Latvia men's national ice hockey team
Men's national ice hockey team representing Latvia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Latvian men's national ice hockey team represents Latvia in international ice hockey. The team is ranked 10th in the world by IIHF as of 2025 and is controlled by the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation. Their best ever finish at the World Championships was in 2023, when they won the bronze medal. They reached the quarterfinals at the 2014 Winter Olympics, losing 2–1 to Canada. Latvia has hosted the World Championships three times, in 2006, 2021 and 2023, and will host it in 2030.
| |
| Association | Latvian Ice Hockey Federation |
|---|---|
| General manager | Rūdolfs Kalvītis |
| Head coach | Harijs Vītoliņš |
| Assistants | |
| Captain | Rūdolfs Balcers |
| Most games | Rodrigo Laviņš (230) |
| Top scorer | Leonīds Tambijevs (66) |
| Most points | Leonīds Tambijevs (150) |
| Home stadium | Xiaomi Arēna |
| Team colors | |
| IIHF code | LAT |
 | |
| Ranking | |
| Current IIHF | 10 ( 1) (26 May 2025)[1] |
| Highest IIHF | 9 (2005–06, 2014) |
| Lowest IIHF | 13 (2018) |
| First international | |
Latvia  3–0  Lithuania(Riga, Latvia; 27 February 1932)[2] | |
| Biggest win | |
Latvia 32–0  Israel(Bled, Slovenia; 15 March 1993)[2] | |
| Biggest defeat | |
Canada  14–0 Latvia(Davos, Switzerland; 20 January 1935)[2] | |
| Olympics | |
| Appearances | 7 (first in 1936) |
| IIHF World Championships | |
| Appearances | 37 (first in 1933) |
| Best result |  Bronze: (2023) |
| IIHF European Championships | |
| Appearances | 1 |
| International record (W–L–T) | |
| 295–294–28 | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| World Championship | ||
 | 2023 Finland/Latvia | |
There are 7,898 registered hockey players in Latvia, which is 0.43% of its population.
Tournament record
Olympic Games
| Games | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA | Coach | Captain | Finish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 27 | Arvīds Jurgens | Leonīds Vedējs | 13 | |
| 1948–1988 | As part of  Soviet Union | |||||||||
 1992 Albertville |
did not qualify | |||||||||
 1994 Lillehammer | ||||||||||
 1998 Nagano | ||||||||||
 2002 Salt Lake City |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 14 | Curt Lindström | Harijs Vītoliņš | 9 | |
 2006 Turin |
5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 29 | Leonīds Beresņevs | Kārlis Skrastiņš | 12 | |
 2010 Vancouver |
4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 22 | Oļegs Znaroks | Kārlis Skrastiņš | 12 |
 2014 Sochi |
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 14 | Ted Nolan | Sandis Ozoliņš | 8 |
 2018 Pyeongchang |
did not qualify | |||||||||
 2022 Beijing |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 14 | Harijs Vītoliņš | Lauris Dārziņš | 11 |
| 2026 Milan / Cortina d'Ampezzo |
4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 17 | Harijs Vītoliņš | Kaspars Daugaviņš | 10 |
World Championship
| Championships | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA | Coach | Captain | Finish | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1933 Prague |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | Nikolajs Kavass | Arvīds Jurgens | Finished in 10th place | ||
 1935 Davos |
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 25 | Nikolajs Kavass | Leonīds Vedējs | Finished in 13th place | ||
| 1938 Prague |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8 | Arvīds Jurgens | Leonīds Vedējs | Finished tied in 10th place | ||
| 1939 Zürich/Basel |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 21 | Larry Marsh | Leonīds Vedējs | Finished in 10th place | ||
| 1954 – 1991 | As part of Soviet Union | ||||||||||
 1993 Bled/Ljubljana (Group C) |
7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 101 | 9 | Helmuts Balderis | Konstantīns Grigorjevs | Finished in 21st place (Won Group C) | ||
 1994 Copenhagen/Aalborg (Group B) |
7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 61 | 9 | Helmuts Balderis | Konstantīns Grigorjevs | Finished in 14th place (2nd in Group B) | ||
 1995 Bratislava (Group B) |
7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 65 | 16 | Ēvalds Grabovskis | Aleksandrs Beļavskis | Finished in 14th place (2nd in Group B) | ||
 1996 Eindhoven (Group B) |
7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 16 | Leonīds Beresņevs | Oleg Znarok | Finished in 13th place (Won Group B) | ||
 1997 Helsinki/Tampere/Turku |
8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 37 | 23 | Leonīds Beresņevs | Normunds Sējējs | Finished in 7th place | ||
