“The Olympic dream is over for another four-year cycle, and I wonder what the plan is to move the program forward.”
I posted the above on social media following Great Britain’s final game of the 2026 Olympic qualifying tournament, a 3-2 victory against Japan. Great Britain finished third in a group won by hosts Denmark.
There is little doubt that what the current core of players (plus some others who have moved on) has achieved is nothing short of a miracle in competing on the World stage.
What comes next is the big question for me.
Qualifying for the Winter Olympic Games should be the end goal and would be the pinnacle achievement for GB’s hockey program.
The problem is the majority of the roster that competed in Denmark will be close to retirement or unavailable for selection in 2030.
By the time qualification begins for Great Britain in 2028, goaltenders Ben Bowns and Jackson Whistle will be 37 and 33 respectively.
Mark Richardson and David Phillips will be on the wrong side of forty with Evan Mosey and Ben O’Connor one year shy of that milestone
No defenseman on the current roster will be in their twenties with Joshua Tetlow the youngest at thirty.
It’s no better where the forwards are concerned.
Captain Robert Dowd will be 40, Robert Lachowicz, Brett Perlini and Ben Lake 38, and Ben Davies 37.
Even the likes of Ollie Betteridge (32), Sam Duggan (30), and Cole Shudra (30) will be toward the end of their careers in four years.
Only Liam Kirk, Cade Neilson, Sean Norris and Josh Waller will be in their twenties when 2028 rolls around.
Assuming that qualifying for the 2030 Winter Olympics is high on the agenda, some difficult decisions and policy changes have to be implemented.
Integrating some of the most promising eligible British players should be at the forefront of the program moving forward.
To say there isn’t talent available would be unjust. Just because it isn’t in front of fans’ eyes every week does not mean those players should be overlooked.
Forwards Jack Hopkins, Logan Neilson, Jonathan McBean and even the 17-year-old Jack Clarke should be considered down the line. Also playing overseas (committed to D1) is Samuel Lyne, who made a strong impression during a short playoff run in the BCHL last season.
There is strength on defence with Cameron Pound (slightly older I grant you), Joseph and Archie Hazeldine, Reece Kelly and the often forgotten-about Liam Steele.
Other interesting options include Patrick Larkin (Usports) and a handful of players in NCAA D3.
Between the pipes Luca Brine has been brought onto the scene but there are the likes of promising netminders Alex Oldale and Ben Norton, both recently played for the U20s.
Have I missed anyone? Most likely, but that’s not a bad thing and points to the fact that there is young British talent.
I accept the reluctance of thrusting younger players onto the international stage so quickly but as ‘GB Hockey Future’ noted in an excellent thread on the site formerly known as Twitter, “People criticized adding Cade [Neilson] at 20 and he quickly became a top player.”
It’s staggering to think when he hit the World stage for the first time, Neilson had yet to feature in a professional game.
Although he has his detractors, I could not think of a better current coach in the UK than Pete Russell to oversee an overhaul. His international experience is second to none, he has spent time coaching juniors during his early years and what the Ayr native has achieved with the men’s national team is beyond reproach.
Some assistance from the EIHL in ice time for young Brits would be fantastic. Unfortunately, we can all agree that’s a non-starter for numerous reasons.
I am not suggesting anything as radical as waving goodbye to two-thirds of the roster before the next competitive action.
However, the future has to start today if the 2030 Olympics is the ultimate goal.
To create a legacy you have to take bold and sometimes uncertain steps.
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