"THEY'RE going to Switzerland!" roared commentator Aaron Murphy as he called the final dramatic overtime play of Great Britain's incredible comeback triumph against France two years ago.
But, ultimately, neither Great Britain - nor anyone else - got to go to Switzerland after the tournament last year inevitably ended up on the long list of sporting events which were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Of course, coronavirus has not magically gone away - and, even this year, all of the divisions below the elite tournament were again cancelled.
For Team GB, that was good news as the resultant removal of relegation in these World Championships has guaranteed that, whatever happens this year, Britain will keep their place in the top flight in 2022.
In fairness, Britain had earned their place among the elite in 2018 - and retained it in 2019 - on merit with two brilliant victories over Hungary and France, respectively.
In 2018, promotion to the top division for the first time since 1994 was achieved when Robert Farmer equalised against the Hungarians with 15 seconds of regulation time remaining to give Britain the point they needed.
Then, the campaign in 2019 came down to what was effectively a relegation playoff against the French after six inconsistent performances had all ended in defeat.
France were also without a win going into the match - and a tight opening period was shaded by Team GB.
In the second period, though, the tie shifted decidedly in favour of the French as, devastatingly, they scored three times in four minutes and one second of play. Two of the goals came just six seconds apart.
An even game now had a very uneven score - yet, remarkably, the British team kept their nerve, and began to dominate.
First, Robert Dowd finished neatly from a pass by Ben O'Connor - then, three minutes later, Hammond reduced the lead down to one after O'Connor's shot had been parried.
By then, the momentum switch was obvious - and, with 14 minutes still to go, Farmer found another vital goal in his locker.
Neither team could find a winner in regulation time - but, in overtime, skipper Jonathan Phillips held off some close attention down the left and found Ben Davies in front of the net.
Davies made no mistake - and Team GB were going to Switzerland, or so they thought.
This year, instead of going to Switzerland as commentator Murphy had foretold, Team GB were meant to travel to Minsk, the capital of original co-host Belarus, after being drawn in Group A.
But, on 18 January, there was another big change. International ice hockey governing body, the IIHF, decided that the World Championship could not be played in Belarus due to "safety and security issues".
And, to be honest, it would be difficult to pretend that outcome did not come as a surprise.
For months, the Belarusian capital had been paralysed by a series of protests against the government in Minsk which has been under the control of Alexander Lukashenko for the last 27 years.
Lukashenko has built a despotic cult of personality and continues to hold in an iron grip on Belarus to the extent that he has even been described as the last dictator in Europe
Several political groups, politicians and international entities, including the European Parliament, called for Belarus to be stripped of it matches - and, eventually, the situation there became so untenable that the IIHF felt obliged to act.
Group A matches will now be held at the Olympic Sports Centre in Riga, the capital of Latvia, which has also retained its own hosting rights of Group B.
Those matches in Group B - between Latvia, Canada, Finland, United States, Germany, Norway, Italy, and Kazakhstan - will be played, as planned, at the Arena Riga.
Meanwhile, alongside Great Britain and Belarus, Group A features Sweden, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Slovakia, Denmark - and, effectively, the Russia national team.
In line with a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on doping sanctions in December, however, the Russian team is prohibited from competing under the Russian flag or using the Russian national anthem at any Olympic Games or World Championships until 16 December 2022.
Instead, Russia must compete as "neutral athletes", not that those circumstances make the number two-ranked team any less of a threat.
By contrast, Great Britain - at 19th, the lowest ranked team - are still going to find it difficult at times to compete over the next 12 days against some of the powerhouses of the sport, even if the big guns are shorn of many of their Stanley Cup-tied NHL stars.
Meanwhile, Team GB will be without their usual coach Pete Russell who will miss the tournament after he chose to spend time with his family following the end of his season at Freiburg in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
Assistant coaches Adam Keefe and Corey Neilson will co-lead this British campaign in his place.
