🇱🇻 LATVIA (LAT) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1932-40, 1991-)
3 wins, 2 reigns, 3 games with IHLC – ranked 17th
IHLC last held 27 May 2023

Latvia emerged as an IHLC contender in the 1930s, playing for the IHLC first in 1935, and then again in 1936 before being occupied by the Soviet Union in 1941. It was not until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 that the Latvians began to emerge as a contender once again, with NHLers like Artūrs Irbe and Sandis Ozoliņš leading the way. Latvia won its first IHLC from Finland in 2003, only holding the title for a single day – however, Latvia continues to improve, needing two decades before their second title on home ice at the World Championships.

IHLC GAMES
Total IHLC Games Played: 32
First IHLC Game: 14-0 loss vs. 🇨🇦 CAN, 20 Jan 1935
First IHLC Win: 5-2 win vs. 🇫🇮 FIN, 12 Apr 2003
Last IHLC Game: 4-2 loss vs. 🇨🇦 CAN, 27 May 2023
Last IHLC Win: 3-1 win vs. 🇸🇪 SWE, 25 May 2023
Largest IHLC Victory: 5-2 win vs. 🇫🇮 FIN, 12 Apr 2003
Largest IHLC Defeat: 14-0 loss vs. 🇨🇦 CAN, 20 Jan 1935
Longest IHLC Undefeated Streak: 2 games (23 May – 25 May 2023)
Longest IHLC Winless Streak: 17 games (13 Apr 2003 – 11 Feb 2022)

IHLC HOSTING
IHLC Games Hosted: 33
First Game Hosted: 🇱🇻 LAT 5-2 FIN 🇫🇮, 12 Apr 2003 (Rīga)
Latest Game Hosted: 🇱🇻 LAT 3-1 SWE 🇸🇪, 25 May 2023 (Rīga)
Major Tournaments Hosted: World Championship (3: 2006, 2021, 2023 cohost)

MAJOR TOURNAMENT RECORDS
Best IIHF World Championship Result: 🥉 (1: 2023)
Best Olympic Games Result: 8th (1: 2014)
Best Canada / World Cup Result: n/a

COMPETITIVE IHLC RECORDS
🇨🇦 CANADA: 0 wins, 7 losses
🇨🇿 CZECHIA: 0 wins, 1 loss
🇫🇮 FINLAND: 1 win, 3 losses
🇷🇺 RUSSIA: 0 wins, 2 losses
🇸🇰 SLOVAKIA: 0 wins, 7 losses, 1 tie
🇸🇪 SWEDEN: 1 win, 3 losses, 1 tie
🇨🇭 SWITZERLAND: 1 win, 3 losses
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES: 0 wins, 1 loss

COMPLETE IHLC HISTORY
01. 🇨🇦 CAN 14-0 LAT 🇱🇻 – 20 Jan 1935 – WC – Davos 🇨🇭
02. 🇨🇦 CAN 11-0 LAT 🇱🇻 – 07 Feb 1936 – OG – Garmisch-Partenkirchen 🇩🇪
03. 🇸🇰 SVK 7-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 02 Sep 1993 – OQ – Sheffield 🇬🇧
04. 🇸🇪 SWE 1-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 02 May 1997 – WC – Turku 🇫🇮
05. 🇨🇭 SUI 5-3 LAT 🇱🇻 – 01 May 1999 – WC – Oslo 🇳🇴
06. 🇸🇪 SWE 4-3 LAT 🇱🇻 – 05 May 1999 – WC – Oslo 🇳🇴
07. 🇨🇿 CZE 3-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 11 May 2000 – WC – Saint Petersburg 🇷🇺
08. 🇸🇰 SVK 3-0 LAT 🇱🇻 – 18 Apr 2001 – EX – Liptovský Mikuláš 🇸🇰
09. 🇸🇰 SVK 2-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 19 Apr 2001 – EX – Liptovský Mikuláš 🇸🇰
10. 🇸🇪 SWE 5-2 LAT 🇱🇻 – 29 Apr 2001 – WC – Cologne 🇩🇪
11. 🇨🇦 CAN 4-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 27 Apr 2002 – WC – Karlstad 🇸🇪
12. 🇱🇻 LAT 5-2 FIN 🇫🇮 – 12 Apr 2003 – EX – Rīga 🇱🇻
13. 🇫🇮 FIN 2-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 13 Apr 2003 – EX – Rīga 🇱🇻
14. 🇸🇰 SVK 2-0 LAT 🇱🇻 – 14 Apr 2004 – EX – Rīga 🇱🇻
15. 🇸🇰 SVK 3-3 LAT 🇱🇻 – 15 Apr 2004 – EX – Rīga 🇱🇻
16. 🇨🇦 CAN 2-0 LAT 🇱🇻 – 30 Apr 2004 – WC – Prague 🇨🇿
17. 🇺🇸 USA 3-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 03 May 2005 – WC – Innsbruck 🇦🇹
18. 🇸🇰 SVK 6-3 LAT 🇱🇻 – 16 Feb 2006 – OG – Turin 🇮🇹
19. 🇫🇮 FIN 5-0 LAT 🇱🇻 – 07 May 2006 – WC – Rīga 🇱🇻
20. 🇷🇺 RUS 6-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 03 May 2009 – WC – Bern 🇨🇭
21. 🇨🇦 CAN 6-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 10 May 2010 – WC – Mannheim 🇩🇪
22. 🇨🇦 CAN 2-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 19 Feb 2014 – OG – Sochi 🇷🇺
23. 🇸🇪 SWE 8-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 04 May 2015 – WC – Prague 🇨🇿
24. 🇸🇰 SVK 4-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 20 Apr 2018 – EHC – Michalovce 🇸🇰
25. 🇸🇰 SVK 4-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 21 Apr 2018 – EHC – Poprad 🇸🇰
26. 🇷🇺 RUS 3-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 18 May 2019 – WC – Bratislava 🇸🇰
27. 🇨🇭 SUI 3-0 LAT 🇱🇻 – 14 May 2021 – EHC – Rīga 🇱🇻
28. 🇨🇭 SUI 2-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 15 May 2021 – EHC – Rīga 🇱🇻
29. 🇫🇮 FIN 3-1 LAT 🇱🇻 – 11 Feb 2022 – OG – Beijing 🇨🇳
30. 🇱🇻 LAT 4-3 SUI 🇨🇭 (OT) – 23 May 2023 – WC – Rīga 🇱🇻
31. 🇱🇻 LAT 3-1 SWE 🇸🇪 – 25 May 2023 – WC – Rīga 🇱🇻
32. 🇨🇦 CAN 4-2 LAT 🇱🇻 – 27 May 2023 – WC – Tampere 🇫🇮

Photo Credit: ESPN – IIHF – HHOF – IOC