Ice Hockey Australia is pleased to announce the World Men U20 team for the 2024 World Championships.
The U20 team will compete in Division II Group B against Romania, Belgium, Iceland, Chinese Taipei, and Serbia, in Belgrade, Serbia – 14th-20th January 2024.
The team will be led by Dave Ruck (head coach) who will be looking to further development his younger charges after winning a Gold Medal in Div III, 2023. The experienced Gillian McLean (team manager) will lead the team duties off the ice, with Jason Kvisle (assistant coach) and Paul Kelly (equipment manager) returning to the national team setup in 2024.
Michael Brierley (physio) brings his depth of experience and knowledge of the team to support in the medical department. IHA Board Member, Michael Juste, moves from the U18 Women team to the U20s as the Chef de Mission, and will be looking to bring the Midas touch again to a campaign full of opportunity and growth.
Ice Hockey Australia is proud to partner and work closely with the Australian Institute of Sport’s European Training Centre, Varese, Italy, for the U20 campaign. The month of January will be busy for travelling national teams, with both the U18 Women and U20 Men at the AIS in Italy for the first two weeks of 2024.
Our national teams heading to World Championships in 2024 will be provided the best pre-tournament opportunity at the AIS in Italy. This is a ”home away from home”, and the ideal base to prepare for the intensity of Worlds. IHA has sent a team to the ETC before, but this is a concerted effort to streamline our prep and have consistency in our planning. The ETC team have made the challenges of logistics and language barriers far more manageable, we thank them for the hands-on approach and support – Adam Woolnough, General Manager, Ice Hockey Australia
Congratulations to the following players named in the WMU20 Division II Group B team for 2024.
Defence
Maksim Astafiyev – Melbourne Mustangs
Onrii Dalgity – Atlanta Mad Hatters
Matt Nikitin – Melbourne Mustangs
Tyrone Oxlade – Polyflor Raptors
Mikko Rippon – St. Francis High Prep
Connor Wardlaw – Central Coast Rhinos
Forwards
Braden Costa – Sydney Ice Dogs
Justin Dixon – Melbourne Ice
Ryan Duchemin – Kameron Jr. Miners
Julian Friederich – Adelaide Adrenaline
Finlay Gordon – West Coast Flyers Blue
Cameron Hughes – Central Coast Rhinos
Dmitri Kuleshov – Great Falls Americans
Ivan Kuleshov – Sydney Ice Dogs
Riley Langille – Campbell River Storm
Brayden Maybee – West Coast Flyers Blue
Daniel O’Handley – Cochrane Generals
Sacha Rapchuk – Atlanta Mad Hatters
Hayden Sayers – Central Coast Rhinos
Henry York – CBR Brave
Goaltenders
Matthew Montgomery – Newcastle Northstars
Matus Trnka – Ontario Jr. Reign
Reserves
Connor Dowell – Sydney Ice Dogs
Daniel Koudelka – Adelaide Red Wings
Luka Ouimette – Brisbane Whalers
Lachlan Sucher – Crystal Beach Academy U18 AAA
Jesse Thompson – Melbourne Mustangs
Jerry Zhou – Sydney Bombers