Nevertheless, the aforementioned lack of relegation should lift a weight off the shoulders of the players - and, hopefully, that means Team GB can, once again, punch above their weight.
| Pos | GROUP A | W | OTW | OTL | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | RUSSIA | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 9 |
| 2 | SWTIZERLAND | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 10 | +4 | 9 |
| 3 | SLOVAKIA | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 12 | -1 | 9 |
| 4 | CZECH REPUBLIC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 5 |
| 5 | DENMARK | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 5 |
| 6 | BELARUS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 12 | -4 | 4 |
| 7 | GREAT BRITAIN | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 15 | -7 | 4 |
| 8 | SWEDEN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 3 |
| 21-May | 14:15 | RUSSIA | 4-3 | CZECH REPUBLIC | ||
| Burdasov [04:16 PP] Shvets-Rogovoy [35:27 SH] Barabanov [45:28] Grigorenko [59:41] | (1-1, 1-1, 2-1) | [09:26] Flek [37:53] Vrana [57:23 PP] Kubalik | ||||
| 21-May | 18:15 | BELARUS | 2-5 | SLOVAKIA | ||
| Stefanovich [53:25 PP2] Sharangovic [54:22] | (0-3, 0-0, 2-2) | [03:53] Pospisil [09:17 PP] Cehlarik [11:02 PP] Pospisil [45:05] Hrivik [59:15 EN] Cehlarik | ||||
| 22-May | 10:15 | DENMARK | 4-3 | SWEDEN | ||
| Nick Jensen [30:40] Nick Jensen [37:33] Kristensen [38:09] Nick Jensen [48:22 PP] | (0-0, 3-2, 1-1) | [22:06] Klingberg [35:09] Tommernes [50:56] Klingberg | ||||
| 22-May | 14:15 | GREAT BRITAIN | 1-7 | RUSSIA | 📺 | |
| Liam Kirk [18:46 PP] | (1-4, 0-1, 0-2) | [05:53 PP] Burdasov [07:19 SH] Grigorenko [09:21] Burdasov [10:51] Tolchinsky [30:08] Karnaukhov [49:59 PP] Kuzmenko [53:04] Slepyshev | ||||
| 22-May | 18:15 | CZECH REPUBLIC | 2-5 | SWITZERLAND | ||
| Chytil [14:46 PP] Smejkal [54:59 PP] | (1-1, 0-2, 1-2) | [17:09 PP] Hoffman [24:12 PP] Meier [38:19] Scherwey [50:27 PP] Meier [57:08 PP] Hoffman | ||||
| 23-May | 10:15 | GREAT BRITAIN | 1-2 | SLOVAKIA | 📺 | |
| Liam Kirk [22:03] | (0-1, 1-1, 0-0) | [00:25] Hrivik [24:42] Lantosi | ||||
| 23-May | 14:15 | SWEDEN | 0-1 | BELARUS | ||
| (0-0, 0-0, 0-1) | [40:33] Nesterov | |||||
| 23-May | 18:15 | DENMARK | 0-1 | SWITZERLAND | ||
| (0-1, 0-0, 0-0) | [13:12] Meier | |||||
| 24-May | 14:15 | SLOVAKIA | 3-1 | RUSSIA | ||
| Kelemen [30:00] Gernat [53:19 PP] Daloga [58:59 EN] | (0-0, 1-1, 2-0) | [31:06 PP] Barabanov | ||||
| 24-May | 18:15 | CZECH REPUBLIC | 3-2 OT | BELARUS | ||
| Kovar [29:44] Zadina [33:03 PP] Kubalik [61:23 PP] | (0-0, 2-1, 0-1) (1-0) | [25:52] Sharangovich [51:30] Yeryomenko | ||||
| 25-May | 14:15 | GREAT BRITAIN | 2-3 OT | DENMARK | 📺 | |
| Ben O'Connor [02:33] Mike Hammond [56:18] | (1-2, 0-0, 1-0) (0-1) | [10:19] Jakobsen [13:44 PP] Nick Jensen [64:35 PP] Lauridsen | ||||
| 25-May | 18:15 | SWITZERLAND | 0-7 | SWEDEN | 📺 | |
