Latvia's Olympic roster boasts pair of NHL players

On Tuesday, the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation whittled down its 53-man candidate list to its provisional roster of 23 that is expected to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The roster, picked by national team head coach Olegs Znaroks, features two current NHL players -- defensemen Karlis Skrastins of the Dallas Stars and Oskar Bartulis of the Philadelphia Flyers. The only active Latvian NHLer not selected was Los Angeles Kings left wing Raitis Ivanans.

Two American Hockey League forwards were also selected -- right wing Martins Karsums of the Norfolk Admirals and left wing Kaspars Daugavins of the Binghamton Senators.

NHL fans may also be familiar with the names of center Janis Sprukts and right wing Herbert Vasiljevs. Sprukts appeared in 14 games with the Florida Panthers between 2006 and 2009. He scored 1 goal and 3 points in his short career. Last season he went 16-31-47 in 59 games with Rochester of the AHL before bolting to Dinamo Riga this season. Vasiljevs, 33, appeared in 51 games with Florida, Atlanta and Vancouver from 1998-99 through 2001-02, scoring 8 goals and 15 points. He currently plays for the Krefeld Penguins of the German DEL and has 9 goals and 19 assists in 29 games.

One thing the Latvians have going for them is team chemistry. Fifteen of their players are from Dinamo Riga, the only Latvian-based club in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League.

Mikelis Redlihs is the second-leading goal scorer on Dinamo Riga with 11 (leader Marcel Hossa has 24, but is Slovakian). Aleksandrs Nizivijs, also from Riga, and Sprukts are tied for the team with 15 assists.

Goaltender Sergejs Naumovs, currently a free agent, was a surprise addition. The veteran was cut from the national team before a series of exhibition games against Denmark earlier this month (both won by Latvia, 5-3 and 1-0). On the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation Web site, president Kirovs Lipmans said that he is disappointed at what the Latvian media had been reporting, that he is the one who cut Naumovs from the national team. Lipmans previously announced that Naumovs should not be playing at the Olympics because the netminder is currently without a club and has not been playing in competitive matches.

However, fans and journalists have been vocal in their support of Naumovs' inclusion on the roster, leading to his selection. Naumovs, who has played in numerous North American minor leagues and European pro leagues, is expected to be the No. 2 goaltender and an experienced replacement in the event of injury to starter Edgars Masalskis.

For five players, it will be their third Olympics -- goaltenders Edgars Masalskis and Naumovs, defensemen Skrastins and Rodrigo Lavins, and forward Nizivijs. Thirteen players on this team also played in Turin.

Nineteen players were on the team that reached the quarterfinals in the 2009 World Championships.

The most notable omission is defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh, 37, who made a comeback to professional hockey this season after taking a sabbatical in 2008-09. He signed with Dinamo Riga, the team he made his professional debut with as an 18-year-old in 1990, and thus far leads all defensemen on that team with 5 goals and 9 assists in 25 games. Ozolinsh last played in the NHL with San Jose in 2007-08, going 3-13-16 in 39 games. A seven-time NHL All-Star and a Stanley Cup winner with Colorado in 1995-96, he also played for Carolina, Florida, Anaheim and the Rangers.

The final Olympic rosters will be registered on Feb. 15 at the International Ice Hockey Federation directorate meeting one day prior to the beginning of the tournament in Vancouver. After that date, no replacements are possible.

The Vancouver Games will be Latvia's fourth Olympic appearance. To reach the 12-national field, Latvia had to win a qualification tournament last February held in Riga. It defeated Hungary, Ukraine and Italy to go undefeated.

Latvia's best Olympic moments have been a 4-2 victory against Austria and a 9-2 win against Ukraine in 2002, and a 3-3 tie against the United States in 2006.

Latvia, which reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 World Championships, is currently 10th in the International Ice Hockey Federation's world rankings.

2010 Latvian Olympic team

Goaltenders (3): Edgars Masalskis (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Ervins Mustukovs (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Sergejs Naumovs (free agent)

Defensemen (8): Oskars Bartulis (Philadelphia Flyers), Guntis Galvins (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Rodrigo Lavins (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Georgijs Pujacs (Sibir Novosibirsk, KHL), Krisjanis Redlihs (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Arvids Rekis (Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg, DEL), Karlis Skrastins (Dallas Stars), Kristaps Sotnieks (Dinamo Riga, KHL)

Forwards (12): Girts Ankipans (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Armands Berzins (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Martins Cipulis (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Lauris Darzins (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Kaspars Daugavins (Binghamton Senators, AHL), Martins Karsums (Norfolk Admirals, AHL), Gints Meija (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Aleksandrs Nizivijs (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Mikelis Redlihs (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Aleksejs Sirokovs (Amur Khabarovsk, KHL), Janis Sprukts (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Herberts Vasiljevs (Krefeld Pinguine, DEL)