Merrimack lands World Juniors standout goaltender Linards Feldbergs
One of the top performers at last year's WJC will arrive at Merrimack next season
Merrimack has landed a commitment from 2005-born goaltender Linards Feldbergs, a name that should already resonate with anyone who followed last year’s World Junior Championship closely.
Feldbergs was one of the breakout stars of the 2025 World Juniors, backstopping Latvia to one of its best finishes in tournament history. His signature moment came in the preliminary round, when he turned aside 55 shots in a win over Canada, including a flawless 8-for-8 performance in the shootout.
The workload didn’t ease from there. Feldbergs faced 41 shots the following day against the U.S., then stopped 48 more in a 3-2 quarterfinal loss to Sweden. When the game ended, fans at TD Place in Ottawa rose to their feet, chanting “MVP!”
“I think this is one of the best weeks in my life,” he said after the quarterfinal. “And I’m gonna remember this tournament class, World Juniors. It’s going to stay in my head, in my heart for the rest of my life.”
Here’s one of his many highlights from last year’s WJC (a 5-on-3 save against BC’s James Hagens).
This season, Feldbergs has posted a 2.50 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL. A year ago, he played in the QMJHL with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, where he recorded a 2.66 GAA and a .903 save percentage in 41 games.
Neutral Zone rated Feldbergs as a four-star recruit and slotted him as the No. 8 overall prospect in the USHL.
Although he went undrafted in last year’s NHL Draft, Feldbergs still caught the attention of NHL evaluators, ranking No. 13 among North American goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting.
“This kid could already play in the American Hockey League. He’s that skilled,” Al Jensen of Central Scouting told NHL.com. “He’s got the strength, the quickness and the athleticism. You look at him in there and you can tell he’s got NHL written all over him. He could get drafted from the middle rounds to the late rounds, depending on if a team wants a goalie or if they like him enough.”
Analysis: At 20 years old, Feldbergs will age out of junior hockey at the conclusion of this season and is slated to arrive at Merrimack for the 2026–27 campaign.
