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Latvia unveils Olympic qualifying roster, notable omission of Artūrs Šilovs raises eyebrows
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Photo credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Jagraj Lalli
Aug 28, 2024, 17:28 EDT
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The Latvian Hockey Federation has announced its roster for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament this weekend, where they will compete for a spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics. The announcement, however, has left many fans and analysts surprised due to the absence of a key player: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Artūrs Šilovs, the MVP of the 2023 IIHF World Championship.
Šilovs, who had an impressive season in 2023-24 with the Canucks and their AHL affiliate Abbotsford Canucks, was expected to be a significant part of Latvia’s push for Olympic qualification. During his season with the Canucks, Šilovs posted a 3-0-1 record, a 2.47 goals-against average (GAA), and an .881 save percentage (S%). In the AHL, he recorded a 16-11-6 record with a 2.74 GAA and a .907 save percentage across 34 games. Despite these strong performances, no explanation was provided for his omission from the roster.
Latvia enters the tournament after a split in their two pre-tournament games against Group F favourite Denmark, losing 3-2 and bouncing back with a 5-3 victory. Despite the absence of Šilovs, Latvia is still favoured to win Group E on home ice, where they will face Ukraine, Slovenia, and France for a spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Latvian roster lists only two goaltenders: Kristers Gudļevskis of the Fischtown Pinguins in Germany’s DEL and Gustavs Grigals of the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. The team is bolstered by three NHL players — defenceman Uvis Balinskis of the Florida Panthers and forwards Zemgus Girgensons of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Rodrigo Ābols of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Notably, it was already known that Columbus Blue Jackets’ goaltender Elvis Merzļikins and Vancouver Canucks’ centre Teddy Blueger would not be participating in the tournament.
Latvia’s roster is rounded out with nine players from the Czech Extraliga, four from the Slovak Liga, two from the SHL, two from the NCAA, and one each from Denmark and Switzerland. Familiar faces such as Oskars Cibuļskis, Ralfs Freibergs, Miks Indrašis, brothers Roberts and Rihards Bukarts, and captain Kaspars Daugaviņš add experience and depth to the squad.

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