Since the opening of Daugavpils Ice Hall, ice hockey has enjoyed a great popularity in the city. These years witnessed the establishment of local ice hockey traditions; new local players appeared. In the autumn 20003, the association “Daugavpils City Hokey Club” united hockey players from Daugavpils Ice School and local amateur teams in a hockey team “Latgale” of Daugavpils city, thus providing students of Daugavpils Hockey School with an opportunity to demonstrate their professional skills.
During the first two seasons the team successfully participated in Riga Open Ice Hockey Tournament (First League of Latvian Ice Hockey Championships), capturing the champions’ title in the debut year and claiming silver in the second.
From the season 2005/2006 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 2005/2006 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 2005/2006 end_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting “Latgale” is playing in the Latvian Open Ice Hockey Higher League. Undoubtedly the most successful season so far is the first season in the higher league when in 2006 “Falk” Latvian Open Ice Hockey Tournament the team “Latgale” ranked third both in regular and play off tournament and ultimately captured the bronze. So far, it is the highest achievement in the history of ice hockey in Daugavpils.
“Latgale” is a multinational team. Apart from players from Latvia several foreigners have been members of the team – Lithuanians, Czechs, Byelorussians, Finns, Slovaks, Ukrainians and Russians. Ever since its foundation, “Latgale” has had faithful supporters amongst Daugavpils City Council, state holding company “Latvijas Dzelzceļš” and other sponsors.
