With the IIHF World Junior Championship (WJC) ready to get underway, it’s time to look at some key players for team Latvia this time out.
Darels Uljanskis
One of the two drafted players on the roster, Darels Uljanskis is an Anaheim Ducks prospect who was selected in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Although there are doubts if he’ll ever reach the NHL, which is the norm for a seventh-round pick, he’s going to be a player Latvia has to rely upon heavily.
Uljanskis is touted as more of an offensive defenseman; his offensive production has shot through the roof with AIK J20 in Sweden’s J20 Nationell this season, as he currently has 21 points through 29 games. There aren’t many defensive statistics kept for the J20 Nationell but he appears to be doing pretty well in that regard as well as he’s currently a plus-10.
Latvia certainly wanted more out of Uljanskis last year as he recorded a single assist in five games and was a minus-5. Considering the team’s overall struggles to keep the puck out of the net and put it in the opposition’s the minus-5 is actually fairly respectable, but certainly needs improvement if the team wants to see more success.
Eriks Mateiko
As a 6-foot-6 winger, Eriks Mateiko certainly has the frame of an NHL power forward. The captain of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s Saint John Sea Dogs is going to be an important part of Latvia’s leadership group.
So far this season, Mateiko has seen his goal-scoring numbers increase significantly as he has 14 goals in 23 games. With players like Dans Locmelis and Sandis Vilmanis no longer in the picture, Latvia head coach Artis Abols will certainly want to see more out of Mateiko this time out. Last year he recorded a single goal in five games.
Mateiko was drafted by the Washington Capitals this past summer in the third round, making him the highest-profile prospect on the team at this point.
Bruno Osmanis
Eligible for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, winger Bruno Osmanis has the opportunity to drastically improve his stock with a strong WJC performance. Splitting his time between the J20 Nationell and the HockeyAllsvenskan, he’s had a strong season in Sweden.
In the J20 Nationell, he has 17 points in 19 games. In the Allsvenskan, his point totals are understandably lower but still impressive for an 18-year-old with six points in 14 games.
Osmanis represented his nation last year at the U18 level, where he tallied a goal and an assist in five games.
Daniels Serkins
Another 2025 draft-eligible player, Daniels Serkins is a versatile forward who can play either wing or down the middle. He’s undersized at 5-foot-9, but at 17 years old he still has plenty of time to grow.
Playing with SC Bern’s U20 team in the Swiss U20-Elit league, Serkins has six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in 25 games.
Like Osmanis, Serkins was on Latvia’s U18 team last season and performed at an even higher level, recording two goals and two assists for four points.
Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship
While Latvia doesn’t have the star power of Canada or the United States, they have some players with the potential to make an impact at the NHL level in the future.
Latvia is going to need some big performances from these four players if they hope to once again avoid the relegation game. From a pure talent perspective, this team is on par, if not better than last year’s team which should give Latvians some confidence heading into the tournament.
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