The journey home was longer and less solemn than a year ago, but well over a hundred fans greeted the team at the airport even after a less successful tournament, Latvian Radio reports.
The players, who returned from the World Championships with a 9th place finish, did not make their way to the airport exit until around 11 p.m. Among the greeters were the families and friends of the players, as well as fans of the national team who wanted to thank the players for the tournament and the emotions they had experienced during it.
"We didn't think that people would come to meet us. It was a big surprise, a big joy that people did come," said forward Renārs Krastenbergs.
Forward Martins Laviņš was happy about the experience gained by all seven debutants at the championship, which will help them in their future careers.
The World Championship continues on Thursday with eight teams battling it out in the first round of the knockout tournament in four pairs for a place in the semi-finals. For the Latvian national team, the hockey marathon is over and it's time to take a little break after what has been a particularly long season for some of the players. It won't be a very long break, though, with many starting to prepare for the next season in June.
