A Little Credit To Latvia

The remainder of the ball tournament I was in this weekend ate up the final day at the IIHF Men's World Hockey Championship, but I did get home in time to catch highlights and stories about the two games that were played today. Congratulations go out to Canada for winning the gold medal by a 5-2 score over the Germans as Germany was a team that had everyone a little scared, but the bigger story might be the bronze medal-winning Latvians who needed overtime, but prevailed over the Americans. To say that this was shocking might be overstating the progress Latvia has made on the ice, but it certainly was an unexpected finish to a tournament that seemed more wide-open than any in recent history.

Latvia had never finished higher than seventh-place at this tournament in its history, and it had accomplished that feat three times. Finishing with a medal might have been a dream for some, but Latvia showed some real skill, tenacity, and determination in this championship. Their win over Sweden in the quarterfinal saw them score twice in the third period to eliminate the Tre Kronor just days after securing a place in top-eight by the slimmest of margins over Slovakia after Latvia beat the undefeated Swiss 4-3 in overtime.

The win against Sweden was similar to the one that Belarus experienced at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics when they beat Sweden. The victory marked the first time the Latvians would compete for a medal at any of hockey's top international tournaments, and there was no shortage of joy back in Riga as their hockey heroes gave the fans a moment they'll never forget.

Latvians are passionate about hockey, and they showed that as they gathered to watch theit team play Kazakhstan outside with flags, support, and pride in their hockey team. Look at that crowd!

How can one not be impressed with Latvia's turnout to watch hockey?

The win over Sweden was one thing, but a victory against Canada would be another feather in the country's cap. It wasn't to be against Canada as Latvia fell in the semifinal, but Latvians were still in it to win it as the bronze medal would represent something their country had never done before: a top-three finish! They'd be forced to play another good team in the Americans, so they'd have to be at their best if they hoped to bring home hardware from Finland.

Roberts Bukarts scored at 7:49 to put the Latvians up, but Rocco Grimaldi tied it up 1:56 later. Janis Jaks scored at 16:08 to make it 2-1 for Latvia, but, again, Rocco Grimaldi tied it up 2:55 later. The game would remain tied through the second period into the third period until Matt Coronato gave the Americans their first lead at 6:19, but Latvia wouldn't go away. At 14:21, Kristians Rubins scored for Latvia to make it a 3-3 game, and we'd need overtime to solve this one!

Overtime lasted just 1:22 in the extra frame. Here's how it ended.
Pretty awesome ending to that game, right? Kristians Rubins pots the winner from longtime veteran of the Latvian team Kaspars Daugavins and Janis Jaks to be the hero for Latvia as they capture their first-ever medal in any top international hockey tournament with the 4-3 win over the United States.

Say what you want about teams not sending their best players or whatever to this event, but you still have to win games to earn a medal. Latvia did that, and they made a nation proud with their efforts in finished this year's tournament with a bronze medal. These kinds of hockey stories are what fuels a nation's hockey growth, and we saw a similar thing happen when the Germans won a silver medal at the 2022 Pyongchang Olympics. Having Latvia win this bronze medal should result in a bump in enrollment into hockey for the nation, and Latvia's growth on the various international stages will grow as well.

You don't have to cheer for the underdog. Heck, you don't even have to like them or know any players on their team. What you should respect, however, is that their willingness to challenge the norms and win a few games makes the overall game better. Those wins encourage kids to dream, to play, to compete. Those wins are the stuff of which stories are told, legends are born, and younger players try to emulate. In the end, not having Finland, Sweden, Czechia, USA, or Russia winning medals is good for the sport despite the obvious naysayers saying otherwise.

Congratulations on the bronze medal, Latvia! The games were fun to watch, the fans in Riga were loud every game, and this might be one of those medals that people say is deserved. Personally, I know it took every ounce of effort to earn this medal, so enjoy the moments that follow. You certainly deserve to celebrate following an incredible showing in this tournament.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!