Ronalds Kenins made his debut for the reigning Baltic champions Mogo/RSU on Saturday, helping secure a 4:1 victory over the Liepaja hockey team in the Optibet Hockey League (OHL). The 35-year-old forward returned to competitive action in his homeland following a prolonged absence from top-tier play, stepping onto the ice as Mogo/RSU continued their strong start to the domestic campaign.
How the Opening Match Unfolded in Riga
Playing on home ice, Mogo/RSU controlled the pace against Liepaja after a competitive first period ended 1:1. Elviss Zelubovskis opened the scoring for the hosts in the eighth minute, before Karlis Ozolins pulled Liepaja level ten minutes later. Mogo/RSU pulled away in the second frame with goals from Ričards Grīnbergs and Rudolfs Polcs, while Vladimir Zaicev added a final tally in the third period. Goaltender Karlis Mezsargs turned aside 18 of 19 shots to earn the win for the Riga side, while opposing netminder Mihals Valenta stopped 42 of 46 attempts under heavy pressure. The physical encounter featured a total of 76 penalty minutes across both rosters.
Ankipans Pairs Seasoned Professionals with Teenage Players
Kenins joins a squad heavily invested in bridging veteran experience with youthful development. Head coach Girts Ankipans pointed out that the team has introduced five 16-year-old players born in 2010 this season, including goalscorers Markuss Megris and Peteris Pogins. When Kenins made his senior international debut at a World Championship years ago, Pogins had not yet reached his first birthday. Ankipans emphasized the developmental value of pairing teenagers with seasoned professionals, noting that Kenins spent much of the match talking through positional details with the younger skaters on the bench.
An Extended Absence and Return to Domestic Ice
The veteran forward spent the 2025/2026 season without a regular club, following stints in Switzerland with Lausanne and Sierre during the 2024/2025 campaign, along with brief loan appearances for HPK in Finland and a short-lived professional tryout with Bern. Prior to his European stops, Kenins played 38 games in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks, recording 12 points, and won three domestic league titles with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland.
Building Toward Peak Match Fitness
Ankipans told Latvian Radio that Kenins remains some distance away from optimal physical form following his extended layoff from competitive play. The club agreed to bring the experienced forward aboard on the mutual understanding that the stint serves as a stepping stone toward regaining elite-level fitness, with an eye toward future opportunities abroad if the player meets performance standards. Because Mogo/RSU faces an upcoming campaign in the IIHF Continental Cup, the coaching staff is managing Kenins’s integration step by step alongside preparations for a domestic rematch against Zemgale/LBTU.
