U18: Latvia U18s 2025 Roster Talk

[Slovakprospects]

Nahl and swe u18 are stronger than slovak U20 Leauge, just to be clear.

Which players who are nominated active in the Slovak league system are from the junior league? Nobody ... All of them played extraliga or 1.liga which are professional men's leagues miles away in quality compared to Latvian ones

 

[Slovakprospects]

There are currently 43 players in our camp. This was our B- team.

I have never heard of the player who scored the lone Latvian goal - he is ranked 156th in the Latvian semi-pro league in point production per game. As a forward.

I don't think it is a coincidence.

B team ? Half of the players who started the match will be in the your final roster, so don't hesitate. And for the next one, I don't understand how you can't know the player that the Latvian coaches selected for the national team, how is that possible then? And it's interesting that of your tragedians who, by the way, will also participate in the World Cup, only one scored

 

[Slovakprospects]

My tip: the following will make it to the final nomination from this team: Capars, Naglis, Budenieks, Auzins, tutins, glaznieks, vegeris, reidzans, serkins, rutkis, polis, kuzmins, utnans, obuks ... maybe someone else ... ( if dont came murnieks, berzkalns) that's 13 players and 1 goalkeeper so its "B" ? i dont think so ... its semi A/B

 

[Namejs]

B team ? Half of the players who started the match will be in the your final roster, so don't hesitate. And for the next one, I don't understand how you can't know the player that the Latvian coaches selected for the national team, how is that possible then? And it's interesting that of your tragedians who, by the way, will also participate in the World Cup, only one scored

I did not understand a lot of what you said because of your English, sorry.

How can it be that I don't know some 17 year old hockey player? Well, I do know over fifty Latvian U18s, but I do not know everyone with a licence or everyone who knows how to skate.

The fact that a kid like that was able to score on you is telling.

Also, please read the thread before posting.

Literally all of our key and several supporting players were not present for this game. I explicitly told that before the Slovakia prep games.

For these games the roster was largely based on HS Riga, which routinely lost against Lithuanian 45 year olds and Estonian amateurs this season.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Which players who are nominated active in the Slovak league system are from the junior league? Nobody ... All of them played extraliga or 1.liga which are professional men's leagues miles away in quality compared to Latvian ones

I would argue Latvia Leauge is just as strong as 1.liga or perhaps even better

 

[Namejs]

I would argue Latvia Leauge is just as strong as 1.liga or perhaps even better

I did not even notice that. The Latvian league is better in terms of level of play, especially if you discount the Lithuanian amateurs and the U18 team.
If you would look at the Latvian players with actual 1.liga experience, they score at a higher rate in Slovakia. This is one of the major data points I have used to compare the strength of Slovak and Latvian programmes.

As for HS Riga, it's the top line and their PP unit that will play on this U18 national team, injecting extra chemistry in the Latvian bottom 6.

The Slovakian U18 team always has some 1.liga players with mediocre rates of production. This aligns and overlaps exactly with the structure of the Latvian U18 team. This Latvian generation has more top end talent and if all of them make the roster, I believe we should beat Slovakia in WJC.

I have zero idea why some Slovak posters are so emotional about prep games between B or C teams. Slovakia has significantly more depth in terms of quantity. Their 3rd string team is much better than the Latvian one. Which is exactly why I could not care less about the 26th best Latvian U18 forward -- they have 0 potential of ever becoming pro.

 

[Pazucha]

I hope you're wrong, I have been hyping myself up about this for a while.

Which is exactly why I could not care less about the 26th best Latvian U18 forward -- they have 0 potential of ever becoming pro.

So you were so hyped for this match but now that you lost 2x, its bunch of no names that you don't care about.

I have zero idea why some Slovak posters are so emotional about prep games between B or C teams.

Maybe because you made an account on a Slovak forum just to trashtalk the Slovak team? And don't say its wasn't you.

 

[Namejs]

So you were so hyped for this match but now that you lost 2x, its bunch of no names that you don't care about.