| 1998 Zürich/Basel |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 18 | Leonīds Beresņevs | Oleg Znarok | Finished in 9th place | ||
| 1999 Oslo/Hamar/Lillehammer |
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 22 | Leonīds Beresņevs | Oleg Znarok | Finished in 11th place | ||
| 2000 Saint Petersburg |
7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 17 | Haralds Vasiļjevs | Harijs Vītoliņš | Finished in 8th place | ||
 2001 Nuremberg/Cologne/Hanover |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 13 | Haralds Vasiļjevs | Harijs Vītoliņš | Finished in 13th place | ||
 2002 Gothenburg/Karlstad/Jönköping |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 18 | Curt Lindström | Harijs Vītoliņš | Finished in 11th place | ||
| 2003 Helsinki/Tampere/Turku |
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 16 | Curt Lindström | Harijs Vītoliņš | Finished in 9th place | ||
| 2004 Prague/Ostrava |
7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 14 | Curt Lindström | Sergejs Žoltoks | Finished in 7th place | ||
 2005 Vienna/Innsbruck |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 21 | Leonīds Beresņevs | Kārlis Skrastiņš | Finished in 9th place | ||
| 2006 Riga |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 24 | Petr Vorobiev | Aleksandrs Semjonovs | Finished in 10th place | ||
European Championship
| Games | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA | Coach | Captain | Finish | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 Berlin |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 13 | Nikolajs Kavass | Arvīds Jurgens | Consolation Round | 8th |
Team
Current roster
Roster for the 2026 IIHF World Championship.[6][7]
Head coach: Harijs Vītoliņš
| No. | Pos. | Name | Height | Weight | Birthdate | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | D | Alberts Šmits | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | 93 kg (205 lb) | 2 December 2007 | Mikkelin Jukurit |
| 4 | D | Kristofers Bindulis | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | 86 kg (190 lb) | 18 September 1995 | HK Dukla Michalovce |
| 5 | D | Artūrs Andžāns | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | 90 kg (200 lb) | 21 August 2001 | HPK |
| 9 | F | Renārs Krastenbergs | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 84 kg (185 lb) | 26 December 1998 | HC Olomouc |
| 12 | F | Gļebs Prohorenkovs | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | 80 kg (180 lb) | 12 November 2001 | Niagara Purple Eagles |
| 14 | F | Olivers Mūrnieks | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | 90 kg (200 lb) | 31 July 2008 | Saint John Sea Dogs |
| 17 | F | Mārtiņš Dzierkals | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 84 kg (185 lb) | 4 April 1997 | HC Sparta Praha |
| 21 | F | Rūdolfs Balcers – C | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | 79 kg (174 lb) | 8 April 1997 | ZSC Lions |
| 22 | F | Toms Andersons | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 86 kg (190 lb) | 25 November 1993 | HC La Chaux-de-Fonds |
| 23 | F | Sandis Vilmanis | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 87 kg (192 lb) | 23 January 2004 | Florida Panthers |
| 27 | D | Oskars Cibuļskis | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 96 kg (212 lb) | 9 April 1988 | Herning Blue Fox |
| 29 | D | Ralfs Freibergs – A | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | 84 kg (185 lb) | 17 May 1991 | Mountfield HK |
| 34 | F | Eduards Tralmaks | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | 85 kg (187 lb) | 17 February 1997 | Grand Rapids Griffins |
| 37 | F | Oskars Lapinskis | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | 75 kg (165 lb) | 3 May 2002 | SCL Tigers |
| 40 | G | Mareks Mitens | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 80 kg (180 lb) | 29 January 1998 | HC Banská Bystrica |
| 42 | D | Miks Tumānovs | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | 83 kg (183 lb) | 7 August 2001 | Jokerit |
| 50 | G | Kristers Gudļevskis | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | 97 kg (214 lb) | 31 July 1992 | Fischtown Pinguins |
| 55 | D | Roberts Mamčics | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | 105 kg (231 lb) | 6 April 1995 | Energie Karlovy Vary |
| 73 | F | Deniss Smirnovs | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | 80 kg (180 lb) | 7 March 1999 | EHC Kloten |
| 77 | D | Kristaps Zīle – A | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 86 kg (190 lb) | 24 December 1997 | HC Bílí Tygři Liberec |
| 87 | F | Kristaps Skrastiņš | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | 77 kg (170 lb) | 20 November 2001 | New Hampshire Wildcats |
