Leeds Knights and Sheffield Steeldogs youngsters earn Great Britain recognition for IIHF World Championships

YOU'RE IN: Alex Graham - who has spent the majority of this season with Sheffield Steeldogs - has made the GB Under-20 roster for December's World Championships in Lithuania. Picture: Peter Best/Steeldogs Media

FOUR Yorkshire-based youngsters have been picked for the Great Britain Under-20s squad to compete in the IIHF World Championships in December.

Leeds Knights’ trio Carter Hamill, Archie Hazeldine and Tate Shudra have all been selected for the main roster for the tournament in Lithuania, while Sheffield Steelers and Sheffield Steedogs’ forward Alex Graham is also selected.

Leeds’ teenage defenceman Bailey Perre is on the the reserves list, as is Steeldogs’ `19-year-old forward Louie Newell.

Head coach Martin Grubb’s team will face hosts Lithuania, along with Croatia, Netherlands, Romania and Spain in the six-team Division II Group A tournament when it takes place at Kaunas Ice Palace, Kaunas, between December 11-17.

As it stands, Hamill, Hazeldine and Shudra miss the Knights’ home game against Peterborough Phantoms on Saturday, December 10, the following day’s trip to Raiders IHC and the home game against Bees IHC on Saturday, December 17.

Graham – who has spent the majority of the season with the Steeldogs – and Newell, will miss games against Basingstoke Bison, Telford Tigers and Bristol PItbulls.

Hamill said his experience with the Under-18s in Tallinn - where he scored two goals in five appearances as GB earned a bronze medal - only served to fuel his determination to make the Under-20 roster this time around.

“After signing for Leeds, my other aim for the season was to make the GB 20s team this year,” said Hamill, whose twin brother Cameron, now playing at Hull Seahawks, has missed out.

“It was a great experience playing for the 18s and getting a feel of what a World Championships is really like and it makes you realise that in the future you want to play for the GB seniors team.

“I got on the 16s team but we never got to play because of Covid and also for the first year of the 18s cycle too, so it was good to finally get out there and play in Tallinn.”

Grubb said he believed he and his coaching team have plenty of options for when they arrive in Kaunas.

“We feel we have good skating ability, skill and speed, along with a good mix of youth and experience,” said Grubb.

“The process to select the team has been thorough and the staff have watched games and video footage, as well as speaking to coaches throughout the leagues.

“When you go to these tournaments you need to make sure you have a group that can play different roles and cope with the demands of tournament hockey.

“We are happy with the balance within our group and their suitability to play in different situations.

“As with every team we pick, there are some very good players who have been unlucky to miss out, but that just shows the depth we have.

“Our long list is strong should we need to call anyone into this team and we have also planned for the future with the names on the full squad.”