Kaspars Daugavins is a name that Boston Bruins fans haven't thought about in quite some time. Some might even forget that Daugavins played 12 games combined between the regular season and playoffs during the 2012-13 season, nearly getting the chance to raise the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career if the Bruins had finished the job against the Chicago Blackhawks. We'll try not to remember the role he played in not finishing that job.
Daugavins' Bruins tenure wasn't the most successful marriage, as he had just one assist in those 12 games. Boston fans might remember him better as the player who tried the cheeky shootout move against Tuukka Rask when he faced the goaltender as a member of the Ottawa Senators. Nevertheless, he'll now get the chance to mentor a valued Bruins prospect at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Locmelis getting the chance to play with the 37-year-old veteran is what makes international hockey so intriguing. The world's hockey powers always have rosters full of current talent, but the other nations need to fill out their rosters with prospects and veterans, which always creates some interesting line combinations. Another Bruins-centric one to watch is David Pastrnak and Roman Cervenka for Czechia, who have had success together at the last few World Championships.
Daugavins will captain Team Latvia and also serve as a mentor for Locmelis. It'll be his fourth Olympics, while Locmelis is hoping to have a similar international career while staying in the NHL a bit longer than his veteran teammate. Daugavins' last NHL experience was that 2013 run with the Bruins, and he has been playing in Europe ever since. He currently plays with EC Kassel Huskies in Germany's second league.
Locmelis has been a star for Latvia in his international career, but he can still learn some things from Daugavins. The veteran has 169 international games under his belt, totaling 107 points, which is an impressive number considering his country is perpetually the underdog.
Locmelis still has a long way to go to match those totals, but his six points in seven World Championship games last year prove that he is the next man up for Latvian hockey. Daugavins being his mentor at this tournament will serve him well, as long as he doesn't try to teach the prospect how to bury overtime goals in Stanley Cup Final games.