Harijs Vitolins will continue to lead the Latvian men's ice hockey team. The Latvian Ice Hockey Federation announced the extension of the head coach's contract for another season. Vitolins has been in charge of the national team since the summer of 2021. Under his leadership, the team achieved historic success, winning the bronze medals at the World Championship for the first time in 2023. The last World Championship was also successful. At the 2026 tournament, the Latvian hockey players finished in sixth place — the second-best result in the history of the team's performances at the World Championships. In recent years, the Latvian national team has established itself among the teams capable of competing on equal terms with the leading hockey powers. The extension of the coach's contract indicates that the federation intends to maintain continuity and continue working in the chosen direction. The President of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation, Aigars Kalvitis, noted that under Vitolins' leadership, the team has become more stable and competitive. "Under Vitolins' leadership, the national team has achieved significant results. The team has become more stable, competitive, and capable of competing with the strongest teams in the world. We continue the work we started to remain among the leading teams in the world," Kalvitis stated. The first international tournament of the new season for the Latvian national team will be the Deutschland Cup, which will take place in November. The main event of the season will be the 2027 World Championship, which will be held from May 14 to 30 in Mannheim and Düsseldorf, Germany. In the group stage, the Latvian team will face teams from Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Ukraine.