Maybe because you made an account on a Slovak forum just to trashtalk the Slovak team? And don't say its wasn't you.

I'm really starting to question the standards of your education system in Slovakia.

It seems that most of you are not functionally literate and have a double-digit IQ.

I am hyping myself up for the U18 WJC. Not exhibition games.

I do not have an account on some shit tier Slovak forum. I do not give a shit about you or your country.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I did not even notice that. The Latvian league is better in terms of level of play, especially if you discount the Lithuanian amateurs and the U18 team.

"Lithuanian amateurs" made the PO of the Latvian league this year. For those who don't follow it (which might include Namejs) that's playing in the semi-finals. So if you exclude them and judge the league on its 3 top teams I guess it's pretty good. I'm also glad to know Estonian amateurs are still in the good books, for whatever reason.

 

[Namejs]

"Lithuanian amateurs" made the PO of the Latvian league this year. For those who don't follow it (which might include Namejs) that's playing in the semi-finals. So if you exclude them and judge the league on its 3 top teams I guess it's pretty good. I'm also glad to know Estonian amateurs are still in the good books, for whatever reason.

They made the PO, correct. This is how they fared in semi-final:

And, yes, if we are judging the level of opposition of the worst team in the league, there's 6 teams left to gauge.

Also, making the play-offs means you finished 4th in a league of 6 + U18 team.

 

[Slovakprospects]

so we conclude that the Latvian league is a joke about three teams

 

[Slovakprospects]

and then let's compare the Slovak and Latvian leagues hahahha, very funny

 

[Slovakprospects]

I did not even notice that. The Latvian league is better in terms of level of play, especially if you discount the Lithuanian amateurs and the U18 team.
If you would look at the Latvian players with actual 1.liga experience, they score at a higher rate in Slovakia. This is one of the major data points I have used to compare the strength of Slovak and Latvian programmes.

As for HS Riga, it's the top line and their PP unit that will play on this U18 national team, injecting extra chemistry in the Latvian bottom 6.

The Slovakian U18 team always has some 1.liga players with mediocre rates of production. This aligns and overlaps exactly with the structure of the Latvian U18 team. This Latvian generation has more top end talent and if all of them make the roster, I believe we should beat Slovakia in WJC.

I have zero idea why some Slovak posters are so emotional about prep games between B or C teams. Slovakia has significantly more depth in terms of quantity. Their 3rd string team is much better than the Latvian one. Which is exactly why I could not care less about the 26th best Latvian U18 forward -- they have 0 potential of ever becoming pro.

tell me who specifically had better statistics in the Slovak league than in the Latvian one... am I listening? I didn't find anyone

 

[SoundAndFury]

They made the PO, correct. This is how they fared in semi-final

Well, yes. And in the other semi Zemgale won the series 4-0 as well with the closest game having a 3-goal difference. So I'm not really sure what point you are trying to make. Out of 4 best teams in the Latvian league, 2 were Latvian and those two were head and shoulders above anyone else.

So you should either concede that it's a two-team league and your evaluation is based on those or should be happy "Lithuanian amateurs" as well as "Estonian amateurs" provide at least a few marginally competitive teams so you can claim that "the Latvian league is better in terms of the level of play" than anything at all.

 

[Namejs]

tell me who specifically had better statistics in the Slovak league than in the Latvian one... am I listening? I didn't find anyone

I think that is the core issue. You're not listening.

Last 3 seasons:

Eduards Hugo Jansons
Latvia
0.29 ppg
Slovakia2 0.80 ppg

Aleksandrs Jerofojevs
Latvia
0.63 ppg
Slovakia2 (at the ripe age of 40)
0.90 ppg

Reinis Demiters
Latvia
0.58 ppg
Slovakia2
0.64 ppg

 

[Namejs]

so we conclude that the Latvian league is a joke about three teams

The Latvian league is a joke. It's slightly weaker than NAHL these days, so below Tier A junior hockey. It still is better than Slovakia2.

