Team Great Britain has unveiled its roster ahead of the 2021 IIHF World Championships in Latvia, with Arizona Coyotes draftee Liam Kirk the headline name in Pete Russell’s roster.
The former Peterborough Pete features in a roster comprised of a majority of players currently participating in the EIHL Elite Series, a month-long tournament organised to help prepare Team GB for the upcoming championship.
Head coach Peter Russell said: “As with any Great Britain squad, the coaching staff had many difficult decisions to make concerning this year’s team.
“A number of core GB players are unavailable for selection and we will miss those players for sure, but I still feel we have some great depth across our roster.
“Once again, this is the pinnacle of any player’s career and it will be a massive honor for them to step onto the ice against some of the best teams in the world.”
Team Great Britain face daunting task
Team GB face the International Athletes from Russia in their opening game of the World Championships on 22 May in Riga, Latvia.
Based in the Olympic Sports Center, Team GB were drawn into Group A alongside Russia, Slovakia, Denmark, Belarus, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.
Great Britain secured promotion to the top pool of the World Championships in 2018, upsetting Hungary to join the world’s elite for the first time since 1994.
A year later, Russell’s Lions defeated France 4-3 in overtime to prevent an immediate return to the second tier.
Due to the pandemic, Great Britain’s opening game against Russia sees them return to the ice for the first time since February 2020.
“Much of this has been made possible by the Elite Series and I would like to thank the Elite League once again for their assistance and providing an opportunity for British players to get competitive hockey under their belt this season,” Russell continued.
“The squad has a good mixture of experience and fantastic young talent. I do want to give a special mention to two players – Joe Hazeldine and Josh Waller – who just missed out. They are exciting prospects for the future and their day will come. If anyone has to pull out, they will be on the plane.”
Russell’s roster includes a number of new faces, with David Clements, Jordan Hedley, Lewis Hook, Ciaran Long, and Josh Tetlow called up for the first time.
Full Squad:
Ben Bowns – Nottingham Panthers
Jordan Hedley – Coventry Blaze
Jackson Whistle – Nottingham Panthers
Defence
David Clements – Coventry Blaze
Dallas Ehrhardt – Manchester Storm
Mark Garside – Nottingham Panthers
Sam Jones – Sheffield Steelers
Evan Mosey – EHC Freiburg
Ben O’Connor – Sheffield Steeldogs
David Phillips – Sheffield Steelers
Josh Tetlow – Nottingham Panthers
Forwards
Ollie Betteridge – Nottingham Panthers
Brendan Connolly – Sheffield Steelers
Ben Davies – Manchester Storm
Robert Dowd – Sheffield Steelers
Sam Duggan – Coventry Blaze
Luke Ferrara – Coventry Blaze
Mike Hammond – Coventry Blaze
Lewis Hook – Nottingham Panthers
Liam Kirk – Sheffield Steelers
Robert Lachowicz – Nottingham Panthers
Ben Lake – Manchester Storm
Ciaran Long – Manchester Storm
Matthew Myers – Sheffield Steelers
Brett Perlini – Nottingham Panthers
Jonathan Phillips – Sheffield Steelers
Ross Venus – Coventry Blaze
(Players listed by their 2021 Elite Series club.
