The 2026 Winter Olympics continue to deliver thrilling action, with the Latvian men’s hockey team preparing for their second game of the tournament. Competition is also underway in biathlon, short track, and skiing.
Latvia’s Olympic hockey journey began with a tough contest against the United States on Thursday, February 13th, resulting in a 5-1 defeat. Renārs Krastenbergs scored the lone goal for Latvia, while Brock Nelson tallied twice for the Americans. Brady Tkachuk, Tage Thompson, and Auston Matthews also found the back of the net for Team USA.
Despite the loss, Latvia’s goaltender Elvis Merzļikins made 28 saves on 32 shots before being replaced by Artūrs Šilovs, who stopped 5 of 6 shots faced. The Latvian team directed 18 shots on Connor Hellebuyck, but a video review overturned an early goal for Latvia due to being offside.
In other action from Wednesday, February 13th, Slovakia upset Finland with a 4-1 victory, and the host nation, Italy, fell to Sweden 5-2. Germany also secured a win, defeating Denmark 3-1 in their opening match.
Latvia will look to bounce back in their next game as the Olympic tournament progresses.