Latvia’s hockey achievements in recent years — the bronze medal at the 2023 World Championship and a growing number of Latvian players in the NHL — are often viewed primarily through the lens of results. Yet behind these successes lies long-term work in youth hockey, where what matters is not only the quality of training, but also how early players are exposed to international competition and how successfully sport is combined with education and everyday life.
These aspects are explored in greater depth in a Baltic Outlook publication on the Falcons Hockey School, which highlights the everyday realities of youth sport — frequent travel, equipment logistics, and the constant need to maintain a balance between athletics and academics. The article emphasizes that international experience for young athletes is not a luxury, but a prerequisite for competitiveness in modern hockey.
“Youth hockey today no longer happens only in the local ice rink. If we want players to be ready for the next level, they have to learn to live in this rhythm from an early age,” Baltic Outlook quotes Māris Martinsons, founder of the Falcons Hockey School and president of hockey club Mogo.
A System Built for the Long Term
Over the past decade, the Falcons Hockey School has become an important part of Latvia’s hockey development system. It is closely linked to four-time Latvian champions HK Mogo/RSU, which won its first national title in 2015 and went on to claim three more championships. The club has also won the Latvian Cup three times, defeating its main rival HK Kurbads in the finals.
These achievements are rooted in focused and systematic work with young players. Today, long-time members of the Latvian national team — Gints Meija, Krišjānis Rēdlihs and Kristaps Sotnieks — are passing on their experience within the Falcons system. All three have represented Latvia at World Championships and Olympic Games. This model of knowledge transfer is delivering tangible results: the most valuable players of the last two Latvian championship final series were 18-year-old goaltenders Linards Feldbergs and Nils Roberts Mauriņš.
HK Mogo/RSU has also featured young Latvian players such as Artūrs Šilovs, Dans Ločmelis and Martins Laviņš. The team’s recent titles were guided by head coach Ģirts Ankipāns, himself a participant in four World Championships and two Olympic Games. In January 2024, HK Mogo/RSU achieved one of the most notable results in Latvian club hockey in recent years by finishing fifth at the IIHF Continental Cup tournament in Nottingham.
International Experience as a Necessity, Not a Choice
Preparing players for the highest level now requires more than domestic competition alone. For this reason, for the third consecutive season Falcons teams in the U14, U15 and U16 age groups have been competing in Finland’s youth championships at the AAA level. Regular games within one of the world’s strongest youth hockey systems provide invaluable experience, both athletically and mentally.
This approach also brings practical challenges — frequent flights, complex logistics, and the need to align competition schedules with schooling. As Baltic Outlook notes, these factors often determine whether a young athlete can develop sustainably over the long term without burning out at an early age.
From Youth Hockey to North America
The Falcons pathway has already produced concrete international results. One of the school’s first players, Olivers Mūrnieks, is currently a leader in Latvia’s U18 and U20 national teams, plays in Canada’s QMJHL with the Saint John Sea Dogs, and will continue his career at Boston College in the NCAA. The club hopes that he may eventually become the first HS Falcons graduate to be drafted into the NHL.
Martinsons emphasizes that the goal of youth hockey is not solely to produce professional athletes. “The main task of a hockey school is to create an environment where young athletes can grow both as hockey players and as individuals. Results are important, but they must not come at the expense of education or personal development,” he says.
It is precisely this long-term approach — based on development, cooperation and trust — that defines the work of HS Falcons. It allows young athletes to take confident steps not only toward elite hockey, but also toward life beyond the ice.
