EDMONTON — It’s a lot easier to make Team Latvia than it is to find a spot on Team Canada, at every level of the hockey world.

So international play won’t be the only tool to help Rudolfs Berzkalns develop into a National Hockey Leaguer, but it should be an option for a Latvian kid who has been over here in North America since he went to school in Rochester, N.Y., as a 14-year-old.

The Oilers drafted the six-foot-four, 204-pound left-shot centreman in Round 2 of the NHL Draft, 58th overall, the first of five players chosen by Edmonton.

“A big centre, it’s important for us to add some size in the middle of the ice,” said Rick Pracey, Edmonton’s Director of Amateur Scouting. “We think his game is raw... some growth in his game we believe (will come). The plan is to play one more year of junior hockey before the NCAA – we think that would do a world of good.”

In a season in which the New York Rangers made defenceman Alberts Smits the highest ever drafted Latvian at No. 5 overall, the Oilers spent the highest pick they’ve ever invested in a Latvian, choosing Berzkalns at No. 58 — two picks ahead of Alexander Kerch in 1992.

While Smits played in both the Olympics and World Championships for Latvia this past season, it’s realistic to hope that Berzkalns can find a spot on Latvia’s World Junior roster at Christmas, and from there become a part of their national program to some........

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