GB ICE HOCKEY: Great Britain head coach Tony Hand has named his 22-man squad ahead of next month’s Olympic final qualifiers in Riga, Latvia.

GB, who won the gold medal in the 1936 Winter Olympics in Germany, travel to Latvia for a four-team tournament (Group E) from Thursday 7th to Sunday 10th February 2013.

Tony Hand’s side - who are ranked 21st in the world - will face the hosts Latvia on 7th February (seeded 11th). They will then play 14th-seed France followed by Kazakhstan (17th).

The winner of the tournament will progress through to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Hand said: “I believe this is a very competitive squad and one of the most talented GB squads I have ever known.

“We are going to Latvia as the underdogs and I am sure most people in the ice hockey world don’t expect us to qualify.

“But this is the most close-knit squad I have worked with and they believe in their own abilities.

“There is no doubting that it is going to be tough but we are going out there and will do Great Britain proud.

“As with the trip to Japan for the pre-qualifiers, some quality players have been left out. But many of them are amongst the reserves and we can call upon them if need-be.

“Stephen Murphy picked up an injury playing for Belfast but he is on the mend and we are very hopeful he will be fit.

“If he does not prove his fitness, there are two capable netminders on the reserve list to choose from.”

GB SQUAD

Netminders: Ben Bowns (Hull Stingrays), Stephen Murphy (Belfast Giants).

Defencemen: Danny Meyers (Sheffield Steelers), Ben O’Connor (Arlan Kokshetau), Dave Phillips (Belfast Giants), Mark Richardson (Cardiff Devils), Rod Sarich (Sheffield Steelers), Mark Thomas (Sheffield Steelers), Jonathan Weaver (Nottingham Panthers).

Forwards: David Clarke (Nottingham Panthers), Robert Dowd (Troja-Ljungby), Robert Farmer (Braehead Clan), Mark Garside (Belfast Giants), Jason Hewitt (Sheffield Steelers), Phil Hill (Cardiff Devils), Robert Lachowicz (Nottingham Panthers), Matthew Myers (Nottingham Panthers), Greg Owen (Basingstoke Bison), Craig Peacock (Belfast Giants), Jonathan Phillips (Sheffield Steelers), Colin Shields (Belfast Giants), Ashley Tait (Sheffield Steelers).

Reserves: Stevie Lyle (Basingstoke Bison), Geoff Woolhouse (Sheffield Steelers), Stevie Lee (Nottingham Panthers), Kevin Phillips (Braehead Clan), Russ Cowley (Coventry Blaze), Ben Davies (Cardiff Devils) Matty Davies (Hull Stingrays), Leigh Jamieson (Milton Keynes Lightning), Aaron Nell (Swindon Wildcats).