We are gearing up for the 2019/20 CHL season, and before we get truly into preview mode, we have decided to highlight the CHL’s internationality in a three-part series examining some of the stars who have made a splash in the competition, whose domestic countries aren’t represented. To start, we explore the top CHL players from the three Baltic States: Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
Latvia
Latvia has always had a strong talent pool, and their continued presence in the Elite Group of the IIHF World Championship is testament to the quality this small country produces year after year. In total, 14 Latvian players have hit the ice in the CHL, but perhaps none more famously than goalie Elvis Merzlikins, who played two seasons for HC Lugano in 2016/17 and 2018/19. In the latter season, Merzlikins led his team to the Round of 16, where they faced the unenviable task of trying to beat the now three-time champion, Frölunda Indians. The Swedish powerhouse triumphed in a back-and-forth series 6-5 on aggregate. The Latvian shotstopper’s 39 save effort in Game 1 against Frölunda saw him voted the CHL’s Second Star of the Game Day. Merzlikins’s strong play has seen the world’s biggest hockey league come calling, and he will join the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL for 2019/20.
Watch Elvis Merzlikins's goaltending clinic against Frölunda Indians
To add to Merzlikins's heroics, we have two special mentions. Firstly, Krefeld Pinguine legend Herberts Vasiljevs, who played three seasons in the CHL between 2014/15 and 2016/17. Krefeld struggled to mark their mark in the CHL, but Vasiljevs was often the star of the show for his club, scoring 4 goals and 2 assists in 14 games played.
Our second mention goes to former Grenoble and Sheffield Steelers goalie Ervins Mustukovs, who played two seasons in the CHL. Most famously, Mustukovs backstopped Grenoble to a famous 2-1 victory over Finnish side Espoo Blues in 2015, whilst also picking up a win in Sheffield colours against Red Bull Salzburg a year later.
Lithuania
The country which gave us Dainius Zubrus and Darius Kasparaitis has also given the CHL two fantastic players. Like their neighbours, goaltending has also been Lithuania’s strength. After spells with Djurgården Stockholm and most recently, Skellefteå AIK, goaltender Mantis Armalis has proven himself to be one of the leading goaltenders in Europe. In 2014/15, Armalis posted a 93.3 save percentage with Djurgården, including a shutout against PSG Zlín. After a spell with the San Jose Sharks organisation, Armalis joined Skellefteå in 2018/19, and hit the ground running, winning Second Star in Game Day 5 for a 36 save performance against IFK Helsinki. Armalis will hit the ice in the CHL once again this year with Skellefteå.
Watch Armalis’s superstar performance from Game Day 5, 2018/19
Blessed with pure offensive talent, Tadas Kumeliauskas made his mark on the CHL in his time with TPS Turku. The lanky forward played two seasons in the CHL in 2014/15 and 2015/16, reaching the Playoffs both years with TPS. Kumeliauskas scored 2 goals and 5 assists in 14 CHL games. He currently plies his trade in the DEL2.
Estonia
Estonia has been a country which has produced quality, but sadly not enough quantity to see the country’s national team reach the IIHF Elite Group. In total 3 Estonian players have pulled on a CHL jersey. The present-day golden boy of Estonian hockey is Robert Rooba, who can truly call himself a CHL Champion. The 25-year-old has played in every CHL season except 2014/15, as member of both the Espoo Blues and JYP Jyväskylä, winning the CHL title with the latter in 2017/18. Both Rooba and JYP missed out on CHL qualification for 2018/19.
See Rooba’s goal from the 2017/18 Semi-Finals Game 1 against Oceláři Třinec
They say that size isn’t everything, and the Baltic States truly prove that. Whilst their populations may be small, they have consistently churned out hockey talent which have truly impressed on both the European and World stage. We cannot wait to see the next generation of stars from the Baltic States to make history in the Champions Hockey League!