Baltic Hockey League Downsizes – 2024/25 Season Preview

Just as quickly as the last season ended, the new season has arrived, bringing many questions for the Baltic league and its teams. Current champions Mogo defeated Zemgale in a rematch of last year’s finals in the first game of what could turn out to be an exciting season, yet the amount of teams in the league has dropped by two. It’s time to take a stroll through the local scene of Baltic hockey, looking at the new season and the nearby future.

Teams leaving

HK Kurbads

Two-time Latvian champions and one-time Estonian champions Kurbads once again leaves the strongest league in the Baltics, after having rejoined it just last season. Kurbads performed well throughout the entire previous season, with the team finishing third in the regular season, sweeping HS Riga 3-0 in the first round and losing to eventual champions Mogo 4-0 in the semi-finals. Kurbads, who will soon be opening up the second indoors ice rink at their ice hall, announced that the team will be making the switch to the Latvian 1. Liga/JAHL back in June, citing financial issues. There’s a possibility that Kurbads will return to the Baltic Hockey League within the next couple of years, though the lack of the team reduces the league to just two main championship contenders.

Kaunas City

Lithuanian Cup runner-ups Kaunas City is the other team to leave the league in the new season, facing the same financial issues as Kurbads. Kaunas was the most competitive Lithuanian team in the previous season, though ultimately finishing above only the two other Lithuanian teams in the regular season, missing the play-offs. While the Lithuanian teams might not be very competitive on the ice, the advertising and marketing by these teams is some of the best in the league, and thus losing any of them ends up being a massive loss.

There are no new teams joining the league this season

With the loss of two teams from the Baltic Hockey League, and no teams joining the league, there will only be 7 teams participating in the league this season, with just 4 qualifying for the play-offs. Despite this, each team will be playing four more games in the regular season than last year, as each team will play against each other six times compared to last season’s four. There is hope on the horizon for an increase of teams in the upcoming years, with Liepaja, Daugavpils and Kurbads being the likeliest teams to join the Baltic Hockey League next season. According to the Latvian Hockey Federation president Aigars Kalvitis, Tukums has been looking into forming a BHL team for the past two years but haven’t been able to solve budget issues, while Broceni is attempting to form a 1. Liga team, as well as possible new hockey pyramids forming in Rezekne and Jekabpils due to the recently-built ice halls. There have been rumors about wanting to bring in more foreign teams to the league, with Estonian teams being likely candidates, as well as some seemingly unfounded rumors about a team from Poland joining. It is important to note that, while the league has been hoping to expand for years, there are now less Latvian teams in the league than at any point in the past two decades.

The champions are looking for a repeat – Mogo/RSU

HK Mogo Riga became the champions for the first time since 2019 last season in an exciting battle against Zemgale, and the current champions are hungry for more. Despite the loss of high-scoring forwards Lauris Bajaruns (18G+27A, leaving for Steaua Bucuresti in Romania) and Antons Sinegubovs (11G+17A, leaving for EG Diez-Limburg in the Central European Hockey League), Mogo has been active in free agency and looks to be even stronger than previously. Mogo has improved its goaltending with two young goalies, Karlis Mezsargs (Merritt Centennials, BCHL) and Arginto Milbergs (HK Kurbads) bolstering its lines, who will be competing for the starting goalie position against veteran and Mogo legend Henrijs Ancs. Veteran defenseman Kristaps Sotnieks (Rouen, France), who has 196 games played on the Latvian national team, is perhaps the biggest signing in the league this year, and will be a massive help in the defensive end for the IIHF’s Continental Cup. Gatis Sprukts (Cholet, France2), Aleksandrs Biskins (HK Kurbads) and Karlis Bucenieks (HK Zemgale) should all prove to be high-scoring players, likely leading the team to their fourth Latvian/Baltic championship. With the likes of Gints Meija, Rudolfs Maslovskis, Krisjanis Redlihs also being actively involved in the team, it is very unlikely that any team in the league will be able to keep up.

• Projected MVP: Gints Meija
• Projected starting goalie: Henrijs Ancs
• Projected position: 1st Place

Zemgale continues split-focus between youth and competitiveness

Zemgale will continue to act as a transition between junior hockey and professional hockey for Latvian players, adding multiple players from HS Riga in the off-season, as well as goalie Aksels Ozols, who will be joining from the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL. 16-year-old goalie Patriks Plumins might become the talking point of the season for Zemgale, as the young goalie is looking to prove himself against much more difficult competition than he has previously faced. Plumins was one of the best goalies in the Finnish U16 2nd tier last year, picking up a .942 SV%. The team has also retained their two highest-scoring players last season, with Gatis Gricinskis and Gustavs Millers choosing to stay for another season. Former captain Rustams Begovs rejoins the team after three years in the German 3rd tier playing for Herforder EV and is looking to be a leader once more. With few individual standouts, Zemgale is looking to play a highly systematic game with their depth, and will likely end up finishing in second place.

