Two current and former University of Massachusetts hockey program members will represent their countries at the 2024 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Men’s World Championship in Czechia.
Former Minuteman defenseman Matthew Kessel (2019-22) will be skating with Team USA. Kessel recently completed his second full season of professional hockey with the St. Louis Blues organization, splitting time between the NHL and AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. In the NHL, he appeared in 39 games and recorded seven points, including his first career NHL goal. In Springfield, he had eight points in 36 contests.
On the other hand, rising sophomore forward Dans Locmelis will be playing for Latvia. Locmelis had a successful rookie season at UMass, tallying 14 points with seven goals and seven assists in 30 games. He also had one power-play goal and one game-winning goal, won over half of his faceoffs at a 55% clip, and blocked seven shots. Locmelis represented Latvia at the 2024 World Junior Championship, where he helped the team reach the Quarterfinal round with five points in five games. He had previously played for Latvia at the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Championships and was named one of his country’s Top 3 players in both 2023 and 2024.
The IIHF Men’s World Championship will take place from May 10-