Latvijas Bērzs

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LB/Prizma Riga
Latvijas Berzs.gif
City: Riga, Latvia
League: Latvian Hockey League
Founded: 1962
Home Arena: Riga Sports Palace
Franchise history
1962-1995: Latvijas Berzs
1995-2000: LB/Essamika
1997-2002: LB/Prizma Riga
2002-: HK LB 69 Riga

Latvijas Berzs Riga was an ice hockey team in Riga, Latvia. It played in the lower-level Soviet leagues, back when Latvia was the Latvian SSR, during the 1970s and 1980s.

History

In the early 1960s, a furniture manufacturing company, Latvijas Bērzs (today Latvijas Finieris), created an ice hockey team. They first participated the Latvian SSR Championship in 1962. The club won the Latvian Championship ten times between 1969 and 1980.

The club played in the Vtoraya Liga from 1974-1978, but were promoted to the Pervaya Liga for two years (1979 and 1980) before being relegated back to the Vtoraya Liga.

In 1995 the club formed an alliance with HK Essamika Ogre. They won the Latvian Hockey League in 1997 under the name LB/Essamika. The club was part of two unions during the 1998-99 season, one with Essamika Ogre and Juniors-82 (Essamika Ogre/LB/Juniors-82) and another with Prizma-83 Riga (LB/Prizma-83 Riga). In 1999-2000, they again partnered solely with Ogre. From 2000-2002, they teamed up with Prizma Riga.

Since 2002, in addition an amateur team playing in the second division, youth teams have taken part in activities, usually within the HK Saga Riga club. A sports school by the name of Latvijas Bērzs currently exists in Riga.

Achievements

  • Latvian SSR champion 1969 1974, 1975, 1977-1980, 1983-1985[1]
  • Vtoraya Liga champion 1978
  • Latvian champion 1997

Season-by-season record

Season League GP W L T Pts GF-GA
1974/75 Vtoraya Liga West 52 17 7 28 41 211:240
1975/76 Vtoraya Liga West 52 19 28 5 43 205:237
1976/77 Vtoraya Liga West 52 25 19 8 58 253:190
1977/78 Vtoraya Liga West 52 42 8 2 86 323:132
1978/79 Pervaya Liga 60 16 37 7 39 190:263
1979/80 Pervaya Liga 60 6 46 8 22 167:329[2]
1980/81 Vtoraya Liga West 60 34 24 2 70 281:256
1981/82 Vtoraya Liga West 44 19 22 3 41 188:190[3]
1982/83 Vtoraya Liga West 52 20 30 2 42 212:265
1983/84 Vtoraya Liga West 52 29 20 3 61 240:190
1984/85 Vtoraya Liga West 52 19 23 10 48 194:208

References