Team GB's roster has been released and there are a lot of familiar names on it but is it strong enough for the raft of the Olympic qualifiers. In this article we will go through the roster and any changes made from the IIHF world championship team.
Team GB had a bad run in the IIHF world championship however, they are preparing for a completely different tournament and they can expect a lot of different skilled countries. Peter Russell and Corey Neilson has named their squad for the tournament.
Here is your Olympic qualifiers team GB:
Netminders:
Name | Club/Contract | Age |
Ben Bowns | Cardiff Devils/24-25 | 33 |
Jackson Whistle | Belfast Giants/24-25 | 29 |
Lucas Brine | Glasgow Clan/24-25 | 21 |
The netminders selected are all top notch with too experienced veterans and a developing rookie goalie.
Defense
Name | Club/Contract | Age |
Josh Batch | Cardiff Devils/24-25 | 33 |
David Clements | Coventry Blaze/24-25 | 29 |
Nathanael Halbert | HKM Zvolen/24-25 | 28 |
Sam Jones | TBC/TBC | 26 |
Evan Mosey | Cardiff Devils/24-25 | 35 |
Ben O’Connor | Dundee Stars/24-25 | 35 |
David ‘Davey’ Phillips | Hull Seahawks/24-25 | 36 |
Mark Richardson | Cardiff Devils/24-25 | 37 |
Sam Ruopp | ERC Ingolstadt/24-25 | 28 |
Joshua Tetlow | Nottingham Panthers/24-25 | 26 |
Team GB has a strong defensive core for the Olympic qualifiers however, it is the same as the one which competed in the IIHF world championship, which struggled so many fans and analysts will be wondering do they have what it takes for the Olympic qualifiers.
Forwards
Name | Club/Contract | Age |
Oliver Betteridge | Nottingham Panthers/24-25 | 28 |
Cameron Critchlow | Manchester Storm/24-25 | 32 |
Johnny Curran | TBC/TBC | 29 |
Ben Davies | Cardiff Devils/24-25 | 33 |
Robert Dowd | Sheffield Steelers/25-26 | 36 |
Liam Kirk | Eisbären Berlin/25-26 | 24 |
Sam Duggan | Cardiff Devils/24-25 | 26 |
Robert Lachowicz | Glasgow Clan/24-25 | 34 |
Ben Lake | Belfast Giants/24-25 | 34 |
Cade Neilson | Michigan Tech/24-25 | 23 |
Sean Norris | Guildford Flames/24-25 | 24 |
Brett Perlini | Cardiff Devils/24-25 | 34 |
Cole Shudra | Sheffield Steelers/24-25 | 25 |
Josh Waller | Guildford Flames/24-25 | 25 |
The forwards are the same too however, there is one addition which is Josh Waller. This forward set is a mix of good passers and shooters which is definitely a bonus for the Olympic qualifiers.
Team GB has barely changed since their bad run in the IIHF world championship, so is this a sign of trust and commitment or a sign of a lack of British ice hockey players?
Team GB have selected players who are stars in the EIHL and some players who are dominating ice hockey elsewhere. Other nations shouldn’t sleep on this team as they can pull my tricks out of the hat and have their opponents trailing.
Author: Calan Yule
Last Edited: 21:35 - 17/07/2024
Comments