Normally, the New Zealand men’s ice hockey team face a daunting travel schedule to somewhere like Turkey, Lithuania or Kazakhstan.
Next year? All the way to Dunedin, mate.
The Ice Blacks have confirmed their squad for the division 2, group B world championships at the Dunedin Ice Stadium starting on April 27.
Two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards will begin the countdown in earnest to the opening game against Chinese Taipei.
The Southern Stampede, who won another New Zealand Ice Hockey League title this year, supply 10 members of the squad.
Stefan Amston, Callum Burns and Mitchell Frear anchor the defence, and well-regarded stopper Aston Brookes earns one of the two goalie spots.
Colin McIntosh, Connor Harrison, Dylan Devlin, Jordan Challis, Lachlan Frear and Ryan Strayer will be among the forward lines.
Former Dunedin Thunder forward Joe Orr has been named, while Thunder youngster Ian Audas and Stampede goalie Joel Hasselman are listed as reserves.
The Ice Blacks won silver at this tournament in Bulgaria earlier this year. They also play Georgia, Iceland, Bulgaria and Thailand in Dunedin.
The men’s tournament follows the women’s equivalent, featuring the Ice Ferns, in the city on April 14-20.
• The Dunedin Ice Hockey Association and the Queenstown Ice Hockey Club have been made direct members of the New Zealand Ice Hockey Federation.
Previously, Dunedin and Queenstown formed part of the Southern League with the Gore, Alexandra and Tekapo clubs.
Dunedin, Queenstown and Southern will now each have a seat at the NZIHF table and a vote on the management committee.
Ice Blacks world championship squad
Goaltenders: Aston Brookes, Csaba Kercso-Magos.
Defencemen: Callum Burns, Flynn Hayward Jones, Justin Daigle, Luke Simon, Mitchell Frear, Remy Sandoy, Stefan Amston.
Forwards: Alex Regan, Chris Eaden, Colin McIntosh, Connor Harrison, Dylan Devlin, Ivan Dalmatau, Jackson Fontaine, Jacob Carey, Joe Orr, Jordan Challis, Lachlan Frear, Michael Attwell, Ryan Strayer.
