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HALIFAX -- You can't start the tournament without them.
"We're sitting on the bench before the game against Slovenia looking up in the stands and see that one whole end is made up of Latvians," said Canadian captain Shane Doan.
"We're on the bench before the game one of our guys says 'Hey, the Latvians have made it here again!' "
Let the games begin.
There were supposed to be able 700 of them. Instead Latvian Federation president Kirovs Lipmans swears they'll have 1,200 of them in the stands here for this afternoon's game against Canada.
"It was amazing to see the group they had their the first night.
"They had two, three, sections filled and their team wasn't even playing," said Canadian defenceman Dan Hamhuis.
When players look forward to seeing the fans from the opposing team - like favourite cousins at a family reunion - you know there's something special involved. And maybe more so this year than ever before with the IIHF World Championship in Canada for the first time.
"Hitch had been telling me since the start of this back in Quebec City 'Wait until you see the Latvian Lizards!' " assistant coach Pat Burns said of head coach Ken Hitchcock.
HORNS ON
"That's what he calls them. Latvian Lizards. We saw a bunch of them walking around after our practice this morning at the Halifax Forum. They already had their horns on and everything."
The Latvian fans arrived here in time to take their seats to watch theCanada-Slovenia opener of the Halifax half of the tournament.
But it was the second game on Friday night when they made their presence felt and pumped up the volume.
They filled the Halifax Metro Centre with the sounds of music - or, at least the sounds that are music to the ears of Latvian players who had home ice advantage against Team USA and might have it again against Canada this afternoon.
They banged their drums, blew their trumpets, chanted their chants while wearing their incredibly creative head gear and sweaters (one which is made to accommodate six people) in the team's 4-0 loss to the Americans.
"We are very proud of our fans," said defenceman Krisjanis Redlihs.
"I believe we have the best fans. It's not just one year, it's every year. Every year we're proud of them. They go everywhere. We play an exhibition game in Denmark, which is far away, and when we look up, oh my God, they are even there."
Goaltender Edgars Masalskis says they actually have come to take their fans for granted.
"I'm used to it," he said. "They are there every year. In Sweden there were more Latvian fans than Sweden fans," he said of the 6,000 who showed up.
Dang near every team in the world of sport claims to have the best fans.
SOMETHING ELSE
But when the other teams talk about your fans and can't wait to play a game in front of them in Canada, that's something else.
"Now I've seen them. I think they're amazing. I'm thinking of calling Lou Lamoriello and suggesting we buy these fans and bring them back to New Jersey with us," said Burns.
"They've become the staple of the tournament," said Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman.
"They've become everyone's second favourite team. Maybe even favourite team," he said of the burgundy-outfitted bunch from the nation that has made the scene so special at the IIHF World Championships that they took the scene to them two years ago by holding the tournament in Riga.
"Instead of getting an income tax return I think they get a jersey," said Doan.
"They're just incredible. They're such a marvelous story.
"Team Canada has taken three trips to Riga in the last few years and I've been there twice and those fans have just been great to us."
Doan points out the Latvians usually give the fans one game to remember during a tournament.
"They usually beat somebody they're not supposed to beat," he said.
"You find yourself cheering for them. You want them to be successful - just not against you."