I think it's silly for all these players, especially and even more so some of the examples you cited about players for Kazakhstan and others. Frustrating for all involved I think. Especially if you don't have a competing claim on the player. For that I am of course talking about Bondarev. You say he isn't eligible to play for anybody else but the IIHF says he can't play for the only team he is eligible for!
Imagine if for whatever reason Galchenyuk wasn't able to play for Russia? And he wasn't able to play for the US? Then the IIHF basically says, no sorry, you can't play international hockey at all.
Just recently there was such case when player actually wasn't eligible for no team at all and IIHF allowed to choose a national team. Rod Stewarts' son was British-New Zealandish citizen who had played hockey only in USA, so IIHF "made an exemption under the extraordinary circumstances article so Stewart could play internationally for a country he is a citizen of".
Just recently there was such case when player actually wasn't eligible for no team at all and IIHF allowed to choose a national team. Rod Stewarts' son was British-New Zealandish citizen who had played hockey only in USA, so IIHF "made an exemption under the extraordinary circumstances article so Stewart could play internationally for a country he is a citizen of".
Forwards Nikolajs Jeļisejevs (HK Rīga, MHL-A)
Ņikita Jevpalovs (HK Rīga, MHL-A)
Roberts Lipsbergs (HK Rīga, MHL-A)
Rihards Bukarts (Kapitan, MHL-A)
Georgijs Golovkovs (Liepājas Metalurgs2)
Edgars Kulda (HK Juniors, MHL-B)
Daniels Riekstiņš (HS Rīga/Prizma, MHL-B)
Ričards Kondrats (HK Juniors, MHL-B)
Filips Plostnieks (HS Rīga/Prizma, MHL-B)
Artūrs Ševčenko (HK Rīga, MHL-A)
Kārlis Ozoliņš (Liepājas Metalurgs2, Latvia)
Edgars Homjakovs (Liepājas Metalurgs2, Latvia) Teodors Bļugers (Shatuck St. Mary’s Pre)
Martins Lavrovs (Assat U18, Finland)
Rūdolfs Pētersons (HK Rīga95, Latvia)
Roberts Šmits (Select Hockey Academy).
For NA hockey fans Blugers is the main star of the team, but the first 4 MHL-A forwards on the list are very talented as well, probably have a chance at being late NHL draft picks. Merzlikins is the frontrunner for #1 GK job and may steal a game against the Swiss or Germans. D is our weak spot, I have no idea how good Kalvitis & Bazevichs are.
Our head coach Tambijevs just confirmed that Merzlikins won't be the starter, Punnenovs will be.
