Brandon Whistle's Steelers form could catch Great Britain’s attention

Whistle missed the GB cut in the last tournament but he has excelled with Sheffield Steelers again this season.

In the last four games, he has scored against Fife Flyers, Nottingham Panthers and Manchester Storm and had a goal disallowed against Dundee Stars.

Ten-cap GB forward Brendon Connolly hopes that will be enough to propel the 24-year-old into a Lions shirt for the first time, in the 2023 Division I, Group A championships at Nottingham in April.

"He is making a very strong case for himself, his game has come on leaps and bounds since he first came to Sheffield 3-4 years ago" said Connolly.

"He is phenomenally better, much more reliable, he plays a two-way game and shows his offence too.

"He is putting his name in the hat. I think it will be hard not to seriously consider him."

His club coach Aaron Fox is an admirer of his progress too and would love to see Brandon join his goalie brother Jackson in GB colours.

"Wis is awesome, he is one of the first guys over the boards on the penalty kill for us" said Fox.

"He's been up and down in our line up but it doesn't matter what role he plays."

The fourth line doesn't just grind teams down it provides offence as well, he added.

"We are building off that line.

"It doesn't matter which line gets him, I have full confidence in them, whoever they play against. He's really been an asset."

Whistle will play his 110th game for Steelers on Saturday, at home to Nottingham, in the Challenge Cup.

In that encounter, fans will doubtless also have an eye on the Robert Dowd-Danny Kristo-Martin Latal formation, which has been has impressed over the last four games.

Latal has notched seven goals and three assists in the last seven games and is the club's second top points scorer.

Fox says the Czech flyer is: "Buzzing right now.

"That line with Danny and Dowdy has been outstanding.

"We needed another line that we can count on for secondary scoring and they sure brought it right now."

Sheffield have slipped up in three of their seven home games so far, but their performance against Manchester Storm last Sunday leaves Fox under no doubt that if they play that way at the Arena again, they will "win a lot of hockey games here."

It is vital to "find a way to defend your home turf" - especially as eight out of the next 10 matches are on home ice.

Having said that, Sunday's league trip to Guildford Flames is of huge importance - the Surrey side is six points clear of Steelers at the top of the EIHL table.