Merzlikins will defend the Latvian crease against the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday, according to Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets‘ official site.
Merzlikins won his last three starts in a Columbus uniform, prior to the Olympic break, turning aside 70 of 75 shots. He is 11-8-1 with a 3.48 GAA and an .888 save percentage over 21 contests this season. Merzlikins has a tough matchup against the mighty American team, which includes Blue Jackets teammate, Zach Werenski.