From Latvia to NHL, Penguins' Teddy Blueger's friendship with Columbus' Elvis Merzlikins endures

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In some ways, it has been the signature moment of Teddy Blueger’s season.

In the Pittsburgh Penguins’ second game of the year Oct. 5 at PPG Paints Arena, Blueger took a little forehand pass from Domink Kahun and burst into the offensive zone like a meteor streaking through the mesosphere. Using a defenseman as a screen, Blueger ripped a nasty wrist shot from the top of the left circle past the glove hand of a beleaguered goaltender.

It was Blueger’s first goal of 2019-20, the first season in which he began a campaign on the NHL roster, and it was the final goal in a 7-2 dismantling of the Metropolitan Division rival Blue Jackets. The score further established Blueger’s credentials to be at the level.

Blueger didn’t celebrate. He just exchanged a few fist bumps with teammates and went to the bench.

That nondescript gesture was appreciated by the man who yielded the goal.

Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins gave up that score to Blueger as well as the six others the Penguins put in the net that night. He was grateful his longtime friend and fellow Latvian didn’t play up the accomplishment.

“ ‘Bloogy,’ he did, he scored,” said Merzlikins, who left the building that night with a loss in his first career NHL start. “But he’s not going to be the guy that tries to joke with me because he’s not that kind of guy. He’s professional. Maybe he’ll make a little fun of me in April, but not that much.

“That was a really bad night for me. He knew that I did not want to talk, so we didn’t talk.”

As two of three Latvians in the NHL (Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons completes the trio), Blueger and Merzlikins are part of a tight-knit community. Their relationship goes back before either was born.

“My mom was in the same school with his mom and his father,” Merzlikins said. “So they know really well, each other. So we are really close. (The parents) know each other really well. Then we just played all the time together with the national team, since under 13, I guess. We’ve been on the road together for a long time.”

Blueger’s father, Valentin, provided support to Merzlikins during those embryonic stages of his career.

“His father, when I was younger, he did a lot of (coaching) to me,” Merzlikins said. “He was all the time teaching me stuff on hockey, too, when I was younger. When we didn’t have coaches or something, his father had connections with (former NHL all-star goaltender) Arturs Irbe and those guys, the big guys of hockey. He was giving me some advice, too.”

Blueger and Merzlikins have played together on several national teams in International Ice Hockey Federation tournaments dating to 2010. Even then, Blueger displayed an even-keeled demeanor.

“He’s an awesome guy,” Merzlikins said. “He’s really, really professional. He’s a really calm guy. He’s a really, really, really good boy. In juniors, there were guys there that like to do stupid stuff when we have days off, like go find the girls or something like that. He wasn’t that guy. He was always the calm guy, the right guy and a respectful guy.”

Merzlikins is in his first NHL season, which has been a bit rocky. Prior to Friday’s game against the Penguins at Nationwide Arena, Merzlikins had played in six games and had a 0-2-3 record along with a 3.54 goals-against average and .890 save percentage.

While he focuses on his overall game and adapting to the North American style of play, games against Blueger or Girgensons are important for Merzlikins.

“I am the only one Latvian (goaltender) who is right now here in the NHL,” Merzlikins said. “When I am playing against them, it is obviously important to not get scored on (by) them because at the end of the season, you’re going to meet them with the national team (at the IIHF World Championship tournament in the spring). And we all know how the players are, they’re going to try to be really tough and they’re (going to) make fun.

“It’s important to maybe make a huge save so that you can joke on him later. It’s really important for that.”

A third-round pick in 2014 by the Blue Jackets, Merzlikins, 25, played professionally in Switzerland’s NLA league before making the jump to the NHL.

Blueger is eager to see his friend establish himself in this league.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Blueger said. “He’s been playing well for a long time coming. He’s been the best player on our national team for the last five, six years here. It’s good to see him get his chance. I’m sure he’ll succeed.”

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