Kaspars Claudes road to the SHL was a funny one because he comes from Latvia. Latvia to Tampa Bay and then New Orleans is something that never really crosses your mind as a kid growing up that is forsure. Always thought if I did make it as a professional hockey player, it would be in some lower budget pro league in europe like France or Czech Republic. But, having a brother and close friends who al wanted to play hockey, when everyone around you plays hockey, you will pick up the sport not to get left behind. In the summer I played in arenas and in the winter, my father would prepare a rink on the cornfield in the backyard. Such a well kept rink, the city would sometimes use the rink for their own practices so that all kids can improve on the ice, it helped Kaspars make friends and also always be on the ice. Watching Alexei Kovalevs technical videos and then more stuff on youtube to improve his skills, he was determined to improve.