Latvia's national hockey team coach Lauris Dārziņš, preparing for the World Championship, stated in an interview that eight friendly matches are enough for the preparation of the hockey players.
The Latvia national team began preparations for the World Championship on Monday with a roster of 19 players, reports tv3.lv.
"It's a normal working process. You need to invest a certain amount of work to reap the benefits later. So these are not the old good or bad times when there were two training sessions a day — a huge amount of work is still being done, but there is always time for player recovery," said Dārziņš about the team's workload.
He noted that to prepare for the high level of the World Championship, the hockey players train both indoors and outdoors.
Since it is currently not possible to form full lines on the ice due to the limited number of players, the training process also includes coaches — both Dārziņš and the defense coach.
"The best way to show is by example. It's one thing to have theory on a tactical board where everything can be drawn. It's another to show the nuances in practice, to skate somewhere, to replace someone. If a defenseman is lacking, the coaches go on the ice, perform some fakes, pirouettes, and the same goes for the attack," Dārziņš continued.
Currently, there are several young players in the national team, and the coach believes that a lengthy preparation process is especially valuable for them.
"For them, it's important because they get used to the style of the national team — to what we want. Ultimately, after the first friendly matches, it will be easier for them to start or continue their professional careers. After all, you have a record that you were worthy to play for the national team. This is definitely a plus."
In this World Championship, due to injuries, Mārtiņš Laviņš, Feliks Gavars, and Anri Ravinskis will not be able to help the team. According to Dārziņš, the average level of the team has remained intact.
"Of course, we want the player to match the level of the national team, to be able to play more minutes and take on a more significant role. The first stage of the training camp is going great, in my opinion — the young players are getting playing time, and those who had less can take on leadership roles," noted the coach.
As part of the preparation, the Latvia national team will play eight friendly matches, the first of which will take place on April 8 and 9 at the 'Xiaomi Arena' against the Austrian national team. Dārziņš believes that this number of games will be beneficial for those hockey players who have played fewer matches this season.
"Overall, the number of games is sufficient. Although the coaches participate in all matches, players should not focus on that," he concluded.
