The Future of Dinamo Riga?

[Rigafan]

They have not updated their website since Feb 27th, when they announced they are leaving the KHL. I have checked as many websites as I can but nothing is mentioned anywhere? Do we know what is happening? Or any rumours at least?

They still haven't removed all the KHL integration from their website, either!

Click to read more...

 

[SemireliableSource]

I'm thinking they're dead. It's unfortunate. I'd love to see some sort of Riga entry in Finland. Latvian teams returning to the BXL is a nonstarter and the only options really are Finland or Sweden as the Polish league isn't really worth the travel, no offense to the Poles.

 

[LKI]

I'm thinking they're dead. It's unfortunate. I'd love to see some sort of Riga entry in Finland. Latvian teams returning to the BXL is a nonstarter and the only options really are Finland or Sweden as the Polish league isn't really worth the travel, no offense to the Poles.

By BXL you mean BHL ?
Either way there are rumors of Latvian team joining Mestis, according to president of LHF the discussion has went as far as Finns are waiting for final answer from the LHF. President also drew attention to the fact that it would not be Riga's "Dinamo".

 

[SemireliableSource]

Yeah, by BXL I mean the Belarusian Extraleague.

Thanks for the heads up. I found this link that says the same thing, Mestis is waiting on LHF. Unless they get some big-time sponsor, that's the highest a Latvian team will go due to lack of funds.

 

[Albatros]

Mestis being only a semi-pro league travel is going to be an issue.

 

[LKI]

Mestis being only a semi-pro league travel is going to be an issue.

If Latvian team would join Mestis it would be made up from 18-23 year old guys kind of a equivalent of HK RIGA who played in MHL.

In other news 1 x U-16 team and 2 x U-15 will join Finnish leagues.

 

[mattihp]

Hopefully Latvian players can find some cohesion in club teams so that the national team doesn't suffer hugely. I don't see it as very likely though.. A couple will probably try the AHL and the rest of the best will.. Scatter I think.

 

[LKI]

Hopefully Latvian players can find some cohesion in club teams so that the national team doesn't suffer hugely. I don't see it as very likely though.. A couple will probably try the AHL and the rest of the best will.. Scatter I think.

I'd say national team will only gain from the liquidation of Dinamo Riga.

 

[mattihp]

I'd say national team will only gain from the liquidation of Dinamo Riga.

How? I thought playing together was a huge advantage. More players will take the chance in the A and potentially making the NHL?

 

[LKI]

How? I thought playing together was a huge advantage. More players will take the chance in the A and potentially making the NHL?

More players will have to compete for a spot in decent leagues, including NHL. Since Latvia does not have a significant pool of players that could play for KHL teams, for several players the Dinamo contract was pretty much guaranteed.

 

[Jussi]

Mestis tähyää laajemmille markkinoille: uusi joukkue Latviaan tähtäimessä jo syksyksi, Viro vuotta myöhemmin

Mikäli kevään aikana vilkkaana käyneet neuvottelut menevät maaliin, Mestistä pelataan pian kotimaan kaukaloiden lisäksi Latvian mestarin kotihallissa.

www.jatkoaika.com

Latvian Champion HK Zemgale/LLU to play in Mestis next season.

 

[Rigafan]

Rīgas "Dinamo" izskatīs iespēju spēlēt OHL - Hokeja ziņas

Kontinentālo hokeja līgu (KHL) iepriekš pārstāvējušais Rīgas “Dinamo” nākamajā sezonā varētu startēt Latvijas Optibet hokeja virslīgā, vēsta Hokejazinas.com rīcībā esošā neoficālā informācija.

hokejazinas.com

Dinamo Riga considering joining the Latvian league next season....

 

[Pardus]

In a recent interview HK Zemgale's GM Edgars Buncis has a wish that Dinamo Riga could join Finnish Liiga.

