Abols reveals the vote for Latvia's head hockey coach was actually a tie in 2021

Latvian national hockey team coach Ivars Abols has shared new details about the 2021 decision on who would become the team's head coach after Canadian Bob Hartley departed. Abols had served as Hartley's assistant since 2017, following Hartley's appointment in late 2016.

Three candidates, two real contenders

After Hartley left in the summer of 2021, three candidates were formally considered for the head coach role: Leonids Tambijevs, Haralds Vitolins, and Abols himself. However, according to Abols, the real competition was only between him and Vitolins.

Abols disclosed that the vote on the new head coach actually ended in a tie. Vitolins ultimately got the position, while Abols remained part of the national team's coaching staff. Abols said the outcome was not a major surprise to him, since the situation had been building since Hartley's departure, and Vitolins' edge was understandable given his status as an Olympic champion and Gagarin Cup winner, albeit as a player.

Shared path to bronze, then a split

Vitolins and Abols worked together in 2023 when Latvia won its historic world championship bronze medal. However, ahead of the 2024 championship, Vitolins decided to remove Abols from the coaching staff. Abols said only Vitolins could explain the exact reasoning behind that decision, suggesting Vitolins wanted to make changes to the team.

This past summer, Abols' name again came up as a potential candidate for the head coach position, but the Latvian Hockey Federation decided to continue working with Vitolins, extending his contract for another season.