This year, in the men’s tournament, 11 club teams will compete for the title and the big cup, because at the end of August, one of the long-time members of the top league, Liepāja FK “Kurši”, announced its withdrawal to the first league.
The opening game of the “Elvi” floorball league will take place in the Cēsi sports complex, where the current state champions “Lekrings” will cross sticks with Kocēnas “Rubeni” in the repeat of the previous super final. Cesis have managed to keep the core of the squad, however, two very effective new generation strikers are no longer in the application – Krišjānis Tiltiņš joined the Finnish ”Koovee” rotation, but Jorena Malkava the transfer to the same country’s club “Nokian KrP” is still in process. However, the stable defense pillar has returned from Norway to the homeland Janis Rajeckis (”Harstad IBK”). A solid addition has also been obtained from Latvian clubs – they have joined the champion team Mārtiņš Muižnieks (”Ruben”), Jacob Berkolt (FBK “Valmiera”) and Everts Janušauskis (”Bauska”). “Rubene” said goodbye to two defenders who played a big role in the off-season – the experienced Ivo Balodis will go to the Norwegian “Harstad IBK”, but the perspective Markus Mutpis will continue his career in the Finnish “Westend Indians” club system. In Kočeni, reinforcements of the composition are not sought from the outside and opportunities will be given to the best students of the own sports school.
The game, which will start at At 20:00 it will also be possible to watch live on the Sportacentrs.com portal and TV4 channel.
Three more first-round matches are scheduled for Saturday – September 10. at At 17:00, “Ķekava” will visit the Talsi State Gymnasium, which will meet there with the local “Talsi NSS/Krauzers”. In the spring, the two teams competed in a thrilling quarterfinal series that required all seven games to decide the winner. One of the main heroes of that series, the most valuable player of the previous Super League season, has left Talsiem Tom Bittmanbut another long-time Latvian national team player has arrived Tom Akmenlauks. “Ķekava” has strengthened with its own students who have returned from Finland. He has assumed the position of head coach Klāvs Ozoliņšbut the defender will go on the field Ralph Orstewho has experience in the Finnish top league and Latvian national team.
at At 18:00, Valmiera and “Lielvārde/FatPipe” will start the season in the Valmiera Olympic Center. Three defenders left Valmiera in the off-season – Lauris Stiprais, Krish Luzhinskis and Arthur Bračkawho went to the German “Red Hocks Kaufering”, but the Latvian national team striker joined the Swiss “Kloten-Dietlikon Jets” Kevin Schmidt, who has not yet completed the transfer formalities. After the merger of the two clubs of Ogre district, the most talented students of “Ogres Vilku” could appear in the Lielvārdi Super League, but the number one of the Latvian national team will return to the goal. Janis Salcevičs.
at 18:00, FBK SĀC and RTU/”Rockets” will play on the Ādažu sports center field. In pre-season test tournaments, both teams played with young and experimental squads, in which there were no loud additions to the league level.
The first round will end on Sunday at 18:00, when the home team will compete with the “Bauskas” team at the Irlava Sports Hall. The composition of the Irlava unit will be supplemented by strikers in the new season Kaspar Klamer (”Kurshi”) and Emil Krumins (”Talsu NSS/Krauzers”), as well as a goalkeeper Sandis Veneviks, who has represented several top league clubs, but finished the previous season in the second league silver medalists “Ozolnieki”. The composition of Bauškėnieki this season will also be based on the students of the sports school, who will be helped by some experienced players. The goalkeeper has returned to Bauska Jānis Goža.
FS “Masters/Ulbroka” floorball players will participate in the championship only on September 17. The people of Ulbrock have announced several important additions to the team, the loudest of which is “Elvi”, the most valuable player of the floorball league, or MVP Tom Bittmanthe prolific striker Andrejs Škerbergs (both from “Talsu NSS/Krauzers”) and Ulvis Mētra, whose last record was in Finland’s “Koovee” unit. Ulbroka’s team had a successful summer season, winning second place in the pro group of the international tournament “Czech Open”.
The teams of the “Elvi” floorball league will play a two-round regular tournament this season, after which the eight strongest teams will enter the playoffs. The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played in series of up to four wins, while the champions and bronze medalists will be determined in the super final, which will take place in “Arena Rīga” on April 15, 2023.
“Elvi” floorball league for men (first week of games)
| The date | Time | The game | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09.09. | 20:00 | “Lekrings” – “Rubene” | Cesis sports complex |
| 10.09. | 17:00 | “Talsu NSS/Krauzers” – “Kekava” | Talsi State Gymnasium |
| 18:00 | FBK “Valmiera” – “Lielvārde/FatPipe” | Valmiera Olympic Center | |
| 18:00 | FBK STARTS – RTU/”Rockets” | Adaži sports center | |
| 11.09. | 18:00 | “Irlava” – “Bauska” | Irlava sports house |
List of Latvian champions
| LČ | The season | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1993./1994. | “Lekring” | “Ruben” |
| 2. | 1994./1995. | “Lekring” | WE BUY |
| 3. | 1995./1996. | “Lekring” | ”Roja” |
| 4. | 1996./1997. | “Ligatne” | ”Roja” |
| 5. | 1997./1998. | “Kekaviņa” | ”Roja” |
| 6. | 1998./1999. | “Hanza Bakery/Rezekne” | “Rural Newspaper” |
| 7. | 1999./2000. | “Kekava” | ”Roja” |
| 8. | 2000./2001. | “Kekava” | “Rural Newspaper” |
| 9. | 2001./2002. | “Ruben” | “Latvijas Avīze” |
| 10. | 2002./2003. | “Kekava/Simeks” | “Lions of Riga”/LSPA |
| 11. | 2003./2004. | “Kekava” | “Lions of Riga”/LSPA |
| 12. | 2004./2005. | “Ruben” | ”Rubene/Rants” |
| 13. | 2005./2006. | “Latvijas Avīze” | ”Rubene/Rants” |
| 14. | 2006./2007. | “Latvijas Avīze”/LU | ”Rubene/Rants” |
| 15. | 2007./2008. | “Latvijas Avīze”/LU | “Ruben” |
| 16. | 2008./2009. | “CelTik/Lekrings” | “Ruben” |
| 17. | 2009./2010. | RTU/Inspecta | “Ruben” |
| 18. | 2010./2011. | RTU/Inspecta | RSU/”Runway” |
| 19. | 2011./2012. | “Big name” | RSU/”Runway” |
| 20. | 2012./2013. | “Lekring” | RSU |
| 21. | 2013./2014. | “Cēsi beer/Lekrings” | “Ruben” |
| 22. | 2014./2015. | “Cēsi beer/Lekrings” | “Ruben” |
| 23. | 2015./2016. | “Big name” | “Ruben” |
| 24. | 2016./2017. | “Triobet/Ulbrook” | “Ruben” |
| 25. | 2017./2018. | Betsafe/Ulbroka | “Ruben” |
| 26. | 2018./2019. | “Lielvārde/FatPipe” | “Ruben” |
| 27. | 2019./2020. | – | – |
| 28. | 2020./2021. | “Ruben” | “Ruben” |
| 29. | 2021./2022. | “Lekring” | “Ruben” |
Resources used:
https://www.floorball.lv/lv/2022/ja…
