University of Massachusetts Hockey Stars Set to Compete in International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championship”.

In May 2024, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Men’s World Championship will be held in Czechia. Two former and one current student-athlete from the University of Massachusetts hockey program will represent their countries at this prestigious tournament.

Current sophomore forward Dans Locmelis will play for Latvia, while former Minuteman defenseman Matthew Kessel (2019-22) will skate with Team USA. Locmelis had a standout rookie season at UMass, scoring 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. Additionally, Locmelis has represented Latvia at the World Junior Championship multiple times and was named one of his country’s Top 3 players in both 2023 and 2024.

Kessel recently completed his second full season of professional hockey with the St. Louis Blues organization. During this time, he split time between the NHL and AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. In the NHL, Kessel played in 39 games and recorded seven points, including his first career NHL goal. Meanwhile, in Springfield he had eight points in just 36 contests.

The IIHF Men’s World Championship is an exciting event that will showcase some of the best ice hockey talent from around the world. This year it takes place in Czechia from May 10th to May 26th and can be watched on NHL Network in the United States and TSN in Canada