Rebels’ defenseman Gvido Jansons and goaltender Mareks Mitens will be representing their native country of Latvia in the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship which will be held in Montreal and Toronto Canada. Their first game will be played on Monday, December 26 against the United States.
Jansons, 19, is from Riga, Latvia. He was a member of last year’s Junior B team that won the championship. This year Jansons is fifth on the Rebels in points with 26 (10 goals and 16 assists). He is tied with teammate Brennan Kapcheck for most points by a defenseman in the North American Hockey League. Jansons will begin his college career in the fall at Arizona State University.
Mitens, 18, who resides from Ventspids, Latvia, leads the NAHL in virtually every positive goaltending statistic in the league. He has played in 22 games and has an 18 – 4 record. He has the most wins, best goals against average (1.32), save percentage (.945) and most shutouts (8). He was runner up for goaltender of the month and he was goaltender of the month for October and November.
