Giants players aim for Olympics

BELFAST U.K.- With six call ups for the Great British National Team, the Coors Belfast Giants lead the way with GB in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Poland.
The Giants representing Team GB in Poland are Giants Head Coach, Steve Thornton, the defensive pairing of Dave Phillips and Graeme Walton, starting netminder, Stevie Lyle, and forwards, Paul Sample and Colin Shields.
Netminder Stevie Lyle has been a member of the GB squad since his first appearance in 1996 in the World Junior Championships (WJC), before making the move to the senior squad in 1997. Lyle was a regular with Team GB up until 2002. Lyle was recalled for the 2007 World Championships after an impressive season with HC Morzine-Avoriaz in France, where he helped lead the team to the League title, before his return to the UK with Basingstoke Bison and Belfast in 2007-08.
Dave Phillips has also been a long time member of Team GB, making his debut in the WJC in 2004, where Team GB Under 18’s won the Gold Medal, and repeated the feat in 2006, once again winning the Gold Medal with the GB Junior Team. Phillips has been a member of the senior squad for the past two years, with this being his third  senior call up.

Belfast born defenceman, Graeme Walton, made history becoming the first Northern Irish born player to be selected by Team GB, and has gone from strength to strength, both at National and Elite league level. “Getting asked to represent GB was a great honour and now we have a real chance to take that next step to qualifying for the Olympics, I have five team mates coming with me, including my coach. I hope we can do the Giants and Belfast proud.” Walton said.
Paul Sample returns to the squad after a year out from the National team. The Olympic Qualifiers are Sample’s fourth call up to GB, after breaking through to the senior squad in 2004, after his rookie season with the Giants, putting up 40 points (18 goals) in the inaugural Elite League season.
Glasgow born, Colin Shields also makes a return to International Hockey, after being unable to play due to Playoff hockey commitments in the ECHL in 2006-07 and was injured for the 2008 Wold Championships.
Coach Thornton, born in Ontario, Canada, makes his return to Team GB after five years. Thornton iced with GB for the first time in 1999, after debuting in the UK in 1996-97 for the Cardiff Devils, the team he stayed with for five seasons, before moving the London Knights, and eventually joining the Giants mid-season in 2002-03.
“Having Steve Thornton back in the team just makes us a better team; it’s as simple as that.” Coventry Blaze and Team GB Head Coach Paul Thompson said.
Team GB face off against hosts, Poland, then Japan, before finishing their matches against Romania, hopefully one step closer to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Contact the author at Aaron.stewart@prohockeynews.com Contact the photographer at Darran.gilpin@prohockeynews.com