Great Britain U20 Head Coach Tom Watkins has named his squad for December’s World Championship (Division 1B) in Megeve.
GB, who were promoted from Division 2A last year, will come up against hosts France and also Japan, Poland, Slovenia and Ukraine.
The six-team IIHF tournament runs from 12th to 18th December 2015, with the group winners being promoted to Division 1A.
Twelve of the squad who won the gold medal in Estonia last year have been named in the travelling party.
Watkins said: “I am very pleased with my squad and we have a great mix of youth and experience. I had a number of tough choices and a number of excellent players are disappointed to be left out.
“We have had great preparation so far and we will now fine-tune our plans in the coming weeks. Make no mistake about it, this is a tough group with us coming up a division.
“But myself and the coaching staff – and all the players – are excited about the challenges that lie ahead.”
MK Lightning Head Coach Pete Russell, who had four of his players selected in the squad, added: “It’s great news – I know they will do themselves, the club and their country proud – they are all great people and we are very proud of them.”
GB U20 SQUAD
Netminders
Ben Churchfield (Portland Jr Pirates)
Jordan Hedley (Swindon Wildcats)
Defensemen
Callum Buglass (Swindon Wildcats)
Josh Grieveson (Middlesex Black Bears)
Jay King (Edinburgh Capitals)
Edward Knaggs (Milton Keynes)
Cameron McGiffin (Peterborough Phantoms)
Harvey Stead (Swindon Wildcats)
Oliver Stone (Okanagan)
Forwards
Vanya Antonov (Bracknell Bees)
Ollie Betteridge (Nottingham Panthers)
Glenn Billing (Milton Keynes)
Lee Bonner (above) (Hull Pirates)
Sam Duggan (Örebro)
Alex Forbes (Ogden Mustangs)
Connor Glossop (Nottingham Lions)
Macaulay Heywood (Telford Tigers)
Lewis Hook (Milton Keynes)
Luc Johnson (Milton Keynes)
Toms Rutkis (Swindon Wildcats)
Duncan Speirs (Solway Sharks)
Michael Stratford (Swindon Wildcats)
Reserves
NM: Denis Bell (Telford Tigers)
D: Tom Relf (Bracknell Bees)
F: Owen Griffiths (Swindon Wildcats)
F: Callum Queenan (Whitley Warriors)
(Image permission: Arthur Foster)
