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**The__Y-man__100** · 09-12-2020, 03:20 PM

Janis: Hello SHL! It’s your local Latvian reporter Janis bringing you the latest announcement from team Latvia. It’s that time of year again, with the SHL finals concluding and Buffalo just beating out the New Orlean Specters for the cup, energy shifts focus to this years IIHF tournament! Latvia is coming out with a new look this season as the roster has had its biggest overhaul in quite some time. A lot of new faces join the local heroes who suit up every year for this great nation. As the exhibition games begin tomorrow, the two federation heads got together earlier this afternoon to announce who they have decided will represent Latvia in the S55 tournament.

Uzbrucēji

Bale
(Clean) Andrei Kostitsyn
Krišs Dārziņš
Asclepius Perseus Flitterwind
Zelma Zuntnere
Brock Nuck
Viktor Marius
Ignatius Blunt
Calogero Crudelli
Boris "The Beast" Poroshenko
Mats Marner
Mack Daddy

Aizsargi

Fleetway Super Sonic
Kaspars Claude
Leonids Balzams
Nat Emerson
Chris Goodname
Herb Robert

Vārtsargs

G- Mike Hroch
G- Thor Odinson

Breakdown:

Janis: There’s a lot going on with the forwards of this team. We see typical leaders like @karey Viktor, Boris and @jason97 Calogero leading the TPE charge on offense as most of these three are around 1500 TPE. We then follow the long time latvian vets @NUCK Brock Nuck and @gaiamorant Blunt who have a respectable 1000ish TPE count. These players continue to deliver every season and have been a fantastic core for this nation. But what about the names that people are not so familiar with?

Two new breakout wingers in @lilstifler Krišs Dārziņš , @Wallflower Bale and Clean Andrei Kostitsyn. Bale had a breakout tournament last season with 6 points in 12 games and now having a full SHL season under his belt the coaches believe he is ready to take his game to the next level. Krišs is looking to also have a breakout year as he is hoping to showcase to his new SHL team and prove that his expansion team made the right call in selecting him. Just like Krišs, @cleanandrei Clean Andrei got the call from the Wolfpack this off season telling him that the New England Wolfpack need to get Cleaner in S56 and he is expected to make his rookie debut. This IIHF tournament will give the wolfpack a glimpse as to what they can expect from Clean this year.

Rookie @Jogurtaa Zelma Zuntnere got the call from Latvian management saying that S55 is the best year to make a IIHF debut. While expectations are not through the roof yet, Zelma’s potential already is and all the fans are excited to see what will happen in the first tournament. Sophomore player @CaptainCrazy Asclepius Perseus Flitterwind will be suiting up for his second IIHF tournament this year. Having a minimal role in his IIHF debut in S54, Asclepius was still able to get his first international point last season and the entire nation is hoping his first career international goal will come in S55! Keep an eye out on this one.

With regards to the extreme amount of young kids on this team, some analysts believe the S55 tournament will be @leafsftw1967 Mats Marners and @Mack Daddy’s first tournament with some higher expectations as these forwards are nearing the end of their SMJHL careers and soon will be making the official jump to the SHL by the time the S56 tournament comes around. Mats Marner has had an incredible year and along with Clean Andrei and were big reasons Newfoundland won the cup, it will be interesting to see if Mats can bring some of that success over to Latvia this year. Mats will be pairing up with breakout winger Bale and SHL vet Brock Nuck. Mack Daddy had a tough time this postseason with Colorado (in all fairness most of the team struggled in the postseason). Reporters have multiple sightings of the future star center having private training sessions with Boris and the Latvian coaching staff in order to come in hot this tournament. Mack is expected to play alongside SHL vet Ignatius Blunt and breakout winger Dārziņš, creating a good mix of skill, strength and energy.

Shifting gears to the defense of this year's Latvian team, we see fantastic leaders in @Bruins10 Claude and @Thelastheraclid Nat who I am pretty sure have statues of themselves somewhere in the city of Riga for all the success they have had in the SHL and IIHF. These two consistently have made the top line look fantastic and with both players having career high years, Latvia’s top line is going to look even scarier this year!

After these two, the defense of this team is fairly new, so let’s give a proper introduction to two of Latvia’s newest members @Taxman100 Fleetway Super Sonic and @kikish18 Chris Goodname! Chris finished this years SMJHL playoffs with the top game rating as a defensemen for the Knights where as Fleetway had the second highest +/- and the third best DGR for the Knights. Having played together in the SMJHL, I wouldn’t be surprised if management sees if the SMJHL chemistry carries over to the IIHF. Finishing off the bottom three on defense is sophomore player @Cyanide Leonidas Balzams. Balzams made his debut last season and registered his first IIHF point last year along with 7 SB and 5 take aways. Leonidas is still developing his game and management is excited to see how having a full SMJHL season under his belt has improved his game. Last but not least, let's take a closer look at who is suiting up in net for Latvia.

While the six defensive spot is not dedicated to anyone at this moment, veteran forward Herb Robert has the physical and two way game to succeed as a defender. Management has let the long time player know that he will be suiting up on the blue line this year.

@Jabs Mike Hronch is the leading goaltender this year as he had arguably the best IIHF tournament last year with regards to goal tending. Having the highest game rating in the entire tournament as a goaltender last year, a respectable 91 save percentage on a younger, struggling Latvian roster and facing 600+ shots and only allowing 4 more goals then he did the year before (facing 402 shots), management is hoping Hronch can continue his great performance and be a positive mentor to newly acquired goaltender @feeler Thor Odinson. Thor is a still developing S54 goaltender who shows high potential and possesses a fantastic work ethic. It will be the first time in a long time that Latvia has had two promising goaltenders in the lineup together, here’s hoping this could maybe push them to the medal rounds.

While Latvia still has a lot of work ahead of them if they want to be considered a super power nation, management is confident they are going in the right direction to achieve that goal. Good luck to all the players participating in this years IIHF tournament and we are all excited to see what Latvia can accomplish this year!

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1200 words

First ever Yukon Malamute draft pick (1st overall S65)

*Bruins10* · 09-12-2020, 06:48 PM

LATVIJA

Love how the team and the system is coming along. A lot of people sleeping on us, but gonna be fun to gout and be the underdogs every game and try to upset with 0 expectations

Jogurtaa · 09-13-2020, 01:34 PM

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