People across the hockey ... The goalie behind Latvia’s unexpected run who stood on his head over and over again has become one of the stories of the tournament. It’s exactly what his team ...

Team Latvia’s journey ... The memories, though, from Latvia’s showing at this year’s tournament are likely to persist beyond the 2025 calendar for hockey fans in Latvia and beyond.

Eriks Mateiko scored the only goal of the shootout Friday as Latvia stunned an alarmingly uninspired Canada 3-2 in the powerhouse nation's backyard at the world junior hockey championship.

Latvia's Eriks Mateiko ... Phoenix of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). That league has a long history of producing the best of the best NHL goalies, from Patrick Roy to Martin ...

Team Canada was stunned in its second preliminary ... but only found the net twice through Jet Luchanko and Calum Ritchie, with Latvian goalie Linards Feldbergs saving the day.