The EIHA Junior League Management Committee (JLMC) have confirmed that a crew from the iconic CBBC programme Blue Peter will be in Nottingham on Friday filming during the Arena Series event and the Great Britain versus Poland game.

Presenters from the programme will be going through some skills session with the U9 players at the Arena Series, as well as learning about netminding and the specialist equipment used.

In the evening during Great Britain’s game with Poland, two U9 teams will play in the first interval while in the second break the Blue Peter presenters will take part in a penalty shoot-out also featuring some of those players.

Action from the Arena Series will be filmed as well as the segments featuring the Blue Peter presenters. The broadcast date will confirmed via the EIHA website and social media in due course.

This first Arena Series event features almost 150 U9 players from across the country, playing 56 games throughout the day from 8.30am to 3.30pm.

The event is played cross-ice meaning three games are going on at the same time, and the smaller-sided games give players more ice time and more time on the puck.

After the event all players will take part in Meet & Greet sessions with the Great Britain men’s team who are in Nottingham to play Poland that evening.

JLMC Chair Jacqueline Pye said: “The Arena Series in Nottingham was already going to be a great event – with kids playing all day at a fantastic venue.

“With the addition of the Great Britain meet and greet and now the involvement of CBBC and a household name like Blue Peter it’s going to be even better.

“I’m sure our young players will put the sport in a very good light for the cameras and will give the Blue Peter presenters a warm welcome and help them develop their ice hockey skills in time for the penalty shoot-out during the GB game.”