• Projected MVP: Gatis Gricinskis
• Projected starting goalie: Mariuss Bajaruns-Galejs
• Projected position: 2nd place

Panter Tallinn are ready to chase down the leaders

The Tallinn Panter team look to be prepared for their second year playing in the league, bringing a team that combines both experience and youth, looking out for Estonian hockey’s future. Canadian goalie Jesse Makaj, Japanese defenseman Shuma Kinebuchi and Ukrainian forward Danil Tsarkovskyi appear to be the biggest departures in the new season, with the replacements not appearing to be quite up to scratch. Panter is bringing in defensemen Konrad Kudeviita (Minnesota Blue Ox, USPHL Premier) and Rico-Marder Velja (Hofors HC, Swedish Division 2), as well as Finnish forward Tomi-Petteri Ansio (KeuPa HT, Mestis) to the team. Veteran goalie Villem-Henrik Koitmaa will remain the starter for Panter, with his only backups as of now being 16 and 18-year-old goalies Simon Sildre and Hans Kristjan Tisler. Panter has retained most of their scoring ability, with Fursa, Kiik, Novikov and Puzakov all staying on the team for another year, and any team underestimating their ability can very easily end up paying the price. While Panter may not appear to be one of the teams directly involved in the battle for Baltic glory this season, building upon their success last season could end up with the team becoming one of the best in the league.

• Projected MVP: Daniil Fursa
• Projected starting goalie: Villem-Henrik Koitmaa
• Projected position: 3rd Place

Prizma Riga without Redlihs and Auzins, but brings in new leaders

With the always-exciting Mikelis Redlihs appearing to have turned from playing to coaching in the Ozolnieki junior system, a massive gap in Prizma’s offensive ability in the upcoming season had formed. Eriks Miluns has done a great job filling it in though, with the addition of forwards such as Roberts Jekimovs, Matiss Birins, Renars Cipruss (all HK Kurbads), as well as Vitalijs Pavlovs (Fife Flyers, EIHL) able to add some depth scoring. Starting goalie Janis Auzins is also likely to leave the team, with a new contract offer in hand with a foreign team. In response, Prizma has brought in American Marshall Murphy (St. Michael’s College, NCAA III) to remedy the goalie line, and brought in defenseman Ilja Grekovs (HK Kurbads) to make the goalie’s life easier. Prizma has just about enough to be one of the stronger teams outside of Zemgale and Mogo, and is likely looking at a fourth-place finish.

• Projected MVP: Edijs Brahmanis
• Projected starting goalie: Marshall Murphy
• Projected position: 4th place

Energija energized for the new season

The current Lithuanian Cup Champions Elektrenai Energija looks to be the strongest Lithuanian team in the new season, featuring players such as the Kumeliauskas brothers, Aivaras Bendzius, Martin Petiul and Povilas Verenis. Forward Egidijus Binkulis (4G+14A), who will play for Dunarea Galati in Romania next season, will be a big loss for the historical Lithuanian team. Despite the Energija appearing to be the strongest Lithuanian team, the bottom 3 teams in the league are highly unpredictable, and they could just as well end up finishing last place. Energija will likely be battling Prizma, Vilnius and HS Riga for the final spot in the play-offs. The last time Energija reached the Baltic playoffs was in 2023, when the team got swept 0-3 by Zemgale, having not scored a single goal in the entire series.

• Predicted MVP: Tadas Kumeliauskas
• Predicted starting goalie: Martin Petiul
• Predicted position: 5th Place

New generation has to step up for Riga Hockey School

With the nature of Riga HS being a junior team, nearly every year brings about a brand lineup for the team, and this year is no exception. The newest generation of players for Riga HS has acquired experience through the Finnish U15, U16 and U18 top tiers, which the Riga HS system is now a participant of. Unlike last season, when more than half of the team’s roster had remained the same as the season before and thus able to be much more competitive, it will now be a massive challenge for coach Olegs Sorokins and his players to sort the team out and be able to put up a fight against the stronger teams in the league. Riga HS, whose average age is just under 17 years, will likely be around the same level as the Lithuanian Energija Elektrenai and Vilnius Hockey Punks.

• Predicted MVP: Maksims Saperins
• Predicted starting goalie: Ivans Kufterins
• Predicted position: 6th Place

The Punks are ready for a long fight

The 2024-25 season does not look so good for the Vilnius Hockey Punks, who appear to be the weakest team in the Baltic league. Rokas Bacevicius will be important in defense, with Slovak forward Ronald Dvonc, as well as Lithuanian forwards Mauras Baltrukonis and Ilja Cetvertak looking to be the main scorers for the team this season. Neither Simas Baltrunas nor Artur Pavliukov, the two best goalies on the Vilnius roster this year, have had a good past two seasons in the Baltic league, with neither having a sv% above .900. At best, and with a lot of luck, Vilnius can potentially sneak into the final play-off spot, but this is highly unlikely. Vilnius finished last place last year, and it looks more and more likely that the same will happen this year.

• Predicted MVP: Rokas Bacevicius
• Predicted starting goalie: Artur Pavliukov
• Predicted position: 7th Place

Final standings prediction

• 1st – Mogo/RSU (LV)
• 2nd – HK Zemgale/LBTU (LV)
• 3rd – Tallinn Panter (EE)
• 4th – Prizma (LV)
• 5th – Energija Elektrenai (LT)
• 6th – Riga HS (LV)
• 7th – Vilnius Hockey Punks (LT)

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