With the IIHF World Junior Championship just around the corner, Team Latvia announced their final roster early on Wednesday morning. Head coach Artis Abols will be leading Latvia’s U20 team for the fourth straight year.
While there are a few returning players, many of Latvia’s NHL prospects from last year have aged out. As a result, this year they’ll be bringing a much different-looking group of players.
Goaltenders
(Linards Felbergs, Aksels Ozols, Janis Fecers)
Two goaltenders, Linards Felbergs and Aksels Ozols, will return from last year’s team. Ozols returned to the Latvian Optibet Hokeja Liga this season after a stint with the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) during the 2023-24 season. Arbols will be very familiar with Ozols, as the 19-year-old has been his starting netminder for HK Zemgale this season. In 11 games with Zemgale, Ozols has a .922 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.96 goals-against average (GAA).
Felbergs on the other hand, made the jump to North America this season where he has become the starting goaltender for the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix. In 21 games, he has recorded a .899 SV% and a 2.51 GAA.
Neither goaltender had a strong 2024 tournament, however, last year’s starter Deivs Rolovs aged out. As a result, both will have a clean slate and a wide-open opportunity to earn the starting job.
Newcomer Janis Fecers is playing for Herning Blue Fox in Denmark’s Metal Ligaen. Considering his age and lack of experience at the international level, it’s less likely he’ll compete for a starting role however it’s certainly not impossible. In seven games with Blue Fox, he has a .894 SV% and 2.10 GAA.
Defensemen
(Viktors Kurbaka, Oskars Briedis, Darels Uljanskis, Peteris Bulans, Harijs Cjunskis, Krisjanis Sarts, Emils Skeltins, Krists Retenais)
Latvia had quite a bit of turnover on the blue line, as there are only three returning players on defense. The captain will be Peteris Bulans of the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Sagueneens. He’ll be making his second appearance in the tournament. Last year, he recorded a single goal and assist in five games.
Another returning player will be an alternate captain, Viktors Kurbaka. Kurbaka failed to record a point in five games last year, however, he was solid defensively on a team that struggled mightily to keep the puck out of the net.
Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship
The only drafted defenseman on this year’s team will be Darels Uljanskis, who was selected in the seventh round of the 2024 Draft by the Anaheim Ducks. Uljanskis has taken a massive step forward both offensively and defensively for AIK J20 in the J20 Nationell. Last season, he was tied for the league lead in goals by a defenseman with Daniel Badinka, who has since been moved to forward. Uljanskis had limited ice time for the Latvian team last year but added a single assist in the 6-2 win over Germany with just under seven minutes of ice time.
Forwards
(Davids Livsics, Eriks Mateiko, Valdis Dommers, Toms Mots, Rauls Ozollapa, Olivers Murnieks, Bruno Osmanis, Markuss Sieradzkis, Rudolfs Berzkalns, Daniels Serkins, Antons Macijevskis, Dmitrijs Dilevka, Martins Klaucans, Roverts Naudins)
The second and final drafted player on the Latvian roster will be alternate captain Eriks Mateiko who was a third-round pick this past summer. The Washington Capitals prospect was also named captain of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs in October and has thrived in his new role. Mateiko, a 6-foot-6 winger, can easily become one of Latvia’s most dangerous players in this type of tournament. So far this season, he has scored 14 goals in 23 games for the Sea Dogs.
Daniels Serkins could be joining the small group of Latvians to be drafted into the NHL, as he’s eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft. At 17 years old, the versatile forward is a bit undersized at 5-foot-9, however, he’s been playing pretty well for SC Bern’s U20 team in Switzerland. This season, he’s put up 18 points in 25 games. A strong showing in the World Junior Championship could do wonders for his draft stock as well.
The same can be said about 18-year-old Bruno Osmanis, who has been hovering around a point-per-game pace in the J20 Nationell and has seen some time with IF Bjorkloven in the HockeyAllsvenskan. Both Serkins and Osmanis will benefit heavily from a strong performance at the tournament.
Team Latvia is as always, a bit of an unknown for North American hockey fans. Many of these names will be unfamiliar, as they’re not often seen on a major stage. As a result, the players will be looking to make an impact and put themselves on the map. Latvia drew a difficult group, as they’ll be in Group A with Canada, Finland, the United States, and Germany, so they’re going to have to pull off an upset or two to avoid the relegation game once again.
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