According to the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation, Columbus Blue Jackets goalkeeper Elvis Merzļikins will not play for the Latvian team in the upcoming 2026 Olympic qualifying tournament. The federation announced in a press release that Merzļikins will not participate for “personal reasons”.
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The tournament, which will feature France, Slovenia and Ukraine, will be held in Elvis Merzļikins’ hometown of Riga, Latvia, and will run from August 28 to September 1.
Merzļikins was one of the goalkeepers for Latvia when the team attempted to qualify for the 2018 Olympics. He played 1-1, had a goals-against average of 1.32 and a save percentage of .931. Since then, he has only played for Latvia in the World Championships, not the Olympics.
Related: Elvis Merzļikins reveals why he refused to speak to the media at this year’s World Championships
It is surprising that Merzļikins is not coming to Riga to play in a short tournament. Many thought he would play a few more games before the Jackets’ training camp begins, but for some reason he will not be there.
Don Waddell is giving him the chance to prove that he is a true No. 1 goalie in the NHL, so maybe that is more important to him than representing his country.
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