Latvian hockey player Arturs Irbe, known as the “The Wall” during his years as a successful goaltender, will be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame, the International Ice Hockey Federation has announced in Zurich, Switzerland.

The induction ceremony will take place on May 21 in Cologne, Germany, during the 74th IIHF World Championship. Irbe, who now serves as the goaltending coach for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League, will become the second Latvian inductee. Helmuts Balderis was inducted in 1998.

IIHF President René Fasel was able to bring the news directly to Irbe, according to a federation press release.

“A very unusual thing happened when I was visiting Vancouver this week and Arturs Irbe happened to be in town with the Washington Capitals, where he is the goaltending coach,” Fasel said. “This gave me a unique opportunity to tell someone directly about him being selected. I am very happy for Arturs. He was the first true Team Latvia superstar.”

Irbe, 44, began playing professional hockey for Dinamo Rīga in the Soviet national league and was named Rookie of the Year during the 1987-1988 season.

In 1991, Irbe began playing in the NHL, first for the San Jose Sharks, followed by the Dallas Stars, the Vancouver Canucks and the Carolina Hurricanes. He also represented Latvia during the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, serving in the latter event as his country’s flag bearer during the opening ceremonies. Irbe also played for Latvia in eight IIHF World Championships.

Also to be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame are Riikka Nieminen of Finland (becoming the fourth woman to earn the honor),  Dieter Hegen of Germany, Vladimir Krutov of Russia and Rickard Fagerlund of Sweden. Lou Vairo of the United States will receive the Paul Loicq Award for outstanding contributions to international hockey.

The IIHF Hall of Fame was introduced in 1997. It now includes 160 hockey players from 22 countries.

Balderis, the first Latvian inductee, was one of the best players to come out of Soviet Latvia. His career included playing for the Soviet Union’s Olympic hockey team, for Dinamo Rīga and for the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL.

Songs that have bolstered Latvians in the diaspora could now play a part in supporting their countrymen in the homeland, according to organizers of a project to record a compact disc of patriotic music. They are asking Latvians abroad to submit suggestions for songs to be included in the collection.

The “Ceļamaize” project is being organized by the Rīga-based Koknese Fund (Kokneses Fonds), the same group behind the Likteņdārzs memorial to the thousands of Latvians who became victims of totalitarian regimes during the 20th century.

The impetus for the recording came from the youth choir Balsis, according to a press release from the fund. The idea is to the strengthen the spirit of Latvians in the homeland, who are enduring one of the worst economies in Europe and political uncertainty. As a result, thousands of Latvians have emigrated from country in recent years.

“Traditions and Latvian identity among Latvians abroad are most encountered in Latvian poetry and music,” the Koknese Fund organizers said in a press release.

Latvians abroad are asked to complete a one-page survey listing the songs they believe should be included on the CD. The most popular songs will be recorded in a live concert scheduled May 4 in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Latvia’s restoration of independence. The songs will be compiled on a CD that will be presented to Latvian schools, libraries and centers around the world.

For each CD sold, one lat will be donated to the construction of an amphitheater at the Likteņdārzs memorial near the community of Koknese.

Completed surveys should be mailed to Projekts “Ceļamaize,” Kokneses fonds, Lāčplēša iela 75-III, Rīga, LV – 1011, Latvia. The surveys may also be e-mailed to info@koknesesfonds.lv.

The Latvian-language survey, in Microsoft Word document format, is available for download.

Further information about the Likteņdārzs memorial project is available by visiting koknesesfonds.lv.

The Hungary-based low cost airline Wizz Air will begin service from Rīga in March with flights to Great Britain, Norway and Finland, the company has announced.

Thrice-weekly flights to London Luton Airport and Sandefjord Airport Torp near Oslo will commence March 30, the airline announced in a press release. Twice-weekly flights to Turku Airport will start March 28.

“Wizz Air’s opening of the Rīga market is a natural next step in the airline’s expansion in Central and Eastern Europe,” Wizz Air CEO József Váradi said in a press release. “We continue our dynamic development to reinforce our leadership position in the region to the benefit of the ever growing number of people who can now afford to fly.”

Latvian transportation officials credit lower tariffs at Rīga International Airport for helping to lure Wizz Air. The new tariffs went into effect Nov. 1.

“We are gratified that one of the fastest growing airlines in the Central and Eastern Europe is commencing operations at Rīga International Airport,” Krišjānis Peters, chairman of the airport board, said in a press release. “Important preconditions to our cooperation were the advantageous geographical position of Rīga and our new tariff policy, which is one of the friendliest among the airports of the European capitals.”

Wizz Air started operations in 2004 with flights from Poland. Today the airline has flights on more than 150 routes.