In the upcoming 2024 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Czechia, two former University of Massachusetts hockey players will represent their countries. Rising sophomore forward Dans Locmelis will play for Latvia, while former Minuteman defenseman Matthew Kessel (2019-22) will skate with Team USA.
Locmelis had a standout rookie season at UMass, scoring 14 points with seven goals and seven assists in 30 games. He also had one power-play goal and one game-winning goal, won over half of his faceoffs at a 55% clip, and blocked seven shots. Locmelis has been a key player for Latvia in several international tournaments, including the 2024 World Junior Championship, where he helped the team reach the Quarterfinal round with five points in five games. He was named one of his country’s Top 3 players in both the 2023 and 2024 World Junior Championships.
Kessel, who recently completed his second full season of professional hockey with the St. Louis Blues organization, split time between the NHL and AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. In the NHL, he appeared in 39 games and recorded seven points, including his first career NHL goal. In Springfield, he had eight points in 36 contests. Kessel is a versatile defenseman who can play on both special teams and at even strength. He is excited to represent Team USA on the international stage once again after competing for them at the World Junior Championship level earlier in his career.
The IIHF Men’s World Championship is set to take place from May 10th to May 26th in Czechia and will be televised live on NHL Network in the United States and TSN in Canada. This tournament promises to be one of the most exciting events of the year as some of