Penguins Prospect Named to Latvian World Championship Team

Pittsburgh Penguins' prospect Raivis Ansons just got the nod to join Latvia's roster for the IIHF World Championship tournament.

The announcement came straight from the Latvian Hockey Federation , and it's a big deal for Ansons, especially considering he had a bit of a setback with an injury last season. Despite that, he got some game time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL, putting up seven points in 34 games. He even had a stint with Wheeling in the ECHL, notching three points in eight games.



Ansons, a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, is currently in the second year of his three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of just over $844,000.


The IIHF World Championship is set to kick off soon, running from Friday through May 26 in Czechia. There are also other Penguins players and staff getting in on the action. Michael Bunting's representing Canada, while Erik Karlsson and Marcus Pettersson are suiting up for Sweden. Jesse Puljujarvi and Valtteri Puustinen will be on the ice for Finland, and assistant coach Ty Hennes is joining the United States coaching staff. Unfortunately for Penguins fans, there's no Sidney Crosby, as the captain and pending free agent has chosen to rest after a grinding 82-game season.

As seen on TribLive:
Penguins forward prospect Raivus Ansons named to Latvia'a roster for IIHF World Championship