GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Earlier today, Team Latvia announced that Grand Rapids Griffins forward Eduards Tralmaks will represent his country at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games from Feb. 6-22. Tralmaks becomes the seventh player to participate in an Olympics while playing for the Griffins. 

Tralmaks is the third current or former Griffin to be named to a 2026 Olympic roster so far, joining USA’s Dylan Larkin, Germany’s Moritz Seider and Czechia's Filip Hronek. A record 15 former Griffins took part in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, and a Grand Rapids alum has medaled in each of the last five tournaments. 

Tralmaks, a native of Riga, Latvia, has 18 points (14-4—18), six penalty minutes and a plus-15 rating in 31 games with the AHL-leading Griffins this season. He ranks among the team leaders in goals (T2nd), points (6th), and plus-minus rating (T8th), while tying for 10th in the AHL in goals and tying for 14th in plus-minus rating. The 28-year-old posted a season-high four-game point streak from Nov. 22-28 (4-2—6), which included his first-career AHL hat trick on Nov. 25 at Texas. 

Tralmaks has competed for Team Latvia at the two previous World Championships in 2024 and 2025, showing a combined nine points (4-5—9) in 14 games. At last year's World Championship, Tralmaks led Latvia in points (3-4—7) and assists, while ranking second in goals in seven games. Also in 2024-25, he potted one goal in three Olympic qualifying games with Latvia. Tralmaks also suited up for Team Latvia at the 2017 World Junior Championship (0-2—2 in 6 GP) and the 2015 U18 World Junior Championship (1-2—3 in 6 GP). 

Four Griffins alumni reached the podium in 2022 in Beijing. Valtteri Filppula and Harri Sateri led Finland to its first-ever men’s hockey gold medal, with team captain Filppula joining Niklas Kronwall as the only former Griffins to earn two Olympic medals. Meanwhile, Patrik Rybar was named to the tournament's all-star team after backstopping Slovakia to its first Olympic medal in men’s hockey, a bronze. Teammate Tomas Jurco, playing in his second Olympics, became the first player to medal after winning a Calder Cup with the Griffins (2013). With the inclusion of Pat Nagle on the U.S. squad, all three goalies from the Griffins’ 2018-19 campaign – Sateri, Rybar and Nagle – took part in the 2022 Games. For the Griffins complete Olympic history click here. 

Tralmaks and Team Latvia will begin their slate of games on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 3:10 p.m. EST against Team USA at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. 

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins