The Latvia national ice hockey team has been joined by forwards Rudolfs Balcers and Martins Dzierkals, the Latvian Hockey Federation (LHF) reported on Tuesday, according to LETA.
Balcers finished the season in the Swiss National League (NL), where his team, the Zurich Lions, lost in the semifinals to Davos, while Dzierkals concluded the season in the Czech Extraliga, where his team, Sparta Prague, was defeated by Pardubice in the semifinals.
In the regular NL season, Balcers scored 26 points (14+12) in 34 games, and added five points (2+3) in nine playoff games. Dzierkals recorded 15 points (7+8) in 50 games in the Czech championship this season, and in the playoffs, he scored four points (2+2) in 19 games.
The 29-year-old Balcers has previously represented Latvia in five World Championships and this year's Olympic Games, while his peer Dzierkals has participated in six World Championships and the last two Olympics.
The Latvia national team continues to train in Riga and will play its next friendly matches on May 2 and 3 away against Slovakia. The national team will conclude its preparatory phase with matches on May 6 and 7 at home against Norway.
The Ice Hockey World Championship will take place from May 15 to 31 in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland. The Latvia national team will compete in Group B in Zurich, where its opponents will be Canada, Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Great Britain.
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