Cardiff Devils have four players in the Great Britain ice hockey squad for their World Championship warm-up matches against Poland.
Goalie Ben Bowns, Josh Batch, Mark Richardson and Matthew Myers will all play against Poland along with Welshman Jonathan Phillips, the former Devils forward who is now captain of Sheffield Steelers.
GB coach Peter Russell has named a 28-man squad for the matches against Poland at the National Ice Centre, Nottingham on Friday, April 14 (7:30pm) and Coventry’s Skydome the next day (1pm).
The squad will be cut to 23 ahead of the World Championship, where GB will face Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, Netherlands and Japan in Belfast between April 23 and April 29.
Fife Flyers forward Brendan Brooks is in the GB squad for the first time.
“We have a good balance of offence and defence,” said Russell. “It’s the strongest team we have selected in the two years we have been involved as coaches.
“We have been challenged to win a gold medal by the association and to do it on home soil.
“It’s going to be a wonderful experience and we need everyone behind the whole group. Let’s all pull together, be positive and believe this is our year.”
Great Britain squad:
Netminders: Ben Bowns (Cardiff Devils), Stephen Murphy (Belfast Giants), Jackson Whistle (Belfast Giants).
Defence: Josh Batch (Cardiff Devils), Mark Garside (Belfast Giants), Steve Lee (Nottingham Panthers), Ben O’Connor (Sheffield Steelers), David Phillips (Sheffield Steelers), Mark Richardson (Cardiff Devils), Zach Sullivan (Braehead Clan), Paul Swindlehurst (Manchester Storm), Jonathan Weaver (Telford Tigers).
Forwards: Brendan Brooks (Fife Flyers), David Clarke (Nottingham Panthers), Russell Cowley (Coventry Blaze), Robert Dowd (Sheffield Steelers), Sam Duggan (Orebro, Sweden), Robert Farmer (Nottingham Panthers), Luke Ferrara (Sheffield Steelers), Robert Lachowicz (Nottingham Panthers), Evan Mosey (Rockford Ice Hogs, USA), Matthew Myers (Cardiff Devils), Craig Peacock (Braehead Clan), Jonathan Phillips (Sheffield Steelers), Jack Prince (Manchester Storm), Colin Shields (Belfast Giants), Liam Stewart (Coventry Blaze), Ross Venus (Coventry Blaze).
Ticket information for GB against Poland at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham is available from the NIC box office in person, log on to the National Ice Centre website at www.motorpointarenanottingham.com or telephone 0843 373 3000.
For GB v Poland match in Coventry, visit the Skydome box office in person, log on to www.planet-ice.co.uk/arena/Coventry and ‘Ice Hockey Tickets’ or call 02476 630 693.