Great Britain: U18 WJC (D2A) Tallin 2015 discussion

[3 Minute Minor]

Live Streams - TBA

Roster
Netminders
Denis Bell - Telford (97)
Renny Marr - Fife Flyers (97)

Defence
Josh Grieveson - Northwood School (97)
Bradley Jenion - Ontario Hockey Academy (98)
Edward Knaggs - Milton Keynes Thunder (98)
Ben Nethersell - Okanagan Academy UK (98)
Cameron Pound - CIHA Voyageurs, Canada (99)
Kyle Smith - Okanagan Academy UK (98)
Ollie Stone - Okanagan Academy UK (98)
Callum Wells - Chelmsford Chieftans (98)

Forwards
Ivan Antonov - Bracknell (97)
Glen Billing - Okanagan UK (97)
Lee Bonner - Iowa (97)
Owen Bradshaw - Cardif (98)
Sam Duggan - Orebro (98)
Adam Finlinson - Okanagan UK (98)
Connor Henderson - Ontario Hockey Academy (97)
Danny Ingoldsby - Bracknell (97)
Luc Johnson - Okanagan UK (97)
Callum Queenan - Whitley Bay (97)
Toms Rutkis - Okanagan UK (97)
Michael Stratford - Okanagan UK (97)

Schedule
22 Mar 2015, Sun - 14:30 GMT - South Korea vs Great Britain
23 Mar 2015, Mon - 18:00 GMT - Estonia vs Great Britain
25 Mar 2015, Wed - 11:00 GMT - Poland vs Great Britain
27 Mar 2015, Fri - 14:30 GMT - Croatia vs Great Britain
28 Mar 2015, Sat - 11:00 GMT - Netherlands vs Great Britain

Click to read more...

 

[Danmark]

Any idea, about the roster? - Is Duggan going to play?

 

[3 Minute Minor]

updated

 

[Siamese Dream]

Denis Bell is Telford not Milton Keynes

Ingoldsby Bracknell not Basingstoke

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Denis Bell is Telford not Milton Keynes

Ingoldsby Bracknell not Basingstoke

truth
pulled em from my list from last year lol

 

[Danmark]

Thoughts about the squad?

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Thoughts about the squad?

Expectations should be high with 6 players from the U20 D2A promoted squad last month.

Bell will likely play all 5 games.
Duggan/Antonov/Rutkis/Stratford/Johnson/Billing/Bonner/Finlinson are 8 obvious candidates in the top 9 and they all have experience with each other (Duggan/Antonov, OHA kids, & Bonner/Finlinson played in Hull together)

Biggest question mark will be the defense. Not that they don't look talented, a lot of names were obviously going to be on the radar this & next year, but with only one '97 it's tough to judge what they'll be like in their first tournament. That's where I expect the most growing pains.

If I were to guess line combos:
Antonov-Duggan-Rutkis
Stratford-Billing-Johnson
Bonner-Finlinson-Ingoldsby
Bradshaw-Queenan-Henderson
Smith

Grieveson-Nethersell
Jenion-Pound
Knaggs-Wells
Stone

Bell
Marr

I think I could make line combos for the defense 10 times and never come up with the same combination twice, it's very unpredictable when they're all so inexperienced.

 

[Danmark]

Who are the profiles?

Grieveson, Duggan and Antonov?

How talented is 99' born Cameron Pound?

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Who are the profiles?

Grieveson, Duggan and Antonov?

How talented is 99' born Cameron Pound?

Profiles?

No clue on Pound but I anticipate we'll find out in a couple months

 

[Danmark]

Profiles?

No clue on Pound but I anticipate we'll find out in a couple months

My bad,
I mean, who are the stars of the team ;-)

 

[3 Minute Minor]

My bad,
I mean, who are the stars of the team ;-)

Ye probably Duggan & Antonov. Rutkis was given a lot of ice time at U20s and didn't look out of place at all so I expect he'll play a big role at U18s.

All the OHA kids have been solid two-way players for the last 2 years and this will be the first tournament that they'll be asked to play big roles, should be interesting to see how they do.

 

[blair3]

Cameron Pound is the son of a former dual national who played pre Super League and I believe Ian played for GB. Cameron nearly made the team last year as a 15 year old so is obviously highly thought of having player in North America for a few years.

Ben Nethersell is an excellent player. I saw him control the powerplay for the Academy team against Bracknell early this year. Bracknell are the second best team in the league and the way he controlled the powerplay was fantastic, I think if he develops a slap shot in the next couple of years he will go far.

Knaggs at 16 gets regular ice time in NIHL 1 for a team with a good defensive record.

Jenion is a 6-4 defenceman who won made the all star team in the Chris Vejest (SP) under 16s tournament last year. We all know how good Grieveson is.

I think we can aim for promotion and certainly a medal.

 

[blair3]

Two players that are absent from the team are Sam Jones and Scott Robinson. Both have played in North America, currently KIJHL, and I believe have dual nationality having been British born. Can anybody confirm if they are allowed to play for GB with the new IIHF ruling, two consecutive years hockey in your home nation after age 10?

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Two players that are absent from the team are Sam Jones and Scott Robinson. Both have played in North America, currently KIJHL, and I believe have dual nationality having been British born. Can anybody confirm if they are allowed to play for GB with the new IIHF ruling, two consecutive years hockey in your home nation after age 10?

Robinson is eligible, 13 when he moved.
Jones unknown but seems unlikely

 

[Danmark]

What about players like Thomas Stubly, Nick Oliver, Matthew Headland and Jack Dransfield? How long was they, from making the roster?

 

[Siamese Dream]

Thomas Stubly, Jack Dransfield?

Two names you've picked out because they sat on the bench in the EIHL for a couple of games, and don't belong anywhere near the roster

 

[Danmark]

Two names you've picked out because they sat on the bench in the EIHL for a couple of games, and don't belong anywhere near the roster

Of course? - I do not know much about the level of GB J18 , but these guys was in EIHL a couple of time, so of course, it was some names i would like to know more about?

 

[blair3]

Tom Stubbly of Hull is highly regarded. One Hull supporter has suggested he could be as good as Stevie Lee. He is only just 16 and if he continues to progress should make the team next year. Dransfield I don't know much about at all other than that one icing for the Sheffield Steelers, other than that he doesn't appear to have played much senior hockey this season and the likes of Cole Shudra, Charlie Thompson and Cam Brownley who have all iced ferquently at senior level this season would have been in front of him.

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Unfortunately those are the U20s that get a shot in EIHL and then the average fan that doesn't know a thing about EPIHL gets it in their head that those are the top U20s in the country and there is no British talent available. Best raise them import levels.

 

[blair3]

I read an article recently about the Latvia (Pool A) under 18s trials. Despite the issues with player development in the UK it was interesting to see that four British trained players were called up for the trials.

Tom Rutkis (obviously chose GB instead)
Olegs Lashcenko
Ralfs Circens
Niks Trapens

The last three all represented Latvia in friendlies. Trapens hasn't got great stats whilst playing for a struggling Lee Valley set up and the other two have got good stats in UK junior hockey. Maybe GB junior hockey can produce good players.

Does anybody know if any of these three were called up for trials with GB as well?

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Camp is a totally secret operation so I have no clue.

I do know Latvia made the effort to get a look at anyone & everyone available to them this year, I'm not sure any of them have a realistic shot at making the team. They're doing what Russell said he'll do for Senior, leave no stone unturned

 

[Siamese Dream]

Lots of these Latvian boys playing over here don't have British passports. It's unusual for EU born kids to get them as there's not really any benefit in ordinary life and it makes little difference, obviously Rutkis went out of his way to get one so he could play for GB