| 88 | G | Gustavs Grigals | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 89 kg (196 lb) | 22 July 1998 | SaiPa |
| 89 | F | Filips Buncis | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | 93 kg (205 lb) | 12 June 1997 | Rungsted Ishockey Klub |
| 95 | F | Oskars Batņa | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | 106 kg (234 lb) | 7 May 1995 | Lahti Pelicans |
| 97 | F | Haralds Egle | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | 95 kg (209 lb) | 11 May 1996 | Energie Karlovy Vary |
2026 Olympics roster
The first six players of Latvia's roster were announced on 16 June 2025.[8] The remaining roster was named on 6 January 2026.[9][10] On 12 January, forward Eriks Mateiko was ruled out for the remainder of the season and Olympics after his Achilles tendon was accidentally cut by a skate blade during a Hershey Bears game;[11] he was replaced on the roster by Anrī Ravinskis.[12] On 18 January, forward Rodrigo Ābols was ruled out after suffering a lower-body injury the previous day, and was replaced by Rihards Bukarts.[13] On 10 February, Kaspars Daugaviņš was named Latvia's captain, with Uvis Balinskis and Zemgus Girgensons serving as alternate captains.[14]
Head coach: Harijs Vītoliņš[15]
| No. | Pos. | Name | Height | Weight | Birthdate | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | D | Alberts Šmits | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 93 kg (205 lb) | 2 December 2007 (aged 18) | Jukurit |
| 9 | F | Renārs Krastenbergs | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 87 kg (192 lb) | 26 December 1998 (aged 27) | HC Olomouc |
| 11 | F | Dans Ločmelis | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 81 kg (179 lb) | 21 January 2004 (aged 22) | Providence Bruins |
| 13 | F | Rihards Bukarts | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | 84 kg (185 lb) | 31 December 1995 (aged 30) | HC Prešov |
| 16 | F | Kaspars Daugaviņš – C | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 102 kg (225 lb) | 18 May 1988 (aged 37) | Kassel Huskies |
| 17 | F | Mārtiņš Dzierkals | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 91 kg (201 lb) | 4 April 1997 (aged 28) | Sparta Praha |
| 21 | F | Rūdolfs Balcers | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | 80 kg (176 lb) | 8 April 1997 (aged 28) | ZSC Lions |
| 22 | F | Sandis Vilmanis | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 88 kg (194 lb) | 23 January 2004 (aged 22) | Florida Panthers |
| 23 | F | Teodors Bļugers | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 86 kg (190 lb) | 15 August 1994 (aged 31) | Vancouver Canucks |
| 26 | D | Uvis Balinskis – A | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 90 kg (198 lb) | 1 August 1996 (aged 29) | Florida Panthers |
| 27 | D | Oskars Cibuļskis | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 94 kg (207 lb) | 9 April 1988 (aged 37) | Herning Blue Fox |
| 28 | F | Zemgus Girgensons – A | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 90 kg (198 lb) | 5 January 1994 (aged 32) | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 29 | D | Ralfs Freibergs | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 88 kg (194 lb) | 17 May 1991 (aged 34) | Vítkovice Ridera |
| 30 | G | Elvis Merzļikins | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | 90 kg (198 lb) | 13 April 1994 (aged 31) | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| 31 | G | Artūrs Šilovs | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 93 kg (205 lb) | 22 March 2001 (aged 24) | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 34 | F | Eduards Tralmaks | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 100 kg (220 lb) | 17 February 1997 (aged 28) | Grand Rapids Griffins |
| 43 | F | Anrī Ravinskis | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 94 kg (207 lb) | 2 January 2003 (aged 23) | Abbotsford Canucks |
| 50 | G | Kristers Gudļevskis | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 97 kg (214 lb) | 31 July 1992 (aged 33) | Fischtown Pinguins |
| 55 | D | Roberts Mamčics | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | 104 kg (229 lb) | 6 April 1995 (aged 30) | Energie Karlovy Vary |
| 71 | F | Roberts Bukarts | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 84 kg (185 lb) | 27 June 1990 (aged 35) | Dukla Trenčín |
| 72 | D | Jānis Jaks | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 89 kg (196 lb) | 22 August 1995 (aged 30) | Energie Karlovy Vary |
| 77 | D | Kristaps Zīle | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 90 kg (198 lb) | 24 December 1997 (aged 28) | Bílí Tygři Liberec |
