University of Massachusets Athletics
Massachusetts Hockey Represented At 2024 IIHF Men’s World Championship
May 09, 2024 | Hockey
AMHERST, Mass. – One current student-athlete and one alumnus of the University of Massachusetts hockey program will be representing their nations at the 2024 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Men's World Championship, which begins Friday in Czechia. Rising sophomore forward Dans Locmelis will be in action for Latvia and former Minuteman defenseman Matthew Kessel (2019-22) will skate with Team USA.
In his rookie campaign at UMass, Locmelis had 14 points on seven goals and seven assists over 30 games with one power-play goal and one game winner. He also won 210 of 382 faceoffs for a 55% clip and blocked seven shots.
Locmelis captained Latvia at the 2024 World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden and helped the squad reach the Quarterfinal round. He finished the tournament with five points on two goals and three assists in five games. Locmelis previously represented Lativa at both the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Championships and registered four goals and an assist for five points over 11 games over the two tournaments. He was honored as one of Latvia's Top 3 players of the tournament in 2023 and again in 2024.
This will mark Locmelis' second Men's World Championship with Latvia as he had three points on two goals and an assist over nine games in 2023.
Kessel recently completed his second full season of professional hockey with the St. Louis Blues organization, splitting time between the NHL and the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds. With the Blues in 2023-24, Kessel appeared in 39 games and totaled seven points, including his first career NHL goal to go along with six assists. In Springfield, the blueliner had eight points (3g, 5a) in 36 contests.
The 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship takes place May 10-26 in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia. The tournament can be seen on NHL Network in the United States and on TSN in Canada.
In his rookie campaign at UMass, Locmelis had 14 points on seven goals and seven assists over 30 games with one power-play goal and one game winner. He also won 210 of 382 faceoffs for a 55% clip and blocked seven shots.
Locmelis captained Latvia at the 2024 World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden and helped the squad reach the Quarterfinal round. He finished the tournament with five points on two goals and three assists in five games. Locmelis previously represented Lativa at both the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Championships and registered four goals and an assist for five points over 11 games over the two tournaments. He was honored as one of Latvia's Top 3 players of the tournament in 2023 and again in 2024.
This will mark Locmelis' second Men's World Championship with Latvia as he had three points on two goals and an assist over nine games in 2023.
Kessel recently completed his second full season of professional hockey with the St. Louis Blues organization, splitting time between the NHL and the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds. With the Blues in 2023-24, Kessel appeared in 39 games and totaled seven points, including his first career NHL goal to go along with six assists. In Springfield, the blueliner had eight points (3g, 5a) in 36 contests.
The 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship takes place May 10-26 in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia. The tournament can be seen on NHL Network in the United States and on TSN in Canada.
Players Mentioned
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