilovs, Kārlis Beķeris-Brīvkalns (both – Hockey School “Rīga”), Rūdolfs Lazdiņš (“Olimp” / “Venta 2002”);

Guards – Artūrs Kulda, Artūrs Salija (both – without club), Ēriks Ševčenko, Harijs Brants (both – “Zemgale” / LLU), Kārlis Čukste, Oskars Bārtulis, Krišjānis Rēdlihs (all – “Mogo” / LSPA), Arvils Bergmanis ( “Olimp” / “Venta 2002”), Christopher Bindulis (Kreengfeld “Penguine”, Germany);

Forwarders – Vitalijs Pavlovs, Rihards Bukarts, Mārtiņš Karsums, Andris Džeriņš, Frank Razgals, Renārs Krastenbergs (all – without club), Gatis Sprukts, Emīls Ezītis, Nikolajs Jeļisejevs (all – “Olimp” / “Venta 2002”) Egils Kalns Freidenfelds, Kārlis Ozoliņš (all – “Liepāja”), Ralfs Jevdokimovs (“Zemgale” / LLU), Oskars Batņa (“Anglet”, France), Gunārs Skvorcovs (Beijing “Kuņluņ Red Star”, KHL).