Tuesday, March 31, 2009

GB call up Canadians for Worlds

Sheffield Steelers' Jody Lehman
Lehman has been in inspired form for the Steelers this season

Canadian duo Jody Lehman and Shane Johnson will make their Great Britain bows at April's World Championships in Poland after becoming British citizens.

Netminder Lehman, 33, helped Sheffield Steelers win this year's Elite League while Johnson, 35, has been a Belfast Giants defenceman since 2000/01.

But Giants player-coach Steve Thornton has pulled out with an injury, so Phil Hill of Cardiff Devils is on standby.

Steelers duo Robert Dowd and Mark Thomas are also in the 29-man squad.

Dowd, who made his GB debut in November's pre-Olympic qualification tournament, has been rewarded for a stunning season and will play for the first time at the World Championships.

Team-mate Thomas is recalled to the squad after an absence of three years.

Late decisions will be made on Jonathan Phillips, another Steeler, who is about to become a father, while Coventry Blaze forward Tom Watkins, who has been out with a broken hand, faces a fitness test.

The team will take on Finland's Under-23 side in two warm-up games on Tuesday, 7 April in Sheffield and in Coventry a day later.

GB play Ukraine, Italy, Holland, Romania and Poland between 11-17 April and head-coach Paul Thompson will cut the squad down to 23 before the championships.


Great Britain squad:

Netminders: J Lehman (Sheffield), S Lyle (Belfast)
Defencemen: S Johnson (Belfast), D Meyers (Nottingham), B O'Connor (Coventry), D Phillips (Belfast), M Richardson (Nottingham), M Thomas (Sheffield), G Walton (Belfast), J Weaver (Coventry)
Forwards: G Chambers (Basingstoke), D Clarke (Nottingham), R Cowley (Coventry), R Dowd (Sheffield), J Hewitt (Sheffield), D Longstaff (Newcastle), M Myers (Nottingham), G Owen (Briancon, France), J Phillips (Sheffield), C Shields (Belfast), A Tait (Sheffield), T Watkins (Coventry).

Reserves:
Netminders: S Murphy (Manchester - travelling reserve), N Craze (Belfast)
Defencemen: K Horne (Edinburgh), L Jamieson (Coventry)
Forwards: P Hill (Cardiff), M Levers (Nottingham), L Mitchell (Hull).

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