Ice hockey talent Jonas Bennett is really going places

Dedicated ice hockey player Jonas Bennett

Jonas, from Wales High School, is having a busy year in which he’s been showcasing his talents at home and aboard.

Earlier this year he journeyed to South Korea with Great Britain for the Youth Olympics.

He has been on GB U16s duty in Latvia at the Riga Cup and he will soon hook up with a high quality Slovakian team that will take him to tournaments in Austria and in Minnesota, US, before the end of May. During the autumn he was away in Chicago for a week.

“From my perspective I’m just delighted Jonas is doing something he loves,” said dad Seth, a familiar name from his sports commentary work. “He wants to train four or five days a week and that’s the commitment you have to have if you want to get to the next level.”

Jonas, who also has England honours, enjoys excellent support from Wales High School and is its fifth pupil to earn GB ice hockey honours, among them current Sheffield Steelers ace Cole Shudra.

And given his dad’s strong connections with ice hockey, it is no surprise Jonas inherited a love for the sport.

“I don’t think he had a choice because on the days I was reporting on the Steelers he was having to wait around afterwards,” said Seth.

“He also went to World Championships and the big thing that inspires him is playing for Great Britain. That motivates him more than anything else.”

Still only 14, Jonas is one of only a clutch of GB U16s players selected a year early – an achievement considering the marked differences in physicality between kids at 14 compared to 16.

His selection follows impressive displays with Leeds Knights, for whom he plays as a defenseman with an eye for goals. He also won the U14 North League and a national championship with them.

Again, dedication comes into play, with late finishes followed by early rises for school the next morning, but Jonas wouldn’t have it any other way.

The busy schedule with club and country is honing his game further, not least at the Riga Cup, where Jonas helped GB to a bronze medal.

Added Seth: “I think it is GB’s best ever result in Riga. I’m really proud of Jonas and his team-mates.”