Also, a 4th line forward playing on the worst team of the Latvian league with 4 points in 30+ games scored on your national team.

 

[Slovakprospects]

I think that is the core issue. You're not listening.

Last 3 seasons:

Eduards Hugo Jansons
Latvia
0.29 ppg
Slovakia2 0.80 ppg

Aleksandrs Jerofojevs
Latvia
0.63 ppg
Slovakia2 (at the ripe age of 40)
0.90 ppg

Reinis Demiters
Latvia
0.58 ppg
Slovakia2
0.64 ppg

Where ??

 

[Slovakprospects]

Where ?

 

[Slovakprospects]

Jansons play latvian league 9 years before svk2 what u compare ? Are u Pejorative Slured ? demiters better stats in latvian then SVK 2 so why u lie ?? Tell me

 

[Namejs]

Where ??

This guy actually can't read.

 

[Namejs]

Well, yes. And in the other semi Zemgale won the series 4-0 as well with the closest game having a 3-goal difference. So I'm not really sure what point you are trying to make. Out of 4 best teams in the Latvian league, 2 were Latvian and those two were head and shoulders above anyone else.

So you should either concede that it's a two-team league and your evaluation is based on those or should be happy "Lithuanian amateurs" as well as "Estonian amateurs" provide at least a few marginally competitive teams so you can claim that "the Latvian league is better in terms of the level of play" than anything at all.

If you're big on video games, I bet you only play the side quests.

I honestly don't care about Hockey Punks or Tartu Diamonds or whatever they're called. It's a backstop to keep the Latvian league afloat and it works to an extent.

The lower teams are shite. The Estonians can keep the score closer and get some points off of the leading teams. Is there a huge difference between the Lithuanians and the Estonians? No.

Again, it's not a hill I'm willing to die on. I do not care.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I honestly don't care about Hockey Punks or Tartu Diamonds or whatever they're called. It's a backstop to keep the Latvian league afloat and it works to an extent.

It's true but when the majority of "your" league at this point are such backstops (since realistically U18 team functions the same way) and is a complete joke as a commercial project that the sports leagues have to be to ensure their survival I thought you'd be more humble when comparing it to the league where some teams pull 3k+ attendance.

Instead, you give this anecdotal evidence of a few defensemen relying on the numbers from 2010s to make your case. Like Jansons, for example, was 19 when he last played in the Latvian league in 2017.

Pastrnak in the Allsvenskan - 0,57 PPG. In the NHL - 1,1 PPG. Allsvenskan >>> NHL. Yes, I smart.

And your comparison wouldn't be so disingenuous if things in Latvia had mostly remained the same since the 2010s. However the fact is, compared to the 19/20 season, when there actually were 8 Latvian teams in a pretty competitive league, 4 of those don't even entertain the idea of icing anything remotely close to the professional team or are dead altogether.

Yes, at some select point in time Slovakia2 and the Latvian league were probably pretty damn close hockey-wise. But it sure as hell doesn't apply to 2025 or the Baltic league era altogether. But that's the price the Latvian league is paying for a complete standstill going on for decades in terms of getting itself going financially where the only chance to bump up the average attendance to at least the Spanish league standards (~360) is to invite amateur teams from neighboring countries.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Just for the sake of this sidequest:

​	Latvia	Slovakia2
David Maniaček	0,4	0,27
Ronald Dvonc	0,69	0,42
Filip Hudak	0,66	0,44
Boris Hrubo	0,23	0,00
Daniel Klinecky	0,84	0,47
Dominik Matonak	0,63	0,00
Mykhailo Krasnozhon	0,33	0,04
Vladimirs Mamonovs	1,14	0,57
Lauris Rancevs	0,59	0,39

Janis Andersons	0,42	0,31
Martins Lavrovs	0,98	0,4

But don't let this laundry list of names distract you from the 3 examples Namejs has given that actually fit his narrative.