Everyone at the Stars is delighted for Lucas and glad to see his hard-work and dedication pay off, but none more so than Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach, Marc LeFebvre.
“I am extremely proud of Lucas because he works so hard for us and he has not gotten the playing time that he would have wanted for him this season. but we want to get him in there more.
“However, that just goes to show how highly Pete (Russell, Team GB Head Coach) thinks of him and for the future of goaltending in Great Britain, so I am very proud of him.”
He continued: “The big thing for me is that he has really bought into what we are doing here and he is really learning every day from Kevin (Carr) and learning to be a pro.
“He is really well-liked by his teammates; the guys love him and he is just a good human being.
“He is a young guy but he really shows that true professionalism when he is in practice and when he is on the bench.
“The times we have got him in the net, he has played well and so there will be times where we have to use him this season and he is going to be ready.
“He is more than capable of playing for us but again I am very happy for him and proud of him for this moment, he has a bright future ahead of him.”
Sharing his own thoughts on the news, Lucas added: “Obviously it is a big honour and I may not be the starting guy who plays all the games but just to get my foot in the door there and get that experience for the future is pretty exciting.
“It is really nice to know that Pete recognises me as one of the better goalies in GB and that he chose me for this.
“There are obviously some other guys who are a bit older and have a little bit more experience, but just to be put forward for this is great and it gives me a lot of motivation.
“I have always enjoyed going away with GB and playing against other international teams and I am sure it will be no different with the Men’s team, if anything it will be a little more exciting and I am looking forward to it.”
Discussing how much experience he has gained here in Dundee, Lucas said: “Obviously, practicing every day with the guys, I definitely feel my game-speed has gotten a lot quicker over the year.
“I also feel more comfortable facing this calibre of shooting and play, so I am sure it will all help me when I get out there to do the job.”
Brine will travel down to Cardiff in February and will link up with the squad for the four-day tournament, where he will practice with the team and be on standby for matches.
Lucas previously iced for Great Brittain at Under 16, Under 18 and Under 20 level, winning a bronze medal with the Under 20’s in 2022.
Great Britain will face Romania, China and Serbia in the four-team tournament from Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th February 2024, as they begin their quest to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The group winners will progress to Final Qualifying in August 2024 – the final stage of qualifying before the Winter Olympics in Italy.
