Zemgale vs TUTO

Zemgale started the better side and opened the scoring on the power play in the first period. Aleksandrs Novikovs converted with the man advantage to give the Latvian vice-champions a 1–0 lead at the first intermission, as reported by TVNET/LETA.

The home side doubled their advantage early in the second period. Gustavs Millers — who would finish as Zemgale's joint-top scorer in the tournament with two goals (per LHF tournament statistics) — made it 2–0 and put the Jelgava-based side in firm control.

TUTO responded with two power-play goals in quick succession during the middle frame to level the game at 2–2. The third period produced no further goals despite chances at both ends, sending the game to overtime.

Overtime lasted barely a minute. Valtteri Karnaranta found the net to complete the comeback and seal a 3–2 victory for the Mestis club from Turku.

Zemgale's discipline unravelled in the second period. After cruising at 2–0, two minor penalties allowed TUTO's power play to drag them back into the contest. Once the Latvian side lost its two-goal cushion, the momentum swung decisively. TUTO carried that momentum through a scoreless third period and into overtime, where Karnaranta struck before Zemgale could even settle.

• Valtteri Karnaranta (TUTO) — Scored the game-winner 61 seconds into overtime. Also recorded two points across the tournament (LHF tournament stats).
• Gustavs Millers (Zemgale/LBTU) — Put Zemgale 2–0 up with a goal in the second period. Finished as Zemgale's joint-top scorer in the President's Cup with two goals.
• Aleksandrs Novikovs (Zemgale/LBTU) — Opened the scoring on the power play in the first period, giving Zemgale a dream start.
• Roope Turunen (TUTO) — Led the tournament in scoring with three points across all President's Cup games (LHF tournament statistics).

Player of the Match: Valtteri Karnaranta (TUTO)

TUTO converted two power-play opportunities in the second period to erase a two-goal deficit — a reminder that special teams often decide pre-season friendlies where five-on-five play is still finding its rhythm. Zemgale's discipline cost them: after a clean first period, two minor penalties in the second allowed TUTO back into the game. Period-level shot data from the Mestis.fi gamecentre was not published at the time of writing, but the period scores suggest TUTO grew into the game as it wore on.

The match was part of the third edition of the LHF President's Cup, an annual pre-season tournament featuring six teams: two Latvian U20 national team selections ("Bordo" and "Balta"), TUTO Hockey (Finland's Mestis league), Latvian champions Mogo/RSU, vice-champions Zemgale/LBTU, and the France U20 national team.

The tournament's primary purpose is to give the Latvia U20 national team high-quality preparation for the World U20 Championship in Canada (December 2026 – January 2027).

Zemgale went on to win the bronze medal match on 16 August, beating France U20 4–1. TUTO defeated Latvia U20 "Balta" 5–0 in the final to claim the President's Cup for the second time, having previously won in 2024, per LETA via Sportazinas.com.

Zemgale's next competitive action will be the 2026–27 Optibet Hokeja Līga season, which begins in September.

Zemgale looked capable of holding their own through 30 minutes, leading a strong Mestis side 2–0. But two power-play goals swung the game, and Karnaranta's early OT strike ended it before it could reach a shootout. A useful pre-season exercise for both sides, but TUTO's second-period response showed the difference in discipline between a Finnish second-tier side further into camp and a Latvian team at an earlier stage of preparation.