Sheffield Steelers' Cole Shudra gets call-up for Great Britain squad to contest Winter Olympics qualifiers

The 25-year-old Sheffield-born left-hander will step up to replace former Steelers’ forward Josh Waller after the Cardiff Devils’ star was stuck down by an injury.

Like Steelers’ team-mate Brandon Whistle – who returned successfully from a six-week injury lay-off in the weekend double-header against Glasgow Clan – Shudra is in line to make his full international debut at the Vindico Arena.

He made 11 appearances for GB as a junior, playing five times for the Under-18s as well as making six appearances for the Under-20s, including winning a bronze medal in 2018.

Shudra has scored seven goals and posted 13 assists in 44 games for the Steelers this season in all competitions, form that will have taken him very close to being called up when the squad was first announced last month.

“We’re disappointed to lose Josh, especially at such a late stage,” said GB head coach Pete Russell, who ais also Waller’s coach at Steelers’ EIHL rivals, Cardiff.

“But as one door closes another one opens. Cole has had a fantastic season with the Steelers and fully deserves his call-up to the full international squad.”

In a hectic schedule of three games in four days, the hosts launch their campaign on Thursday against China before taking on Serbia two days later and rounding off their tournament against Romania on Sunday.

GB go into the tournament as the highest-ranked of the four teams, with Romania next in the pecking order three places back at 23rd in the world. The group winners will progress to the final Qualifying event in August, where three spots at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter OIympics are up for grabs.