Steelers defenceman Ben O'Connor putting weekend incident behind him and concentrating on representing Great Britain

The Sheffield Steelers' defenceman - rarely in trouble with officials during his career - lost his cool in last Sunday's defeat at Guildford Flames.

He retaliated and crosschecked Canadian rival Brett Ferguson off the play and was thrown out of the EIHL game.

While he will miss Sheffield's next two matches - a not unexpected, additional penalty announced on Monday by the EIHL Department of Player Safety (DOPS) - the skater is now mentally and physically preparing for GB's Olympic qualifying tournament in Nottingham this weekend.

O'Connor said: "Any time you get to play for your national team is a pleasure and an honour."

He said he couldn't wait to take part, especially after the recent successes of the team in the World Championships.

"The Olympics is something that's almost harder to get to than Pool A," he added.

"So this year we have got the tournament coming up in Nottingham.

"Then after that I think we've got a realistic chance of actually getting to the Olympics, so it is exciting.

"We have got to ride the wave of all our good fortune recently and hope we carry that forward," he said, in an interview before his clash with Ferguson.

In the weekend international series, one team out of four will go through to the final qualification in August.

O'Connor fancied his team's chances more partly because they were at home in England.

However, like Steelers, they are having to do it without proven scorer Robert Dowd, who has had two operations on his shoulder.

"It is difficult - it is unfortunate for him, he is a great player whether it is Sheffield or GB and it's going to be a huge miss and hopefully the other guys can step up and fill in his shoes a little bit."

*O’Connor was suspended domestically and criticised by DOPS for: "Raising his stick to the head area of Ferguson, extending his arms in a direct motion towards Ferguson’s head. This type of action is deemed reckless and endangering with a high risk of causing an injury.

"O’Connor must have a regard for the puck and play, and must refrain from retaliatory, reckless actions through the use of his stick."