Sheffield Steelers defenceman Sam Jones says he plans to eat up as much of the international experience as possible after being picked for the Great Britain national team.
The 23-year-old is one of the 27 names picked by head coach Pete Russell who will go to Latvia for next month’s World Championships.
And the former Fife Flyers man intends to make the most of his opportunity after being picked for the first time in the national set-up.
“With that first game against Russia, it is literally a case of being thrown straight into the thick of it from the very first game,†Jones told The Yorkshire Post.
“There’s a lot of good D-men going, eight in all, so I’m just hoping to go and prove my worth in training camp and play as many games as possible.
“I’m just really happy to be there and whatever ice time I can get I will eat it all up. There’s a lot of competition for places but that is a good thing.
“There are guys that are going there for the first time, like me, alongside the more experienced guys like Davey – you need that competition, you need to push each other.
“It will be about all of us trying to get the best out of each other.â€
GB will begin the campaign against Russia on 22nd May and will also play Slovakia, Denmark, Belarus, Sweden, Czech Republic and Switzerland in Riga.
And it’s the stuff of dreams for Jones as he continues to impress for Steelers in the Elite Series.
He added: “I’ve wanted to play for GB ever since I was a kid. I found out a couple of days ago and I’ve been riding a high ever since, it feels really good.
“I’m happy that I get to go out there, especially with it being the top division. In many ways, it’s the best possible year for me to get on the team.â€
