🎟️ Thursday 30th April (19:30) Great Britain v Italy at Planet Ice Milton Keynes: BUY TICKETS HERE 🎟️
🎟️ Saturday 2nd May (19:00) Great Britain v Italy at Motorpoint Arena Nottingham: BUY TICKETS HERE 🎟️
Defenceman Liam Steele has replaced the injured Kris Inglis in the Great Britain squad for May’s World Championship in Switzerland.
Steele, who turns 22 today, represented GB this season at the IIHF Cup of Nations tournaments in Poland in November and Edinburgh in February.
Steele scored 41 points (15+26) in 50 regular-season matches for Sheffield Steeldogs this season in the NIHL and has also iced three times for Elite League side Sheffield Steelers.
He played in the Junior A British Columbia Hockey League as a youngster and has represented GB at under-18 and under-20 level. The highly-rated young prospect is currently scoring at just under a point per game for NIHL side Sheffield.
Head Coach, Pete Russell, said: “I am firstly gutted for Kris as he put everything into making this team and I know what it meant to him but I know his time will come again.
“On the flip side, I am really excited for Liam as I know how much this will mean for him and it’s going to be a great experience for a talented young defenceman. We wish Kris a speedy recovery and look forward to working with Liam.”
GB will play four matches, including two in the UK, against Italy as part of World Championship preparations.
Pete Russell’s side go head-to-head with Italy at Planet Ice Milton Keynes on Thursday 30th April (19:30 face-off) and the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Saturday 2nd May (19:00 face-off).
They will then finish the four-game series with two matches in Varese in Italy on Sunday 10th May and Tuesday 12th May.
At May’s World Championship, GB will face Austria, USA, Hungary, Switzerland, Finland, Latvia and Germany in the group stages at the 12,000-seater Swiss Life Arena in Zurich.
Group B – which is being held at the 9,000-seater BCF Arena in Fribourg, consists of Canada, Sweden, Czechia, Denmark, Slovakia, Norway, Slovenia and Italy.
World Championship: Group A in Zurich
Saturday 16th May: Great Britain v Austria 12:20 (11:20 BST)
Sunday 17th May: Great Britain v USA 12:20 (11:20 BST)
Tuesday 19th May: Hungary v Great Britain 20:20 (19:20 BST)
Thursday 21st May: Switzerland v Great Britain 20:20 (19:20 BST)
Friday 22nd May: Finland v Great Britain 20:20 (19:20 BST)
Sunday 24th May: Great Britain v Latvia 16:20 (15:20 BST)
Monday 25th May: Germany v Great Britain 20:20 (19:20 BST)