Rod Stewart’s son in GB ice hockey squad

GREAT Britain’s under-20s kick off their Ice Hockey World Championship (Division 1B) campaign in Dumfries tonight – and the squad will be bolstered by the teenage son of none other than legendary Scots rocker Rod Stewart.

Los Angeles-raised Liam Stewart, 18, plays up front for Spokane Chiefs in the Western Hockey League, a feeder team for the National Hockey League, and is highly-rated by Great Britain coach Peter Russell.

The London-born player, who is in his third season with the Chiefs and learned all his skills in America, was born to singer-songwriter Rod’s second wife and actress-model Rachel Hunter. Stewart is one of 11 forwards named in the 22-strong Great Britain squad, and Ayrshire-born Russell is happy with the youngsters’ progress since arriving at Dumfries early last week.

A 5-4 penalty-shots victory over a Scottish Elite League Select on Thursday was followed by a 6-3 victory over English National League side Solway Sharks on Saturday.

The squad open their campaign against Italy tonight in an 8pm face-off. The Italians are a team Russell described as a powerful and strong, having watched them skate yesterday.

Russell, who is assisted by his long-time friend Paul Heavey – a former coach to Ayr Scottish Eagles, who won the domestic Grand Slam – said: “This is the World Championship and it will really hit the boys when they 
arrive at the rink. Italy are a very strong side, but we also play France, Japan, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, and they are all above us in the rankings.”

Only the group winner from the tournament, which ends on Sunday, will be promoted to Division 1A, but Russell said: “For us, it is about surviving in this division.”

As well as young Stewart, Russell also views Dundee-born 
Jordan Cownie, a Milton Keynes player, as a real prospect. The coach added: “When I took on the role of head coach, I said that we would aim to select younger, balanced squads and we have Sam Duggan, who is the youngest player we have ever selected. He scored in both warm-up games. Having young players in the squad is so important to the Great Britain program and the future of the game here in 
the UK. To achieve this we would 
select the best players from their performance off and on the ice during the whole GB selection process. We have achieved this and have picked a high-energy, fit, balanced team, who will empty the tank for their country every game.”

GB Under-20 squad: Goaltenders: Adam Goss (Coventry Blaze) and Jordan Hedley (Milton Keynes); defence: David Clements (Ogden Mustangs), Zach Sullivan (Basingstoke Bison), Danny Rose (Telford Tigers), Adam Jones (Lower Austria Stars), Craig Moore (Ogden Mustangs), Ben Russell (Milton Keynes), Sam Godfrey (Swindon Wildcats), Dec Balmer (Peterborough); forwards: Ross Venus (Coventry Blaze), Liam Stewart (Spokane Chiefs), Bobby Chamberlain (Hull Stingrays), Josh Cook (Winkler Flyers), Shawn Mackie (Lakefield Chiefs), Lewis Hook (Peterborough), Jordan Cownie (Milton Keynes), Matt Selby (Coventry Blaze), Ivan Antonov (Bracknell), Ollie Betteridge (Swindon Wildcats), Liam Morris (Toronto Attack), Sam Duggan (Bracknell).