| (0-2, 0-2, 0-3) | [08:35] Froden [10:00 PP] A Kempe [22:33] Olofsson [30:24] Froden [41:18 PP] Nygren [47:14] Lundkvist [50:46] Tommernes | |||||
| 26-May | 14:15 | RUSSIA | 3-0 | DENMARK | ||
| Morozov [39:18 PP] Barabanov [49:41] Voronkov [56:35] | (0-0, 1-0, 2-0) | |||||
| 26-May | 18:15 | BELARUS | 3-4 | GREAT BRITAIN | 📺 | |
| Kodola [29:15] Platt [51:19] Prince [57:43] | (0-1, 1-2, 2-1) | [13:38] Liam Kirk [37:06] Ben Davies [38:35] Liam Kirk [48:41] Mike Hammond | ||||
| 27-May | 14:15 | SWITZERLAND | 8-1 | SLOVAKIA | ||
| (1-0, 3-0, 4-1) | ||||||
| 27-May | 18:15 | SWEDEN | 2-4 | CZECH REPUBLIC | 📺 | |
| (2-0, 0-0, 0-4) | ||||||
| 28-May | 14:15 | SWEDEN | Score | GREAT BRITAIN | 📺 | |
| (Periods) | ||||||
| 28-May | 18:15 | DENMARK | Score | BELARUS | ||
| (Periods) | ||||||
| 29-May | 10:15 | CZECH REPUBLIC | Score | GREAT BRITAIN | 📺 | |
| (Periods) | ||||||
| 29-May | 14:15 | SWITZERLAND | Score | RUSSIA | ||
| (Periods) | ||||||
| 29-May | 18:15 | SLOVAKIA | Score | DENMARK | ||
| (Periods) | ||||||
| 30-May | 14:15 | BELARUS | Score | SWITZERLAND | ||
| (Periods) | ||||||
| 30-May | 18:15 | SWEDEN | Score | SLOVAKIA | ||
| (Periods) | ||||||
| 31-May | 14:15 | CZECH REPUBLIC | Score | DENMARK | ||
| (Periods) | ||||||
| 31-May | 18:15 | RUSSIA | Score | SWEDEN | 📺 | |
| (Periods) | ||||||
| 01-June | 10:15 | SWITZERLAND | Score | GREAT BRITAIN | 📺 | |
| (Periods) | ||||||
| 01-June | 14:15 | SLOVAKIA | Score | CZECH REPUBLIC | 📺 | |
| (Periods) | ||||||
| 01-June | 18:15 | RUSSIA | Score | BELARUS | ||
| (Periods) |
| Pos | GROUP B | W | OTW | OTL | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | FINLAND | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 10 |
| 2 | GERMANY | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 9 | +10 | 9 |
| 3 | UNITED STATES | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 9 |
| 4 | KAZAKHSTAN | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 8 | - | 7 |
| 5 | LATVIA | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 7 |
| 6 | CANADA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 | -6 | 3 |
| 7 | NORWAY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 15 | -6 | 3 |
| 8 | ITALY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 16 | -11 | 0 |
| 21-May | 14:15 | GERMANY | 9-4 | ITALY | |
| Kuehnhackl [15:56] M Mueller [18:44] Rieder [24:23] Tiffels [27:47 PP] Noebels [35:13] Reichel [37:52] Noebels [38:35] Plachta [42:52 SH] Pfoederl [48:41] | (2-2, 5-0, 2-2) | [17:42] Petan [18:07] Frigo [43:22 PP] Bardaro [44:06 PP] Frank | |||
| 21-May | 18:15 | CANADA | 0-2 | LATVIA | 📺 |
| (0-1, 0-1, 0-0) | [19:58] Indrasis [28:39] Batna | ||||
| 22-May | 10:15 | NORWAY | 1-5 | GERMANY | |
| Lilleberg [36:21] | (0-1, 1-3, 0-1) | [19:44] Plachta [23:19 PP] Gewanke [26:04] Pfoederl [30:35] Reichel [44:41] Bergmann | |||
| 22-May | 14:15 | FINLAND | 2-1 | UNITED STATES | |
| Ohtamaa [26:54] Pakarinen [35:41] | (0-0, 2-1, 0-0) | [38:01 PP] Robertson | |||
