Merrimack has received a commitment from the 2005-born goaltender Lynard Veldberga name that should already resonate with anyone who closely followed last year’s World Junior Championship.
Feldbergs was one of the breakout stars of the 2025 World Juniors, leading Latvia to one of the best results in tournament history. His signature moment came in the preliminary round, when he knocked down 55 shots in a win over Canada, including a flawless 8-for-8 performance in the shootout.
From that moment on the workload did not decrease. Feldbergs faced 41 shots the next day against the USA, before stopping another 48 in a 3–2 quarter-final loss to Sweden. As the game ended, fans at TD Place in Ottawa stood and chanted “MVP!”
“I think this is one of the best weeks of my life,” he said after the quarter-final. “And I will remember this tournament class, World Juniors. It will remain in my mind and 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 USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede. A year ago, he played in the QMJHL with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, where he posted a 2.66 GAA and a .903 save percentage in 41 games.
Neutral Zone rated Feldbergs as a four-star recruit and ranked him eighth in the USHL.
Although he went undrafted in last year’s NHL Draft, Feldbergs still caught the attention of NHL evaluators, ranking him 13th among North American goaltenders according to NHL Central Scouting.
“This kid could already be playing in the American Hockey League. That’s how skilled he is,” Al Jensen of Central Scouting told NHL.com. “He has the strength, the speed and the athleticism. When you look at him you can see that the NHL is in his name. He can be drafted from the mid 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 leave junior hockey at the end of this season and will come to Merrimack for the 2026-2027 campaign.
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