Latvia: Latvian league

[Theokritos]

As reported by eurohockey.com two weeks ago, several clubs are contemplating to pull out of the domestic league for 2020-2021 due to a lack of funding. Are there any news in the Latvian hockey community?

Click to read more...

 

[archangel2]

As reported by eurohockey.com two weeks ago, several clubs are contemplating to pull out of the domestic league for 2020-2021 due to a lack of funding. Are there any news in the Latvian hockey community?

I suspect a few leagues are in trouble

 

[Theokritos]

I suspect a few leagues are in trouble

Most likely, yes. However, the Latvian league is the one singled out for clubs actually pulling out or contemplating to do so. But then, it might by coincidence I've stumbled upon that report and not others.

 

[GX]

There should be 7 teams, only Kurbads dropping out. Prizma has been 'thinking of whether to play or not' almost every summer, it's not really related to COVID. But who knows when and how the league resumes. Mogo and Liepaja to play in newly-established Baltic League, Olimp confirmed for Continental Cup start.

 

[Theokritos]

 

[GX]

Yup, the league is on its way, with 7 teams taking part. With the Covid-19, there are some interesting guys playing here. Rob Schremp is living with his Latvian wife here, and wanted to play in a semi-pro environment. There is also AHL-bound Karlis Cukste, who has opted to play in the Latvian league, while the AHL season doesn't start.

There are two more interesting names that have found their place in the league and have a sizeable national team experience: Oskars Bartulis and Roberts Jekimovs.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Yeah for anyone following Latvian hockey reasonably closely teams look stacked this year. Familiar names all over the place.

I'd say a couple of teams wouldn't seem too out of place at the level of Belarussian top tier or such.

 

[GX]

The league has been getting stronger for the past few years. The top 2-3 Latvian teams (Kurbads, Olimp, Mogo) wouldn't have been complete outsiders in Belarus also last year. This year, though, we indeed get even more great players + staff. Unlike last year, Zemgale and Liepaja are also now real contenders. So far, the season has been really interesting.

As every tournament, also Latvian league has had its early season Covid-19 troubles. Dinaburga went into self-isolation two weeks ago after 4+ positive cases and returns to play in 2 days. Last weekend, Zemgale joined them with 3 cases. Considering teams only play 1-2 games per week, currently it won't certainly be a big problem to reschedule the affected matches.

League also has three more loaned out players. Two (Raivis Ansons, just drafted by PIT, and Harijs Brants) were preparing for their second QMJHL season, while Arturs Silovs was headed for his first NA pro year in AHL/ECHL.

 

[TheWhiskeyThief]

Available outside of Latvia on Fanseat.

added: available on HockeyTV along with Ligue Magnus, Belarus, Czech (and possibly) Slovak leagues.

 

[GX]

99% of games are broadcasted live on Sportacentrs.com - I really doubt they are geoblocked. The remaining 1% are broadcasted by LTV7, whose online stream is geoblocked.

 

[cska78]

so I checked the rosters, except for aged and very aged ex-DR players I didn't see many familiar names....count me very unimpressed.

 

[SoundAndFury]

so I checked the rosters, except for aged and very aged ex-DR players I didn't see many familiar names....count me very unimpressed.

Well let me ask what other names in Latvian hockey are you familiar with/expected to see?

That might not impress you but the league reached the point where there are actual professional hockey players playing in it. Where Latvian kids actually have a choice between playing professionally in Latvia or some VHL village. Like Jelisejevs or Tambijevs, who have proven themselves to be very capable VHL players. Or someone like Mickevics who had 4 very successful seasons in France. Basically, the Latvian league has caught up with the professional league standard, albeit a bare minimum of it.