Other events in Baltic States

The head coach of the Latvian national men's ice hockey team Olegs Znaroks has announced those players who have made Olympic roster and will be participating in the upcoming Winter Games in Vancouver, LETA was informed by the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation (LHF).

The Latvian squad includes 12 forwards, eight defenders and three goalies.

Surprisingly, the Latvian squad includes veteran goalie Sergejs Naumovs, who was cut from the national team before this past December's exhibition games against Denmark.

LHF president Kirovs Lipmans previously said that he is disappointed to what the Latvian media has 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 player is currently without a club and has not been playing in competitive matches.

On the other hand, journalists and fans have recently been active in their support of Naumovs as Latvia's number two goalie at the Olympics, seeing that Latvia currently does not have a goalie experienced enough to replace starting goalie Edgars Masalskis if something were to happen at the Olympics.

14 players included on the Olympic roster play for Latvian ice hockey club Riga ''Dinamo'' in the Kontinental Ice Hockey League. On the other hand, defenders Karlis Skrastins and Oskars Bartulis currently play in the NHL. NHL forward Raitis Ivanans (Los Angeles ''Kings'') did not make the final roster.

The roster of the Latvian national men's ice hockey team for the upcoming Olympic games is as follows: goalies Edgars Masalskis (Riga ''Dinamo''), Ervins Mustukovs (''Dinamo/Juniors''), Sergejs Naumovs (without club); defenders – Georgijs Pujacs (Novosibirsk ''Sibir'', Russia), Kristaps Sotnieks (Riga ''Dinamo''), Arvids Rekis (Wolfsburg ''Grizzly Adams'', Germany), Krisjanis Redlihs (Riga ''Dinamo''), Guntis Galvins (Riga ''Dinamo''), Rodrigo Lavins (Riga ''Dinamo''), Karlis Skrastins (Dallas ''Stars''), Oskars Bartulis (Philadelphia ''Flyers''); forward – Lauris Darzins (Riga ''Dinamo''), Herberts Vasiljevs (Krefeld "Pinguine", Germany), Mikelis Redlihs (Riga ''Dinamo''), Girts Ankipans (Riga ''Dinamo''), Martins Cipulis (Riga ''Dinamo''), Janis Sprukts (Riga ''Dinamo''), Aleksejs Sirokovs (Khabarovsk ''Amur'', Russia), Martins Karsums (Norfolk ''Admirals'', AHL), Aleksandrs Nizivijs (Riga ''Dinamo''), Armands Berzins (Riga ''Dinamo''), Kaspars Daugavins (Binghampton ''Senators'', AHL) and Gints Meija (Riga ''Dinamo'').