Hockey coach Evalds Grabovskis, former Latvia national team head, dies
Former Latvia national ice hockey team coach Evalds Grabovskis has died on Sunday at the age of 85. The Latvian Ice Hockey Federation announced his death.
Evalds Grabovskis, a hockey coach who once led the Latvian men's national ice hockey team, died on Sunday at the age of 85. His death was announced by the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation (LHF), the body that governs the sport in the country.
Work with the national team and the federation
Grabovskis was in charge of the Latvian national team in 1995. He spent two further seasons working as an assistant to the head coach. He also took on administrative duties at the LHF and helped with the work of the youth national teams.
Career as a player and coach
As a player, Grabovskis was a defenseman and played for VR, Brocēni and Riga's Daugava. He later became a coach and led teams including Riga's Dinamo and Latvijas Bērzs.
His coaching career also took him abroad. In the 1980s Grabovskis worked with the Bulgarian national team, and in the 1990s he was part of the Polish national team setup. He also led clubs in Latvia, Poland and Germany.
Recognition
In 2019 Grabovskis received the LHF award for lifetime contribution to hockey.
