NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Girgensons and Šilovs Lead Latvian Quest for Glory

RIGA, Latvia — For the first time in NHL playoff history, two Latvian-born players will suit up for the same team in the Stanley Cup Final as Zemgus Girgensons and Ivars Šilovs prepare to battle for hockey’s most prestigious trophy with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Lightning, Eastern Conference champions, will open the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, June 8, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Girgensons, a veteran forward entering his 11th NHL season, and Šilovs, a 24-year-old goaltender making his playoff debut, represent Latvia’s best hope of seeing the Stanley Cup return to Baltics soil for the first time since 2004, when Darius Kasparaitis won it with the New Jersey Devils.

“It’s an incredible moment for Latvian hockey,” Girgensons said in a pre-series press conference at Amalie Arena on June 5. “To have two of us here, doing what we love on the biggest stage — it means everything to kids back home who lace up their skates dreaming of this.”

Girgensons, 29, recorded 12 goals and 20 assists in 78 regular-season games for Tampa Bay, providing reliable two-way play and veteran leadership on a Lightning squad aiming for a historic three-peat. Šilovs, meanwhile, appeared in 25 games during the regular season, posting a 12-8-3 record with a 2.68 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. Though he served as backup to Andrei Vasilevskiy throughout the playoffs, Šilovs dressed for all four rounds and was on the bench when Tampa clinched the Eastern Conference title with a 4-2 series win over the Florida Panthers on May 29.

“Ivars has been ready all season,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “He’s competed every day in practice, pushed Vasilevskiy to be better, and when his number’s called, he’ll be ready. That’s what you need in a backup — professionalism and readiness.”

The last time a Latvian player touched the Stanley Cup was 20 years ago, when Kasparaitis, a defenseman born in Elektrėnai (then part of the Lithuanian SSR), lifted the trophy after the Devils defeated the Calgary Flames in seven games. Since then, Latvia has produced over 40 NHL players, but none have come closer to championship glory than Girgensons and Šilovs in 2024.

Girgensons was drafted 14th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2012 and spent his first nine seasons in Buffalo before being traded to Tampa Bay at the 2023 deadline. He recorded 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) in 18 playoff games that spring as the Lightning fell to the eventual champion Vegas Golden Knights in the Eastern Conference Final. This year, he’s been a consistent presence in the bottom six, averaging over 13 minutes of ice time per game and contributing on the penalty kill.

Šilovs, undrafted out of Latvia’s HK Rīga organization, signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent in 2020. He spent the last three seasons splitting time between the Lightning and their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. His NHL debut came on December 19, 2023, against the Ottawa Senators, where he stopped 27 of 29 shots in a 4-2 Lightning win. He appeared in four playoff games this spring, though he did not record any playing time.

“Getting that first NHL start was a dream,” Šilovs told reporters after his debut. “But now, being part of this run — even if I’m not on the ice — it’s something I’ll carry forever. The guys have welcomed me like family.”

The Lightning enter the Final as slight favorites, having won the Presidents’ Trophy with a 52-24-6 record and averaging 3.4 goals per game — third-best in the NHL. Their core, led by Vasilevskiy, Nikita Kucherov (44 goals, 100 points), and Brayden Point, has appeared in four of the last five Stanley Cup Finals, winning back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021.

Edmonton, meanwhile, relies on the league’s top scorer in Connor McDavid (64 goals, 89 assists, 153 points) and defenseman Evan Bouchard. The Oilers defeated the Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars to reach the Final, overcoming a 3-2 series deficit against Dallas in the Western Conference Final.

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET at Amalie Arena (June 8, 00:00 UTC). Games 2, 3, and 4 will also be played in Tampa before the series shifts to Edmonton for Games 5, 6, and potentially 7, if necessary.

For Latvian fans, the opportunity to witness two countrymen compete for Lord Stanley’s Cup has sparked nationwide excitement. In Riga, public viewing parties are planned at Arena Riga and local sports bars, with the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation encouraging fans to wear red and white — the national colors — during the series.

“This is bigger than hockey,” said Raimonds Šķēle, president of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation. “Zemgus and Ivars are role models. They show what’s possible with hard work, and now they’re on the verge of making history.”

Whether the Lightning can complete their three-peat remains to be seen. But for Girgensons and Šilovs, simply being here — on the biggest stage in sports, representing a nation of just 1.8 million people — is already a victory.

The Stanley Cup Final continues with Game 2 on Monday, June 10, at 8:00 p.m. ET (June 11, 00:00 UTC) at Amalie Arena. Fans can follow the series live on ESPN, TNT, and streaming via Max in the United States, or through NHL.tv internationally.

What do you think — can Girgensons and Šilovs bring the Stanley Cup to Latvia? Share your predictions in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this article with fellow hockey fans.