Originally published on IHWC.NET in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd Going purely by the numbers, the best-ever performance by an Asian country at an IIHF World Championship was Japan’s sixth-place finish (in a four-way tie) in 1930. More recently, Japan could do no better than 14th place at the 1998 tournament. So there’s a long way […]

Originally published in the IIHF News Release in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd It is a supreme and tragic irony that Sergei Zholtok will not take the opening faceoff for Latvia when the host team plays its first game of the 2006 IIHF World Championship versus the Czechs on May 5. The Riga-born center was arguably […]

Originally published on IHWC.NET in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd Ruslan Salei gained some notoriety in 1999 when he cross-checked Dallas star Mike Modano from behind and earned a 10-game suspension. But now the Anaheim Mighty Ducks defenseman is making a better name for himself with tough but clean play. Team Belarus will miss him at […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd When Herbert Vasiljevs was growing up in Riga, Latvia, he idolized the flashy Soviet winger Sergei Makarov. So it was appropriate that he scored his first goal in a Vancouver uniform on a tic-tac-toe passing play worthy of the KLM Line. Playing against Colorado on 9 […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2002 By Lucas Aykroyd Bullfighting, bolero, castles and cathedrals are not the only glories of Spain. This nation of 40 million citizens grabbed the sports world spotlight ten years ago when Barcelona hosted the Summer Olympics. There, roller hockey featured as a demonstration sport, and Spain has competed successfully against […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd Contrary to the irresponsible reporting of some journalists, Arturs Irbe is not the only Latvian goalie in the National Hockey League. The Carolina Hurricanes star has company in Peter Skudra, a 28-year-old veteran entering his fifth NHL season. But since signing as a free agent with […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd Ten years ago, you couldn’t have imagined a Latvian forward keying the offense of the Montreal Canadiens. But times have changed, and Sergei Zholtok is taking full advantage. The Riga-born center enjoyed a breakthrough season with Montreal last year, racking up 26 goals and 12 assists […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd When Ruslan Salei signed a four-year, $12-million free agent deal with the Florida Panthers on July 2, it marked the end of his nine-season run with the Anaheim Ducks. But in the media, this move by the Belarusian defenseman was largely overshadowed by the clamor about […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2003 By Lucas Aykroyd In the third century AD, the Roman Empire dominated Europe from the shores of Britain to the eastern fringes of the Mediterranean Sea. Twenty-first-century Italian hockey, unfortunately, isn’t quite in the same league. Internationally, Italy must battle to regain its honor after a 4-0 loss to […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 1999 By Lucas Aykroyd He admits to a weakness for glazed doughnuts and claims he’d be shelving boxes in his mother’s stores in Latvia if he wasn’t in the NHL. He is Sandis Ozolinsh, the top offensive defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche, and his blithe off-ice demeanor fits in with […]