Here's my prediction of Dinamo's roster if that would happen:

Patriks Zabusovs - Rodrigo Abols - Rihards Bukarts
Renars Krastenbergs - Georgs Golovkovs - Rihards Marenis
Martins Dzierkals - Arturs Homjakovs - Rainers Rullers
Roberts Petrovics - Filips Buncis - Ricards Bernhards

Uvis Balinskis - Karlis Cukste
Janis Jaks - Miks Tumanovs
Kristaps Zile - Roberts Kalkis
Ernests Osenieks - Harijs Brants

Eriks Vitols (Mariuss Bajaruns-Galejs)

I didn't include players that are already playing or are going to play in NA in the near future. Also excluded the oldest players like Roberts Bukarts, Karsums, Indrasis etc.

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Why would Abols leave Örebro to play in Liiga?

 

[mattihp]

Why would Abols leave Örebro to play in Liiga?

To play on the same line as in the national team.

 

[Yellow and the green]

In a recent interview HK Zemgale's GM Edgars Buncis has a wish that Dinamo Riga could join Finnish Liiga.

Not happening since Jokerit and Kiekko-Espoo are way more likely to be accepted to Liiga and having anymore teams that is just too many.

 

[GX]

To play on the same line as in the national team.

In a recent interview he said he's only interested in Swedish or Swiss contracts. I doubt he would like to play for a discount in Riga. The Liiga version of Dinamo would surely not be the same Gazprom inflated soft power tool of the past.

 

[Lackhalak]

Not happening since Jokerit and Kiekko-Espoo are way more likely to be accepted to Liiga and having anymore teams that is just too many.

Bring back relegation to Liiga and then they can all join

 

[Yellow and the green]

Bring back relegation to Liiga and then they can all join

i agree but Liiga and the finnish ice hockey federation dont

 

[mattihp]

Not happening since Jokerit and Kiekko-Espoo are way more likely to be accepted to Liiga and having anymore teams that is just too many.

To be honest there are already a couple of scheduling problems right now. But add 3 or 4 teams and make it two divisions..

 

[Lackhalak]

i agree but Liiga and the finnish ice hockey federation dont

Have they not already added a Latvian team to Metis?

 

[Yellow and the green]

Have they not already added a Latvian team to Metis?

Ye but Liiga and federation cant seem to agree on relegation because Liiga is owned by the clubs and nobody wants to be the one to get relegated

 

[Pardus]

Bring back relegation to Liiga and then they can all join

Qualification games are coming back 2025 so maybe Dinamo Riga should play Mestis next season and try to get promoted to Liiga for season 25/26.

 

[GX]

Well, Zemgale was thrown out of Mestis, despite having 'a three year contract' for playing in it. Mainly because Finnish teams didn't enjoy travel costs and they had to make room for Jokerit.

Anyhow, there is no Dinamo currently and no one to finance it. If someone in Latvia has enough ambition and fundraising ability, I would expect them to retire the Soviet brand of Dinamo and start fresh. (Zemgale is open to rejoin Mestis, however, they have clearly no Liiga ambition. And even a 3000-seater in Jelgava seems unlikely, so they're unfit for Liiga in any shape or form).

 

[SoundAndFury]

Dinamo at this point is sadly nothing more than an empty name. Even the legacy they had was pretty much ruined by playing in the KHL which deepened the association between the brand and Soviet/Russian hockey and it's subsequent legacy. So that's one part of it.

The other, one that has been known for years, that Latvia probably cannot support such team playing in Liiga and Finnish teams have nothing to gain and a lot to lose by allowing Latvians to play in the championship.

What Latvia should be financially capable to do is build up their own league to the professional level, even if the lowest one at that, on par with Romania or Kazakhstan. The talent pool is there, the money is as well. Sport obviously has a huge following so it's actually amazing how little ambition of making the local league matter to people the Latvians had throughout the years. If we managed to build out basketball league, under similar circumstances, to 12 professional teams playing in (mostly) new arenas, surely Latvians can scrape something up with their hockey if they put a conscious long-term effort into it.