Latvia unveiled its roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 on Tuesday, headlined by Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins.
The best Latvia has finished in the tournament was the 2014 Sochi Olympics, when it reached the quarterfinals. This is the first group of NHL players to represent Latvia at the Olympics since then.
"I think it's a solid team," said Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs, who was named to the team. "I think it's a pretty good team for us. I think it's just all about preparation. We'll see how it's going to go."
The tournament will feature all 12 teams playing three preliminary games in their respective groups. The three group winners and the best second-place team will get a bye into the quarterfinals; the other eight teams will play single-elimination games to determine the other four quarterfinalists. The gold medal game will be held Feb. 22.
"I'm super excited," said Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins. "I've been waiting for this moment my whole career. It's like a dream coming true. Checking out the roster this morning, I could not imagine the coach's situation. It's not easy to choose the right players for their opinion. The coaching staff definitely had tough decisions over there."
