Genting Casino Coventry Blaze defenceman David Clements has been called up to the Great Britain squad for the men’s World Championship Division I Group A, which begins later this month.
Meanwhile, blue-liner Archie Hazeldine and forward Jack Hopkins will participate in the NextGen Programme.
Great Britain (GB) will compete against hosts Romania, as well as Italy, Japan, Poland, and Ukraine, from 27th April to 3rd May at the 2,500-seater Sepsi Arena in Sfântu Gheorghe.
Three players—Kieran Brown, Joe Hazeldine, and Logan Neilson—have been selected for a GB World Championship squad for the first time.
The tournament follows a round-robin format, with each of the six teams playing once. The top two sides will earn promotion to the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Switzerland.
GB’s tournament schedule:
- 27th April: vs Ukraine
- 28th April: vs Romania
- 30th April: vs Japan
- 1st May: vs Italy
- 3rd May: vs Poland
In addition to the 23-player squad, Hopkins, Hazeldine plus Jordan Kelsall and Patrick Larkin will join in the NextGen Programme. This initiative provides them with an opportunity to train alongside the main squad in preparation for this year’s World Championship.
Head of Performance for Great Britain, Andy Partridge, said: “Having had two of last year’s NextGen players selected to take part in this year’s World Championship, it shows the importance of supporting our players in their transition into the senior squad.
“We are excited to offer Jack, Jordan, Patrick and Archie an opportunity on this year’s programme, which will further support them on their journey to become full GB internationals.”
David Clements Testimonial
Celebrate David’s call up to the national team and show your support for one of our own.
Tickets for Clements’ Testimonial game are available online, or via the Skydome Arena Box Office.
