Four QMJHL players have Latvia off to a historic start at the 2025 World Juniors

Linards Feldbergs (Sherbrooke Phoenix), Eriks Mateiko (Saint John Sea Dogs), Peteris Bulans (Chicoutimi Saguenéens), and Harijs Cjunskis (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies) have been key contributors to Latvia’s best-ever start at a World Juniors

On December 27, 2023, the story couldn’t have been more different.

Playing in his lone start of the tournament at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Latvian goalie Linards Feldbergs struggled against Canada, giving up seven goals on 31 shots in a 10-0 loss.

But fast forward exactly one year later – and it was Feldbergs and the Latvians flipping the script, as they provided fans with the biggest moment of the 2025 World Juniors thus far: a historic 3-2 shootout victory over Canada. 

For Latvia, a country of about 1.8 million people (which is about a third of the City of Toronto’s population), it marked only their third-ever victory in the preliminary round of a World Juniors. And at the centre of that history were four players from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), a group that included Sherbrooke Phoenix goalie Linards Feldbergs.

“At first, I was in shock that we won against Canada,” stated Feldbergs, who was named Latvia’s Player of the Game after making 55 saves and denying all eight Canadian skaters during the 3-2 shootout win over Canada. “The feeling was amazing. I just couldn’t believe what had just happened.”

KANATA, ONTARIO – DECEMBER 27: Latvia’s Eriks Mateiko #9 celebrates after scoring the 3-2 shootout-winning goal against Canada’s Jack Ivankovic #1 during Preliminary Round – Group A action at 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship at Canadian Tire Centre on December 27, 2024 in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by André Ringuette/IIHF).

What happened was something no one expected. Trailing 1-0 in the third period against Canada, Latvian forward and Saint John Sea Dogs captain Eriks Mateiko knotted the game at 1-1, before later in the frame his Latvian teammate and Chicoutimi Saguenéens defenceman Peteris Bulans did the same – sending the 2-2 game to overtime and an eventual shootout that saw Mateiko score the winning goal as the 16th shooter in the shootout.

“I couldn’t really fall asleep that day,” recounted Washington Capitals prospect Mateiko about the hours after he scored the shootout winner against Canada. “I feel like after the tournament when everything is done it’s going to be a big joy [for me] to remember that moment.”

Although he didn’t factor in on any of the goals, the impact that Rouyn-Noranda Huskies defenceman Harijs Cjunskis had that night shouldn’t be dismissed. Playing the second-largest amount of minutes on the team against Canada (23:08), which trailed only Latvian captain Bulans (25:18), Cjunskis played an important role defensively in blocking shots and keeping the game within reach for his country to secure its historic ‘W’.

“I got so many messages from fans and family, of course. I’m also full of new followers on Instagram saying congratulations to the whole team and ‘atta boy’,” shared Cjunskis, who at the 2025 World Juniors plays on Latvia’s top defensive pairing with Bulans. “During the game, our goalie [Feldbergs] was in the best shape ever. We blocked a lot of shots and the game was going pretty well and we ended up going to overtime, and then we won in the shootout – it was incredible.”

The turnaround in performance from Latvia over a year certainly was something to see, and for netminder Feldbergs, who is currently playing in his first season in the QMJHL with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, he believes the short amount of time he has spent in the QMJHL in 2024-25 was important in preparing himself to face this year’s edition of Team Canada.

“My goalie coach in Sherbrooke [Olivier Gervais] has helped me to be in shape and play a structure, event by event, and that’s how I was playing against Canada,” said Feldbergs, who has an 11-4-0-2 record, 2.51 GAA, .899 SV%, along with one shootout in 21 games with the Phoenix this season. His 2.51 GAA ranked eighth in the QMJHL among qualified starters (min. 115 minutes played) heading into the 2025 World Juniors. “I’m playing in the [QMJHL] and we are playing against guys from the OHL and WHL. So, I think it’s similar, the playing style, and I knew some things that maybe I didn’t know last year that helped me.”

KANATA, ONTARIO – DECEMBER 27: Latvia’s Peteris Bulans #16 celebrates after a 3-2 shootout win against Canada during Preliminary Round – Group A action at 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship at Canadian Tire Centre on December 27, 2024 in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by André Ringuette/IIHF).

Feldbergs wasn’t alone in that line of thinking, as Bulans was quick to point to his experience in the QMJHL as why he has been able to help his country find success at the World Juniors.

“Obviously, it has helped me a lot because a few of the guys in the QMJHL play here as well. Example: two Canadian guys [Ethan Gauthier and Mathieu Cataford] as well as a few other nations have [QMJHL] guys,” stated Bulans, who represented Latvia at last year’s 2024 World Juniors along with Feldbergs and Mateiko. “So, it gives us confidence here to play against them, as you play against them in the regular season.”

Participating in their second World Juniors in Ottawa, Bulans, Feldbergs, and Mateiko have all assumed leadership roles within this Latvia team. The latter is exemplified by the fact that Bulans was named the team’s captain before the start of the tournament, while Mateiko was given an ‘A’ as one of his country’s two alternate captains.

Together, Bulans, Feldbergs, Mateiko, and Cjunskis are the only four Latvian players to have played a game in the QMJHL this season, which is why it wouldn’t surprise most to learn that the four have developed a special bond playing in North America against one another.

“We always communicate each day during the season and we’re like close friends,” said Bulans, who ranks second among Saguenéens blueliners in scoring with 16 points (2G-14A) in 29 games this season. In 2023-24, he tallied a career-best 42 points in 59 games in his first full year with Chicoutimi. “[Feldbergs, Mateiko and Cjunskis] are relentless. They always just keep pushing, competing, and that’s what has helped us here [at the World Juniors].”

“We all played as kids together,” shared Mateiko, who leads the Sea Dogs with 14 goals this season. He was named the 22nd captain in Saint John franchise history back in October. “You know, Latvia is a small country. You know everyone. When you play against [Bulans, Feldbergs, and Cjunskis] in the [QMJHL], it’s a little bit different. Obviously, for me, I play them only twice a year. So, it’s fun when you play against them.”

“I think when we are playing against [Mateiko, Bulans, and Cjunskis] – it’s more interesting. You know you have to win. I am the goalie. I don’t want them to score against me,” laughed Feldbergs.

KANATA, ONTARIO – DECEMBER 27: Latvia’s Linards Feldbergs #29 makes the save against Canada’s Cole Beaudoin #26 during Preliminary Round – Group A action at 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship at Canadian Tire Centre on December 27, 2024 in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by André Ringuette/IIHF)

As the four of them took a moment on Sunday to relish how their first couple of days at the 2025 World Juniors in Ottawa have transpired, they also were each clear that there’s more work to be done. 

Holding a 0-1-0-1 record through two games in Ottawa (which includes a 5-1 loss to the United States), Latvia will next face Germany later today (Monday, December 30) before closing out their tournament tomorrow against Finland on New Year’s Eve (Tuesday, December 31). Should the Latvians secure a victory in one of those two games, especially during their meeting with Germany today, they will almost certainly assure themselves a spot in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

“I feel like that’s going to be the most important game [against Germany]. We’ll just have to play like we did against Canada – structurally, play hard, and play all 60 minutes,” said Mateiko, who was drafted in the third round (90th overall) by the Washington Capitals at the 2024 NHL Draft. He also signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Capitals this past September. “I feel like we don’t have to be stressed because we know what we can do now, so just have to play our best game.”

“The next game is going to be the important one,” added Feldbergs. “But we still have to be all-in on the last two games, because we won against Canada, so why wouldn’t we play good against Finland and Germany?”