GROUP A FIXTURES
All matches played at the Steel Aréna, Košice, Slovakia
| Date | Face Off (BST) | Rank | Score | GB Scorers | |
| 11-May | (15:15) | GERMANY | 8 | 1-3 | Hammond (43:36) |
| 12-May | (19:15) | CANADA | 1 | 0-8 | |
| 14-May | (15:15) | DENMARK | 12 | 0-9 | |
| 15-May | (15:15) | UNITED STATES | 4 | 3-6 | Hammond (15:08), Perlini (39:54), Davies (56:28) |
| 17-May | (19:15) | FINLAND | 5 | 0-5 | |
| 18-May | (19:15) | SLOVAKIA | 10 | 1-7 | Hammond (17:44) |
| 20-May | (15:15) | FRANCE | 13 | 4-3 OT | Dowd (34:59), Hammond (38:04), Farmer (45:16), Davies (62:03) |
GREAT BRITAIN will face the best international ice hockey teams in the world over the next 10 days as they take to the ice in the top tier of the World Championships for the first time since 1994.
Team GB begin their campaign this afternoon at 3.15pm against surprise Olympic silver medallists Germany and then take on number one ranked team Canada tomorrow at 7.15pm.
Pete Russell's men will also play Denmark (14 May at 3.15pm), United States (15 May, 3.15pm), Finland (17 May, 7.15pm), hosts Slovakia (18 May, 7.15pm), before finishing off against France on 20 May at 3.15pm.
That last fixture against the French probably represents Britain's best chance of winning a match at these championships.
For there can be no doubt: Britain are absolutely massive underdogs at this level of hockey - and, through no fault of their own, could be on the wrong side of some bad beatings during this tournament.
After all, Britain will hardly be the first promoted team to find it a struggle to survive at the next level up.
In fact, only one of the last 20 promoted teams over the last decade has avoided an immediate return to the second tier with Austria, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, and Slovenia particularly prominent yo-yo countries.
For Britain, the task of bridging the gap is further exacerbated by the fact that the stunning last gasp Robert Farmer goal to win the gold medal last year in Division I, Group A in Budapest, Hungary was actually the team's second promotion in a row.
Yes, it is indeed just two years ago since Team GB were in the third tier and mixing it up against the likes of Croatia and the Netherlands. So, it would be fair to say this team under Russell has already come a long way.
Better still for British hockey fans, the recent success for the national team has not come in complete isolation.
Teenager Liam Kirk made history last summer when he was drafted in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Arizona Coyotes, and so became the first player born and trained in England to be drafted into the NHL.
Meanwhile, in terms of live attendances, the Elite League claims hockey is the most watched indoor sport and the third most popular winter sport after football and rugby union.
Certainly, it could be argued then that ice hockey does not receive its fair share of media coverage in the UK, although that has improved somewhat with the Elite League being broadcast on Freesports.
The channel is available on Freeview HD (ch 64), Freesat (ch 252), Sky (ch 422), Virgin Media HD (ch 553), and on the online Premier Player - and it will also be showing all of the Great Britain matches from the Steel Arena in Košice in these championships.
Perhaps, with the respective domestic seasons in football and rugby union winding down for the summer, it will be worth some of those fans tuning into the hockey.
My own knowledge of the sport is admittedly pretty basic having involved watching just a handful of games while house-sharing with a hockey-obsessed mate at university.
Nevertheless, in addition to matches featuring the much-missed Newcastle Vipers, I also found myself cheering on the Czech Republic during the 2015 edition of this tournament, which coincided with a visit of mine to Prague.
For sure then, it going to be extremely difficult for Team GB to avoid relegation - but, with end-to-end action and dozens of shots in every match, it will be just as difficult to feel short-changed.
GREAT BRITAIN ▪️ Team Profile
IIHF ranking 22nd
Head coach Pete Russell
Captain Jonathan Phillips
Roster announced on 22 April 2019
Netminders Ben Bowns (Cardiff Devils), Thomas Murdy (Cardiff Devils), Jackson Whistle (Sheffield Steelers).
Defencemen Tim Billingsley (Nottingham Panthers), Dallas Ehrhardt (Manchester Storm), Steve Lee (Nottingham Panthers), Evan Mosey (Cardiff Devils), Ben O'Connor (Sheffield Steelers), David Phillips (Sheffield Steelers), Mark Richardson (Cardiff Devils), Paul Swindlehurst (Belfast Giants).
Forwards Ollie Betteridge (Nottingham Panthers), Ben Davies (Guildford Flames), Robert Dowd (Sheffield Steelers), Robert Farmer (Nottingham Panthers), Luke Ferrara (Coventry Blaze), Mike Hammond (Manchester Storm), Liam Kirk (Peterborough Petes [CAN]), Robert Lachowicz (Nottingham Panthers), Ben Lake (Coventry Blaze), Joey Lewis (ESV Kaufbeuren [GER]), Matthew Myers (Cardiff Devils), Brett Perlini (Nottingham Panthers), Jonathan Phillips (Sheffield Steelers), Colin Shields (Belfast Giants)
IIHF History since 1994 ▪️ Tier One Tier Two Tier Three
| 1994 | 12th | 1999 | 18th | 2004 | 25th | 2009 | 22nd | 2014 | 26th |
| 1995 | 19th | 2000 | 19th | 2005 | 24th | 2010 | 23rd | 2015 | 24th |
| 1996 | 16th | 2001 | 19th | 2006 | 26th | 2011 | 20th | 2016 | 24th |
| 1997 | 18th | 2002 | 23rd | 2007 | 24th | 2012 | 21st | 2017 | 23rd |
| 1998 | 22nd | 2003 | 25th | 2008 | 23rd | 2013 | 22nd | 2018 | 17th |
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