Latvia U-18 Ice Hockey Squad Announced for World Championship

Latvia Sets Sights on Quarterfinals as U-18 World Championship Candidates Announced

Latvia’s U-18 national hockey team has officially named its candidate pool for the upcoming World Championship, with head coach Oļegs Sorokins setting a clear and ambitious target: a spot in the quarterfinals.

Speaking at a press conference on April 6, 2026, Sorokins revealed a preliminary roster consisting of four goaltenders, 11 defensemen, and 19 forwards. The final selection was narrowed down from an extensive pool of 97 hockey players. The coach noted that even as the selection process began in the summer, some players were prioritized for the U-20 national team during a November break.

The road to the tournament has already seen promising results. In recent preparation matches against Poland, the Latvian squad secured two decisive victories, winning the first game 5-2 and dominating the second 8-3. Sorokins emphasized that these matchups were about more than just winning, focusing on the specific requirements and standards needed for future competition.

The team is now preparing for a final stretch of exhibition games in Slovakia. Latvia is scheduled to face Germany on April 16 and Sweden on April 19 before the main event begins.

The U-18 World Championship elite division will take place from April 22 to May 2 in the Slovakian cities of Bratislava and Trenčín. Latvia has been competing in the elite division since 2019, and this year marks their eighth consecutive appearance at the top level. The competition will be fierce, as Latvia is placed in a challenging group alongside Canada, Finland, Norway, and Slovakia.

Sorokins acknowledged the difficulty of the task, stating that every player will be vital as all competing nations continue to develop, and improve. He also mentioned that the final roster may continue to shrink as players arriving from North American clubs and those finishing play-off commitments join the squad.

Supporting Sorokins on the bench will be assistants Herberts Vasiļjevs, Maksims Širokovs, and Raimonds Vilkoits, with Edgars Masaļskis serving as the goaltending coach. Raivis Miezāns will oversee the team’s physical conditioning.

Among the standout candidates listed are goaltenders Jegors Kirpičkins, Kristers Plēpis, and Patriks Plūmiņš, along with Iļja Ņikitins, who joins from the Philadelphia Rebels in the United States. The defensive core includes Tomass Erdmanis-Hermanis, Herberts Laugalis, Markuss Saviels, and Reinholds Circenis.