The Kyiv Capitals goaltender spoke about his experience playing in the Optibet League with a Ukrainian team, his debut call-up to the Latvian national team, and the unfortunate injury he suffered in the match against Mogo/RSU.
Janis, first of all, tell us about your impressions of the part of the season that has already passed.
I believe we had a strong first half of the championship. We had significantly more wins than losses. There were some minor roster changes during the season, but the key to our success has remained the same – a great team spirit. That has helped us win difficult games more than once. Of course, there were matches we should have finished with a different result, but the most important stage of the season is still ahead.
How does it feel to play in your home country’s league and close to your hometown, while defending the colors of a Ukrainian team?
Playing at home is pure enjoyment. In recent seasons, I played abroad, so I’m happy to be back in Latvia. My family and friends attend our games. That’s the most important thing for me. It’s just as important for them, since they try not to miss a single match. As for the second part of the question, representing a Ukrainian team in these difficult times is a great honor. My family, our team, and Latvia as a whole support Ukraine in this war. We all hope this horror ends as soon as possible.
A large part of the team consists of Latvian and Ukrainian players. At the beginning of the season, did you recall your previous time playing in our country?
Yes, I did. I was already familiar with several players thanks to my time with HC Donbas. Ukrainians are very friendly guys. It’s a pleasure to share the ice with them.
In the match against Mogo/RSU, you suffered an injury and will be forced to miss part of the season. How did it happen?
In the final minute of the game, an opposing player drove to the net after his teammate’s shot and ended up falling on me. Unfortunately, no one in hockey is protected from that. I will do everything possible to return to the lineup for the playoff games.
How is your recovery going?
I’ve already started gradually working on physical conditioning, coordination, and reaction. Starting next week, new treatment procedures will be added. I’m moving step by step toward recovery.
If we return to the on-ice aspects, the end of January was successful for you and the team – a tough win over Mogo/RSU, being named best player of the last match, and being chosen by fans as the best player of January. What impressions did these events leave on you?
Such awards are more important for my family. If the team wins, it doesn’t really matter who is named the best player. The main goal is to achieve results.
It’s also worth mentioning the first losses to HS Riga and Panter. What do you think caused those results?
In the match against HS Riga, we clearly outshot our opponents. I can only congratulate their goalie, who made 58 saves, and their team as a whole. For any league in the world, that’s a very serious number of saves. HS Riga scored «non-mandatory goals», while nothing was going in for us. As for Panter, they’ve significantly improved recently. It feels like they were a completely different team at the start of the season. It was a competitive game, but unfortunately, we lost in overtime.
During the previous break, you received your debut call-up to the Latvian national team. How much inspiration did that give you for the rest of the season?
For my family and me, it was a very emotional moment. The call-up was a pleasant surprise. I went with the team and did everything I could. That period was very positive. It’s always a pleasure and an honor to wear the Latvian national team jersey. I was happy to meet guys I started playing hockey with back in childhood. I returned with only positive emotions. I hope it won’t be my last call-up.
Kyiv Capitals’ next match will be against Zemgale/LBTU, currently the team’s closest pursuer in the standings. You can invite fans to the central match of the round.
I would like to invite all fans to support our team in this game. Your emotions inspire us to achieve new accomplishments. I’m sure the match will feature high speed and plenty of physical battles, as two championship contenders will face each other. See you there!
