Wednesday, December 27 | 1:30 p.m. ET | Gothenburg, Sweden | Preliminary Round
GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. LATVIA (DEC. 27)
Canada’s National Junior Team is right back to action at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship as takes on Latvia for just the fourth time ever in its second preliminary-round game.
Last Game
Canada kicked off the World Juniors with a 5-2 win over Finland in front of a raucous (and largely Canadian) crowd of 9,837 on Boxing Day. Nate Danielson and Maveric Lamoureux had a goal and assist each. Owen Allard, Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Poitras rounded out the scoring, while Mathis Rousseau made 24 saves in the victory.
Latvia fell to Sweden 6-0 in its tournament opener on Monday. Deivs Rolovs made 29 saves in the Latvian goal, while Rodzers Bukarts, Kristfers Krumins and Emil Veckaktins led the way with three shots on goal apiece.
Last Meeting
Canada’s last meeting against Latvia was a 5-2 win in the opener of the 2022 World Juniors. Connor Bedard, Ridly Greig, William Dufour, Lukas Cormier and Olen Zellweger all found the back of the net as the Canadians peppered Latvian goaltender Patriks Berzins with 44 shots on goal, breaking the game open with three unanswered goals in the second period.
What to Watch
If history is any indication, we should be in for plenty of offence. Canada and Latvia have met three other times, in which the Canadians have outscored the Latvians 31-4 and outshot them by a wide 130-59 margin.
Latvian forward Dans Locmelis is one player to keep an eye on. The 19-year-old is a 2022 fourth-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins who is currently playing NCAA hockey at the University of Massachusetts, where he’s got five points in four games. Another one to watch is 19-year-old Florida Panthers prospect, Sandis Vilmanis. Currently playing in the OHL with the Sarnia Sting, the winger has 28 points in 30 games.
A Look Back
As mentioned earlier, these teams have a very brief history, having only faced off three previous times (2010, 2017 and 2022).
Canada’s first meeting against Latvia on Boxing Day 2009 was a 16-0 victory in which Gabriel Bourque put up a record-tying seven points (3-4—7) while Jordan Eberle, Brandon Kozun, Patrice Cormier, Nazem Kadri and Luke Adam each scored twice. At the 2017 World Juniors, 16 players, including Taylor Raddysh – who tied a Canadian record with four goals – picked up at least one point in a 10-2 win.
All-time record: Canada leads 3-0-0
Canada goals: 31
Latvia goals: 4
