Vancouver Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs will not be playing for his country as they try to qualify for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics.
The 23-year-old was left off Latvia’s official roster for the tournament. He was seemingly not replaced as the official team, released earlier today, features just two goalies and still has room to add one more.
The two netminders who will back Latvia in this tournament are AHLer Gustavs Grigals and German league netminder Kristers Gudlevskis.
🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻 Paziņo valstsvienības sastāvu! Vēl viena vārtsargu pozīcija brīva: https://t.co/Cm3uDR6uW5 pic.twitter.com/ixXfHWYQdy
— LV Hokeja federācija (@lhf_lv) August 28, 2024
Latvia is competing against France, Ukraine, and Slovenia with the top team earning a spot at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics. The tournament is taking place in Riga so the Latvians will have home-ice advantage.
It’s a shocking turn of events that Silovs will not be participating. It had previously looked like he was going to play for his country in the crucial tournament and he seemed excited about the prospect.
“We did not get to play at home for a year and a half,” said Silovs to Latvian sports media outlet Sporta Centrs earlier this summer. “There will be good support, and we need to make Latvia happy. Every day is a new day. Go one step at a time, work, and then everything will come.”
The Canucks goalie has a history of playing his best when representing his country. He won MVP at the IIHF World Championships in 2023 after helping his team capture the bronze medal.
While the exact reason Silovs isn’t playing hasn’t been announced, it could be related to the fact that it now seems unlikely Canucks starter Thatcher Demko will be healthy for the start of the season.
This would mean Silovs is in line to begin the season as the starter and take on a much heavier workload than previously anticipated. It’s possible he pulled out of this international tournament to prepare and stay rested for the upcoming NHL season.