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FAIRBANKS – Gustavs Davis Grigals and Markuss Komuls were selected to Team Latvia for the start of the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Herning, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden. They were two of the 63 current and former NCAA men’s ice hockey players named to international rosters for the upcoming event. 

“This is a tremendous honor for these individuals to be able to represent their countries in this international tournament,” said Nanooks head coach Erik Largen. “They are getting an opportunity to play with and against future Hall of Fame caliber players. We are very proud of these individuals and know they will represent our program well.”

Grigals, a goalie, played for the Alaska Nanooks from 2018-2022 and appeared in 61 games, making 58 starts in his three seasons in the blue and gold. He posted a 25-26-6 record for the ‘Nooks, posting four shutouts, a .912 save percentage, and 2.6 GAA in 3376.87 minutes. His career year for the Nanooks came in 2021-22 when he played and started in 31 games, making 819 saves, posting a .919 save percentage, a 2.42 GAA, and 13-15-2 record with a pair of shutouts. He was also named the team captain in 2021-22. On Nov. 23, 2018, he made a career-high 46 saves at Michigan Tech during his first season with Alaska. 

The Riga, Latvia native has appeared in nine international games for Team Latvia. He currently plays for HK Dukla Trencin of Slovakia after appearing in 34 games in the ECHL with the Atlanta Gladiators and one game for the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL in 2023-24. 

Komuls, a defenseman, was with the Nanooks from 2019-23. In his three seasons played, Komuls skated in exactly 100 games, posting 22 points on 14 assists and eight goals. His third year with the blue and gold proved to be his career year with 11 points on three goals and eight helpers. During both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, he posted 40 blocked shots. On Dec. 10, 2022, Komuls posted a career-high four points in a win over Alaska Anchorage; he ended the 7-2 victory with three apples and a goal. He served as an alternate captain in his final season with the Nanooks. 

He signed with Trois-Rivières of the ECHL after graduation and spent two seasons with them, amassing 10 points on two goals and eight assists in 59 games. Komuls, who hails from Talsi, Latvia, began 2024-25 with HC Nove Zamky in Slovakia. He posted seven points in 35 games before joining Rytíri Kladno in Czechia. In 11 games this season, he had three points. Komuls has skated in 23 games for Team Latvia, tallying five points on two goals and three assists. 

The tournament can be seen on NHL Network in the United States and TSN in Canada. 

For more information, visit IIHF.com.

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