Forward Sandis Vilmanis has joined the Latvia men's ice hockey national team training camp, while five players have left the candidate list, reports the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation, according to LETA.
Debuting this season in the National Hockey League (NHL), Vilmanis had his first ice training session with the team on Tuesday, while forwards Karlis Ozolins and Rodger Bukarts, as well as defenders Nauris Seijs, Nik Fenenko, and Bohdan Khodas, have been excluded from the list of candidates for the World Championship.
The 22-year-old Vilmanis has played 19 games this season with the NHL club Florida Panthers, where defender Uvis Balinskis also plays, scoring five points (3+2). He also played 58 games with the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Charlotte Checkers, accumulating 38 points (17+21), and scored one goal in three playoff games.
The Latvia national team continues training in Riga and will hold its final warm-up matches before the World Championship tomorrow and the day after on home ice against the Norway national team.
The World Ice Hockey Championship will take place from May 15 to 31 in Zurich and Fribourg (Switzerland).
The list of candidates for the Latvia national team:
Goalkeepers — Marek Mitens (Banska Bystrica, Slovakia), Kristers Gudlevskis (Fischtown Penguins Bremerhaven, Germany), Gustav Davis Grigals (SaiPa Lappeenranta, Finland);
Defenders — Ralf Freibergs (Ridera Vitkovice, Czech Republic), Kristofers Bindulis (Dukla Michalovce, Slovakia), Kristaps Zile (Bili Tygri Liberec, Czech Republic), Arturs Anjans (HPK Hyvinkää, Finland), Mik Tumans (Jokerit Helsinki, Finland), Robert Mamchits (Energia Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic), Markus Komuls (Verva Litvinov, Czech Republic);
Forwards — Denis Smirnov (Kloten, Switzerland), Oskars Lapinskis (Tigers Langnau, Switzerland), Gleb Prokhorenkov (Niagara University, NCAA), Kristaps Skrastins (University of New Hampshire, NCAA), Klavs Weinbergs (Colorado College, NCAA), Oskars Batnya (Pelicans Lahti, Finland), Tom Andersons (La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland), Harald Egle (Energia Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic), Patriks Zabuzovs (Zemgale/LBTU), Phillip Buncis (Sayer Capital Rungsted, Denmark), Rihards Bukarts (Presov, Slovakia), Rudolf Balcers (Lions Zurich, Switzerland), Sandis Vilmanis (Florida Panthers, NHL).
