IT HAS been a good week off the ice for hockey in Swindon with the appointment of Pete Russell as the head coach of the Great Britain men’s team.

It is a really good thing for Swindon and it is big for the Okanagan Academy as well, because he is still coaching that.

It shows the club in a good light that someone who has decided to ply their trade in Swindon is now achieving something as big as becoming the head of the GB team.

It is quite a big deal because recently, they have mostly taken coaches with Elite League experience, and I think I am right in saying I don’t think Pete has ever been a head coach in the Elite League.

He has an awful lot of experience in the junior GB set up and has obviously coached in the English Premier League and I think it is a very good appointment.

I have never been involved in the GB men’s squad but I think, at the moment, there is a feeling that they need a bit of a shake-up and I think that is something Pete will be capable of doing.

Often, they have coaches who just coach the team for one tournament and then they are replaced, so hopefully if they can get a bit more stability in the role, then long-term, it might be a turning point.

I don’t think Pete will be scared to pick someone who plays in the Premier League. Certainly, there are top end Brits around that could strengthen the side.

In Swindon, the first name you think of is Aaron Nell, who has been involved in the squads before.

Then, there are players around who have recently dropped down who could be involved.

It is difficult, because there is obviously a certain bias that you want to take players from the top league but I think there is maybe an opportunity for some players to get in.

They often just fill out the team with expats who are playing in the Elite League who have now got citizenship and hopefully Pete is going to try and bring on some of the British trained players.

I think they are hoping to have him there for a longer period of time and he might be able to put in a bit of time to creating a route through for younger players.