Around the Rinks: GB, Leeds and unfulfilled potential

Good morning, hockey fans!

We’re reached Wednesday and things are starting to hot up for the action that lies ahead so let’s stop this small talk and get straight into the stories that’s making the headlines

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A day after announcing his retirement, former Sheffield Steelers winger Jonas Westerling is reportedly the subject of interest of NIHL North 1 champions Hull Pirates (Sheffield Star)

Staying in Yorkshire, working is coming along nicely with the building of the new rink in Leeds and the owners are confident they’ll get plenty of applications for the new ice hockey team that will play out of there from 2019/20 (Yorkshire Post)

Belfast Giants coach Adam Keefe admits he’s driving by previous failures as his team look to close in on a Grand Slam this weekend (Belfast Telegraph)

Nottingham Panthers are gearing up for the play-off weekend at the Motorpoint Arena and the event is close to a sell-out (Nottingham Panthers)

Five more players have signed up to take part in Sam Bullas’ testimonial in Swindon in a couple of weeks time (Swindon Wildcats)

Coventry’s Skydome are hosting not one, but two internationals in the next couple of weeks including GB’s World Championship warm-up against Italy. (Coventry Blaze)

The curtain has come down on Fife Flyers season and Fife Today look back at a campaign which they describe as having ‘unfulfilled potential’ (Fife Today)

Tears, drama and emotion as the EIHL play-off quarter finals took place and we have the action from the eight games here (British Ice Hockey)

Martin Grubb’s GB Under 18 team are in Slovakia ahead of their World Championship campaign in Hungary next week:

Great Britain Under-18s have begun their Slovakia training camp ahead of next week's World Championship Division I Group B in Hungary. The GB youngsters have been on the ice twice today. pic.twitter.com/ZWY2SSy872

— Team GB Ice Hockey (@TeamGBicehockey) April 9, 2019

Cardiff Devils and GB goalie Ben Bowns needs your help in choosing a lid for the World Championships next month.  Vote for your favourite

#TeamGB’s Ben Bowns needs your help… he wants you to vote (using the poll below) on which custom paint job he will use at the 2019 World Championships on his Victory V8 mask! pic.twitter.com/HXLr1kT2Ii

— Puckstop.com (@PuckStopUK) April 9, 2019

And finally, keep those votes coming for who you think will win the Elite League play-offs this weekend

So let's get it started then.

Who do you think will win the 2019 Elite League Play-offs?

Polls close at noon on Saturday.

Please give us a RT when you've voted and help us get as many as we can.#BIH #PPOFW19

— British Ice Hockey 🏒 (@BritIceHockey) April 7, 2019