| 22-May | 18:15 | LATVIA | 2-3 GWS | KAZAKHSTAN | |
| Darzins [27:44] Ri. Bukarts [45:25] [3/8 in shootout] | (0-0, 1-1, 1-1) (0-0) (0-1) | [38:59] Shin [45:37] Blacker [4/8 in shootout] | |||
| 23-May | 10:15 | NORWAY | 4-1 | ITALY | |
| Trettenes [10:04] Rosseli Olsen [25:12 PP] Trettenes [36:01 PP] Trettenes [40:59] | (1-0, 2-0, 1-1) | [51:55] Frank | |||
| 23-May | 14:15 | KAZAKHSTAN | 2-1 GWS | FINLAND | |
| Panyukov [35:56 PP] [3/4 in shootout] | (0-0, 1-1, 0-0) (0-0) (1-0) | [33:24] Lundell [1/4 in shootout] | |||
| 23-May | 18:15 | CANADA | 1-5 | UNITED STATES | 📺 |
| Comtois [51:35] | (0-1, 0-3, 1-1) | [07:42] Robertson [21:19] Clendening [23:27 PP] Moore [38:20] Moore [57:06] Tennyson | |||
| 24-May | 14:15 | LATVIA | 3-0 | ITALY | |
| Karsums [32:08] Darzins [58:48] Karsums [59:48 EN] | (0-0, 1-0, 2-0) | ||||
| 24-May | 18:15 | GERMANY | 3-1 | CANADA | 📺 |
| Loibl [10:46] Plachta [11:24] Holzer [57:59 EN] | (2-1, 0-0, 1-0) | [18:19] Paul | |||
| 25-May | 14:15 | UNITED STATES | 3-0 | KAZAKHSTAN | |
| Clendening [06:57] Moore [21:33 EA] Drury [41:58] | (1-0, 1-0, 1-0) | ||||
| 25-May | 18:15 | FINLAND | 5-2 | NORWAY | |
| Pakarinen [14:24] Lundell [21:40] Nousiainen [25:54] Innala [47:17 PP] Bjorninen [53:25] | (1-1, 2-0, 2-1) | [01:30] M. Olimb [41:13] Lindstrom | |||
| 26-May | 14:15 | KAZAKHSTAN | 3-2 | GERMANY | |
| Shin [26:39] Starchenko [40:31 PS] Akolzin [55:42] | (0-0, 1-2, 2-0) | [29:38] Kuehnhackl [34:07 PP] Eisenschmidt | |||
| 26-May | 18:15 | CANADA | 4-2 | NORWAY | |
| Brown [00:22] Henrique [10:23 PP2] Mangiapane [34:41] Henrique [50:14 SH] | (2-0, 1-2, 1-0) | [29:08] Valkvae Olsen [30:28] Rosselli Olsen | |||
| 27-May | 14:15 | UNITED STATES | 4-2 | LATVIA | 📺 |
| (2-2, 2-0, 0-0) | |||||
| 27-May | 18:15 | FINLAND | 3-0 | ITALY | |
| (2-0, 1-0, 0-0) | |||||
| 28-May | 14:15 | KAZAKHSTAN | Score | CANADA | |
| (Periods) | |||||
| 28-May | 18:15 | LATVIA | Score | NORWAY | |
| (Periods) | |||||
| 29-May | 10:15 | ITALY | Score | KAZAKHSTAN | |
| (Periods) | |||||
| 29-May | 14:15 | NORWAY | Score | UNITED STATES | |
| (Periods) | |||||
| 29-May | 18:15 | GERMANY | Score | FINLAND | 📺 |
| (Periods) | |||||
| 30-May | 14:15 | ITALY | Score | CANADA | 📺 |
| (Periods) | |||||
| 30-May | 18:15 | FINLAND | Score | LATVIA | 📺 |
| (Periods) | |||||
| 31-May | 14:15 | UNITED STATES | Score | GERMANY | 📺 |
| (Periods) | |||||
| 31-May | 18:15 | NORWAY | Score | KAZAKHSTAN | |
| (Periods) | |||||
| 01-June | 10:15 | CANADA | Score | FINLAND | |
| (Periods) | |||||
| 01-June | 14:15 | ITALY | Score | UNITED STATES | |
| (Periods) | |||||
| 01-June | 18:15 | GERMANY | Score | LATVIA | |
| (Periods) |
📺 Live coverage of all seven of Great Britain's matches will be provided by Livesports (Freeview Ch 64, Sky HD Ch 422, Virgin TV Ch 553 and on the Freesports player). Livesports will also have coverage of 18 other games across the tournament.
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