Dinamo Riga 17/18 - Predicted Gargarin Cup Champions!

[Rigafan]

Spurred on by hansomreiste comment and steap for creating the Sibir thread.. Here is the Dinamo Riga thread!

We only have 1 player with a sure contract next season: UVIS JANIS BALINSKIS. He's from HK Riga in the juniors.

Usually we leave it very late to sign up the usual core of Team Latvia and star guys like Indrasis and Redlihs.

I wouldn't mind if we decided to extend Colton Gillies contract as he was playing like a man possessed during their final 2 games, even though the games meant nothing he gave 200% effort. Tim Sestito while his points dropped he seems like a good guy so I don't mind either way.

We should remove Sejejs from Head Coach, he has no idea what he's doing!

Attendance was shocking for Riga, but you can't blame the locals, its not exactly cheap and they had a no hope season. However Wingas (basically Gazprom) have paying the bills and seem happy to do so, they even write hockey blogs on their website (http://www.powerplay.wingas.com/en/)

I'd really like to see us try and recruit properly. No more failed AHL dropouts that would be better suited to the British leagues please. Spend some money and try to replace the leadership we've clearly lost since Ozo retired

Click to read more...

 

[Rigafan]

Riga offer a contract to Bob Hartley as coach - http://www.eliteprospects.com/staff.php?staff=463

 

[Jussi]

Going to be funny when this thread will have more posts by an English poster than actual Latvians.

 

[Milos Krasic]

Riga offer a contract to Bob Hartley as coach - http://www.eliteprospects.com/staff.php?staff=463

That would seem like a good hire. Also interested who of "his guys" Hartley would bring.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Unless Riga gets a truckload of money Hartley isn't going to bother with them.

 

[Rigafan]

Going to be funny when this thread will have more posts by an English poster than actual Latvians.

Where are all the locals! I spend a lot of time in Latvia though so I feel like 'work in progress Latvian'

 

[Rigafan]

That would seem like a good hire. Also interested who of "his guys" Hartley would bring.

If they bring in some NA guys I hope they will be of suitable quality this time. Guys last season wouldbn't have looked out of place in the UK

 

[Jussi]

Where are all the locals! I spend a lot of time in Latvia though so I feel like 'work in progress Latvian'

Check the previous season thread, they soured on the KHL a long time ago.

 

[BalticWarrior]

So what are the chances of Dināmo not starting the 17/18 season beacause of financial reasons? If i had to guess - almost 100%. Theres only one player under contract right now and thats Balinskis.

 

[penepi]

So what are the chances of Dināmo not starting the 17/18 season beacause of financial reasons? If i had to guess - almost 100%. Theres only one player under contract right now and thats Balinskis.

If I had to guess - 0%. Dinamo will start on a pre-season tournament sponsored by Wingas in August, along with Slovan, Podolsk and one German team. And having signed only one player in May is not problematic. Two season ago, for instance, Slovan signed its first player in mid-July and made it into the playoffs that season.

 

[SoundAndFury]

None of the players who ended the season with Riga last year signed elsewhere so I'd say that's pretty strong indication they are calm about their future.

 

[Rigafan]

None of the players who ended the season with Riga last year signed elsewhere so I'd say that's pretty strong indication they are calm about their future.

Same last season, the core Latvians left it rather late to sign up. Probably test offers elsewhere then know they can just come to Dinamo last minute

 

[Rigafan]

If I had to guess - 0%. Dinamo will start on a pre-season tournament sponsored by Wingas in August, along with Slovan, Podolsk and one German team. And having signed only one player in May is not problematic. Two season ago, for instance, Slovan signed its first player in mid-July and made it into the playoffs that season.

http://www.powerplay.wingas.com/en/

Wingas seem to really love hockey don't they!

 

[Rigafan]

Oskars Cibulskis and Filipp Toluzakov leave.

Cibulskis to Czech and Toluzakov to Amur. Sad to see Oskars, we need to start recruiting some serious Dmen. Its not been the same since Sandis retired

 

[SoundAndFury]

Cibulskis is going to be Dzerins' teammate, obvious Latvian bias in Hradec Kralove. But from Riga's perspective I can see this as a) them not having money; b) making roster space for Balinskis. Both are possible.

 

[BalticWarrior]

Cibulskis is going to be Dzerins' teammate, obvious Latvian bias in Hradec Kralove. But from Riga's perspective I can see this as a) them not having money; b) making roster space for Balinskis. Both are possible.

Appearently theres some interest from the NHL about Balinskis so even that might not happen.

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

Appearently theres some interest from the NHL about Balinskis so even that might not happen.

No NHL teams are gonna give him a contract now. They are scouting him for a future offer.

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

Cibulskis is going to be Dzerins' teammate, obvious Latvian bias in Hradec Kralove. But from Riga's perspective I can see this as a) them not having money; b) making roster space for Balinskis. Both are possible.

I would also add, that not every player is able to play 20 years in the same team. Maybe he wanted to breath some new air.

 

[Rigafan]

Miks Indrasis is back for one more year

http://rsport.ru/hockey/20170528/1121060012.html

 

[Rigafan]

http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=11843

Ozolins named Head Coach! I said this should happen. Hopefully renew some interest after the last few seasons. Not sure what role Hartley will play now though?

 

[GX]

Not sure what role Hartley will play now though?

What role should he play? He won't be near project Dinamo-Gazprom Riga.

 

[Rigafan]

What role should he play? He won't be near project Dinamo-Gazprom Riga.

I wouldn't object to a name change!

We Hartley was signed to be head coach wasn't he?

 

[Exarz]

I wouldn't object to a name change!

We Hartley was signed to be head coach wasn't he?

I believe he declined the offer from Dinamo?

 

[Rigafan]

I believe he declined the offer from Dinamo?

Strange how he was at one of their ceremonies getting his own shift awarded then. Oh well much prefer Ozo in charge anyway

 

[Rigafan]

1st Import signing

Karl Stollery - http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=19292

Seems decent enough at AHL level and has seen 23 NHL games. Not a bad first import signing