Monday became Latvia’s national holiday after the country’s biggest hockey win in history.
The nation, whose national sport is ice hockey, defeated the United States 4-3 in extra time to win the bronze medal at the IIHF World Championships.
The Latvians’ victory was so huge that their government decided to make Monday a national holiday.
Kristians Rubins scored the medalist just 1:22 in extra time at the Nokia Arena in Finland – the crowd was mostly Latvian fans, so the goal sent everyone crazy.
It was the country’s first medal in an IIHF competition, and prior to this tournament that they had not finished higher than seventh.
Members of the Latvian parliament shook up the team’s jerseys, declaring Monday a holiday.
“Celebrating the success of the Latvian ice hockey team can encourage everyone to strive for excellence in their work and skills,” the bill said via USA Today. “Celebrating this present day together would strengthen the national confidence and cohesion of Latvian society.”
![The Latvian team celebrates victory during the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Finland vs Latvia match between the USA and Latvia at the Nokia Arena on May 28, 2023 in Tampere, Finland.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Latvia-1.jpg?w=1024)
![Latvian mix Indrasis celebrates winning the bronze medal at the 2023 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championships Finland](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Latvia-2.jpg?w=1024)
Rubins scored the decisive goal with 5:39 left in regulation time, sending the game into beyond regular time.
Canada won the gold medal for the twenty eighth time, defeating Germany.
Canada defeated Latvia 5-2 in the semi-finals, which was hardly a surprise.
But for Latvia, this win will last a lifetime.
“Big teams like Canada are doing just that,” said Latvian striker Miks Indrašis after the match. “They win medals all the time. But for us, it’s like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That is unreal.