UMass Hockey Alumni Set to Compete in 2024 World Championship

In the upcoming 2024 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Men’s World Championship held in Czechia, two former University of Massachusetts hockey program players will represent their respective nations. Rising sophomore forward Dans Locmelis will be playing for Latvia, while former Minuteman defenseman Matthew Kessel (2019-22) will be skating with Team USA.

Locmelis had an impressive rookie season at UMass, scoring 14 points in 30 games, including one power-play goal and one game-winning goal. He also won over half of his faceoffs at a 55% clip and blocked seven shots. Locmelis represented Latvia at the 2024 World Junior Championship, where he helped the team reach the Quarterfinal round with five points in five games. He had previously played for Latvia at the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Championships and was named one of his country’s Top 3 players in both 2023 and 2024.

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

The IIHF Men’s World Championship is set to take place from May 10-