| 94 | D | Kristiāns Rubīns | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 99 kg (218 lb) | 11 December 1997 (aged 28) | Škoda Plzeň |
| 95 | F | Oskars Batņa | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | 106 kg (234 lb) | 7 May 1995 (aged 30) | Pelicans |
| 97 | F | Haralds Egle | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | 86 kg (190 lb) | 11 May 1996 (aged 29) | Energie Karlovy Vary |
Retired numbers
- 1 – Artūrs Irbe
- 7 – Kārlis Skrastiņš
- 19 – Helmuts Balderis
- 33 – Sergejs Žoltoks[16]
Coaching history
| Coach | GP | W | T | L | GD | P-ts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932–1935 | Nikolajs Kavass | 13 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 19:47 | 9 |
| 1936–1938 | Arvīds Jurgens | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7:35 | 3 |
| 1939 | Larry Marsh |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6:21 | 3 |
| 1992–1994 | Helmuts Balderis | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 162:18 | 27 |
| 1995 | Ēvalds Grabovskis | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 65:16 | 18 |
| 1996–1999 | Leonīds Beresņevs | 27 | 15 | 4 | 8 | 123:79 | 49 |
| 1999–2001 | Haralds Vasiļjevs | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 34:30 | 20 |
| 2001–2004 | Curt Lindström | 23 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 57:62 | 27 |
| 2005–2006 | Leonīds Beresņevs | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 21:50 | 8 |
| 2006 | Petr Vorobiev | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12:24 | 7 |
| 2007–2011 | Oleg Znarok | 35 | 16 | – | 19 | 85:123 | 37 |
| 2011–2014 | Ted Nolan | 26 | 11 | – | 15 | 54:82 | 25 |
| 2015 | Aleksandrs Beļavskis |
7 | 2 | – | 5 | 11:25 | 5 |
| 2016 | Leonīds Beresņevs |
7 | 1 | – | 6 | 13:22 | 6 |
| 2016 | Haralds Vasiļjevs |
3 | 2 | – | 1 | 13:5 | 6 |
| 2017–2021 | Bob Hartley | 29 | 12 | – | 17 | 68:73 | 41 |
| 2021–present | Harijs Vītoliņš | 43 | 22 | – | 21 | 122:130 | 60 |
All-time record
.jpg)
- As of 8 November 2025.[17]
| Opponent | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 28 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 106 | 65 | +41 |
 Belarus | 40 | 19 | 3 | 18 | 106 | 97 | +9 |
 Belgium | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 4 | +27 |
| Canada | 24 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 29 | 126 | -97 |
| China | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | +22 |
| Czech Republic | 19 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 34 | 66 | −32 |
| Czechoslovakia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | −16 |
| Denmark | 38 | 24 | 0 | 14 | 131 | 93 | +38 |
 Estonia | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 6 | +26 |
| Finland | 36 | 5 | 2 | 29 | 66 | 136 | −70 |
| France | 57 | 37 | 4 | 16 | 195 | 115 | +80 |
| Germany | 42 | 13 | 4 | 25 | 92 | 115 | -23 |
 Great Britain | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 44 | 39 | +5 |
 Hungary | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 12 | +19 |
| Israel | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | +32 |
| Italy | 19 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 71 | 30 | +41 |
| Japan | 13 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 79 | 26 | +53 |
 Kazakhstan | 15 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 54 | 31 | +23 |
 Lithuania | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 2 | +43 |
| Netherlands | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 6 | +39 |
 North Korea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 |
| Norway | 45 | 27 | 0 | 18 | 144 | 112 | +30 |
 Poland | 21 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 72 | 50 | +22 |
 Romania | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 49 | 7 | +42 |
| Russia | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 38 | 83 | −45 |
| Slovakia | 38 | 12 | 2 | 24 | 80 | 123 | -43 |
| Slovenia | 14 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 49 | 25 | +24 |
| South Korea | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 2 | +36 |
| Sweden | 30 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 50 | 126 | −76 |
| Switzerland | 43 | 10 | 3 | 30 | 78 | 134 | -56 |
 Ukraine | 20 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 67 | 49 | +18 |
| United States | 19 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 38 | 61 | −23 |
 Yugoslavia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | +10 |
| Total | 617 | 295 | 28 | 294 | 1 910 | 1 699 | +211 |
Uniform evolution
- National team jerseys
1993-2005 IIHF jerseys
2006-2013 IIHF jerseys
2014-2017 Winter Olympics and IIHF
2018–2021 IIHF jerseys
2022– Winter Olympics and IIHF
.png)
