Since being relegated from Division 1, Group B in 2017, the Great Britain Men’s U20 team has remained in the tier below.

In the five campaigns post-relegation, Great Britain has earned two silver and three bronze medals, often missing out on the final hurdle.

The chance to put that right and earn a promotion begins this Monday on home soil, well ice to be precise.

Dumfries, Scotland will play host to the 2024 Division 2, Group A tournament hosted by Great Britain.
The nations heading to the UK include Lithuania, Netherlands, Spain, China (promoted) and Korea (relegated).

Lithuania

Write this nation off at your peril. They have a set-up which is on the rise if recent results are anything to go by. The U20s won bronze in D2GA last year, whilst the U18s won gold with Kirill Evstigneev leading the way. The forward is currently playing his trade in the QMJHL.

Defenseman Artur Seniut and forward Marijus Dumcius both play in the Finnish junior league, whilst Dominykas Jurjevas is currently eighth in scoring (15G/24A in 21 games) in the USPHL Elite Division

Netherlands

The Netherlands finished fifth in the most recent campaign and will be looking to improve upon potential relegation form.
The U18s were promoted in 2023 and those young players stepping up to this level are the ones to watch.
They include but are not limited to defenseman Didrik Bax-Kristiansen, plus forwards Jaidy van Mourik and Maxime Rentmeester.

Spain

Spain finished fourth in 2023 and has no certainties to improve upon their position. Their U18 team did not fare well either, being relegated from Division 2A. That said, they will still have some intriguing players to watch.

Defenseman Jaime De Bonilla and forward Josep Tufet are currently playing in the third divisions of the Swedish and French leagues respectively.
Dusan Cantabrana was a standout for the U18’s last year with four goals and six points in five games but the most intriguing name is Gabriel Santamaria. The latter was born in Guernsey and is of Spanish and Canadian heritage. Santamaria has played in Austria, the USPHL and is now in the EHL with the New Jersey 87’s.

China

Promoted China obliterated their opposition bar Belgium last year, requiring an overtime victory.
How they will stack up in this 2024 campaign is a question that will only be answered come puck drop.
They do have a handful of players with North American experience and the possibility of some promising youngsters from the U18 program stepping up, including Peng Sun and Fanke Meng.

South Korea

South Korea will enter this tournament as favourites having been relegated from the tier above.
Albeit they were destroyed in two games, South Korea suffered a narrow one-goal loss to Estonia and a pair of two-goal defeats against Italy and Japan respectively.

Information on the Korean roster is incredibly difficult to research as I’m sure you’re aware but here are three names to keep an eye on.
Sangyeob Kim, Hyo Jun Kang and Moo Seong Kim.

Great Britain

I’ve already written about Great Britain’s roster, which has had two changes since being announced. https://wp.me/p2gDti-1zb

The goaltending looks set and there is plenty of speed and experience on the blue line. GB’s offence should have plenty to offer with the likes of Jack Hopkins and Connor Lee the standout names on offer.

The roster has 55 games experience at the U20 level so many of the players know the intricacies of international hockey and should be accordingly prepared.
As always, being disciplined and excelling in special teams will be a key factor in facilitating success.

Use correctly, home ice can be a huge advantage and the stage is set for Great Britain to finally gain promotion back to Division 1, Group A.

Schedule

11 DEC Lithuania vs Korea 13:00 (Local time)
11 DEC China vs Spain 16:30 (Local time)
11 DEC Great Britain vs Netherlands 20:00 (Local time)

12 DEC Korea vs Spain 13:00 (Local time)
12 DEC Netherlands vs China 16:30 (Local time)
12 DEC Great Britain vs Lithuania 20:00 (Local time)

14 DEC Lithuania vs Spain 13:00 (Local time)
14 DEC Korea vs Netherlands 16:30 (Local time)
14 DEC Great Britain vs China 20:00 (Local time)

15 DEC Netherlands vs Lithuania 13:00 (Local time)
15 DEC China vs Korea 16:30 (Local time)
15 DEC Spain vs Great Britain 20:00 (Local time)

17 DEC Spain vs Netherlands 13:00 (Local time)
17 DEC Korea vs Great Britain 16:30 (Local time)
17 DEC Lithuania vs China 20:00 (Local time)

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