THE Great Britain squad was announced this week and I am looking forward to seeing the direction that Pete Russell is taking the side.

I think it is a good move to go with someone who knows the junior set up in the country very well.

Obviously, his involvement through the age groups and in the GB set-up should stand him in good stead for knowing what players to select and being able to get a bit of continuity in the side, and maybe a bit of a younger team.

I think the changes are being put in place to try and push the team forward and hopefully it will mean they can improve year on year, and maybe have a team that can stay together for a long time.

It is a nice luxury for Russell to have that he has got Stevie Lyle there to stand in to cover for the injuries.

He is obviously still the best goalie in the country, and one of the best Brits, and it is a good thing for Swindon to have him here and also have him involved for GB.

Not being selected in the GB squad wouldn’t have affected his ability to recruit.

He has probably got one of the biggest phonebooks in ice hockey in this country, but it is a good thing that he is still involved there and maybe he will get the chance to talk to some people - if he hasn’t already.

It is good for the league that Thomas Murdy has also been included.

He has had a very good year at Telford.

I am sure you’ll get people saying he has been helped by having a good team in front of him but I think he might be top in every goalie statistic in the league.

I am pleased for him because he had a tough couple of years at Swindon through injury and now he is fit and playing really well.

Sam Oakford, is another player included with Swindon connections.

I know him well from playing in the league and he is the same age as me. And it was good having him in the team for that short period to see how much he has moved on and he has improved a lot and deserves his place.