U18: Latvia 2025 Roster Talk

[Namejs]

With both the Latvian U18 and U17 national teams taking part in exhibition tournaments, the time is night to start a thread about this very talented group of players.

While the U18s already finished their job and beat Norway, Denmark and Austria, curiously enough about half of the leading kids were actually missing from the U18 squad. Apparently, the Latvian Hockey Federation decided to split the talent evenly across the U18 and U17 national teams in order to take a look at a larger set of players. The U17 team will face Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Austria and Ukraine and notably includes Klaucans and Berzkalns both of whom had quite a lot of ice time at the U20 Worlds.

The U17 team has other great prospects like Reidzans, Grundmanis, Rutkis, Malisevs along with one of the top lines of HS Riga. It will be very interesting to see whether they can beat Slovakia or Switzerland/Czechia.

These 2 exhibition tournaments are the last big filter before the U18 Worlds and the scope and breadth of talent being tried out is encouraging and the LHF has done a real good job so far.

Now, about the U18 tournament:
Serkins 5 pts
Utnans 5 pts
Polis 5 pts
A. Smits (D) 2 pts

A couple of good news here - the struggling HS Riga still has a few pretty good players and I was a little surprised at how productive Utnans and Polis were. However, the biggest surprise to me was how good A. Smits is at skating and moving the puck as a defenceman. This guy will probably be on the top pairing for us. He's played in Finland since he was 14 so I had not seen him play before. An exciting prospect.

Waiting for the U17 tournament (EYOF), which will be streamed live online, by the way. Starts Feb 12. The first international test for Grundmanis, Malisevs and others I've praised before.

Click to read more...

 

[Namejs]

The U17 team just lost to Slovakia 2:3. Goals by Klaucans and Reidzans, Plumins saved 23/26. Not a whole lot to go by, but judging by the stat sheet Rutkis played on the top line and clearly was one of the leading players with 4 SOG, Grundmanis with 3 SOG. Malisevs pretty underwhelming even at this level.

A very close game according to LHF.

 

[Namejs]

Oh wow, Ukraine just played 2 close games against both Slovakia and Latvia and actually beat us.

I'm more impressed by their showing than upset about ours and it does look like Ukraine is probably going to be back in the Elite tier in about 5 years or so.

Vasiak and Voroteliak seem to be great prospects for them.

As for Team Latvia, our goalies were underwhelming. 0.864 SVS%. Unfortunately, this might become a theme.

All of Klaucans, Reidzans, Berzkalns and finally Malisevs with 2 points. In other words, the usual suspects and not a whole lot of surprises there.

 

[kudla]

Oh wow, Ukraine just played 2 close games against both Slovakia and Latvia and actually beat us.

I'm more impressed by their showing than upset about ours and it does look like Ukraine is probably going to be back in the Elite tier in about 5 years or so.

Vasiak and Voroteliak seem to be great prospects for them.

As for Team Latvia, our goalies were underwhelming. 0.864 SVS%. Unfortunately, this might become a theme.

All of Klaucans, Reidzans, Berzkalns and finally Malisevs with 2 points. In other words, the usual suspects and not a whole lot of surprises there.

Yeah, Ukraine U18 actually beat Slovakia a few days ago too. What a set of results for them. But I am sure you, or your stunt double know that

 

[Slovakprospects]

Oh wow Supertalented 08 latvians without only Murnieks lose to SVK 08 "B" We missing Ozogany, Kazda, Husák, Chudý, Maršálek, Lukáčik, Koprivnansky, Gašparovič, Šuranyi, Vavro, Halas, Selic, Kubát, Bernát, Floriš, Plančár, Čelko nad others .... and then lost to Ukraine 08/09 wow crazy medal contender U18 Latvians lost to super crappy slovakians and ukrainians .. how crazy

 

[Namejs]

Yeah, Ukraine U18 actually beat Slovakia a few days ago too. What a set of results for them. But I am sure you, or your stunt double know that

View attachment 977213

That's not me. You should know that it lacks at least 5 paragraphs to be worthy of my name.

Namejs is a popular name/nickname in Latvia. See Nameisis - Wikipedia

There's also a movie about the ring of Namejs. Nameja gredzens (2018) 6.0 | Action, Drama, History

(It's not my ring either)

 

[Namejs]

Oh wow Supertalented 08 latvians without only Murnieks lose to SVK 08 "B" We missing Ozogany, Kazda, Husák, Chudý, Maršálek, Lukáčik, Koprivnansky, Gašparovič, Šuranyi, Vavro, Halas, Selic, Kubát, Bernát, Floriš, Plančár, Čelko nad others .... and then lost to Ukraine 08/09 wow crazy medal contender U18 Latvians lost to super crappy slovakians and ukrainians .. how crazy

Why are Slavic people so toxic?

A single U17 exhibition game obviously doesn't mean a whole lot. It is perplexing to me that you're listing a bunch of Slovak kids playing in 16U AAA and scoring below ppg.

These kids were not even looked at in Latvia. We do have a few of them too, but they're clearly not going to be difference makers.

Going by your standards, I could list Murnieks, Naudins (played major minutes in the WJC), Avotins, Zirnitis, Bartulis, Vasilevskis, Gruntmanis, Sparans, Berzins and Laganovskis missing as well.

I can't wait for the U18 Worlds. Let's settle this on the ice on April 28, OK?

 

[Slovakprospects]

vasilevskis 52g 10 p OKAY Gruntmanis 6g 0p with AA league Sparans USHS - MN league okay another trash Laganovskis 54g 17 p okay only 2 players who u mentioned have better stats than all of our players what i type there ... only naudins, murnieks ... others are bunch of lames .. if u write here these lack of shits then i write then other 30 players with same stats like your laganovskis and other pro players from NA what about Pisarcik, Bednár, Kubiš, Baran, Brath, Slovák, Sepák, Žák, Čongrády, Daniš, Šimončič, Lednický, Doboš, Nekoranec, Stadlman, Oszer, Jašo, Havel, Hackenberg, Suja, Mozes, Lang, Rakvica, Križanovič, Blahuta, MIchalov, Lazovský, Rončka, Varga, Hodovský, Kubát, Dubec, Uličný,

 

[Slovakprospects]

want others ?? Fatyka, M. Valent, Valentovič, Niederleitner, Petrovic, Strazovec, Reginac, Kois, SImek, Tlstovič, Tariška, Haroník, Benačka, Ozimák, Šimko, Greguš, Friedl, Trebula, Rychlík, Šromovský, Požgay, Ondrejčák, Kasala, Repka, Rajnoha, Veselý, Brath, Gonšor, Haborák, Chautur, Puškár, Krnáč ... all with same quallity with noobs what u are writing here +)