'No pressure' says Russell as GB target Olympic spot

Pete Russell's side won all three of their matches against China, Serbia and Romania in the initial Olympic qualifying series

It is almost 10 years since Pete Russell - reluctantly - took the helm as Great Britain's head coach.

And it is more than 75 years since GB last appeared at the Winter Olympics.

This weekend 50-year-old Russell can celebrate a decade in charge by guiding the national side into the most prestigious competition in international ice hockey for the first time since 1948.

GB face hosts Denmark, Norway and Japan in Aalborg between 29 August and 1 September, with the winner of final qualifying group F sealing a place at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan.

For Russell, who also coaches Cardiff Devils, it could mark another significant landmark in the emergence of the British team since he took over.

It is a journey that initially he was reticent to even start.

In 2014 when Russell was director of hockey at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Swindon, he was becoming sought after by clubs in the Elite League (EIHL) and the English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL).

At the same time UK hockey were looking to fill a vacant position.

“They were trying to get a couple of coaches for the GB senior team, and it didn’t work out and they called me," recalled Russell.

“They said to me, ‘We’ve spoken to a couple of high-end players, and they want you to coach the team’.

“I said, ‘I don’t want to coach the GB national team and they were like, ‘What?’

“I said, ‘Look, it’s an amazing thing to even be offered, but I just don’t think I can do that'.

“They said, ‘We want you to do it,’ and that’s where it all started.”

Russell, having returned to club hockey as head coach at Milton Keynes Lightning, was persuaded to take on the national role on a part-time basis.

He took charge of a Great Britain team in the third tier of world hockey, regularly ranked around 25th, and pretty much going nowhere.

'We were going crazy, it was a big moment in history for Great Britain ice hockey'

In 2018 Great Britain won Division I, Group A of the 2018 World Championships in Budapest to join ice hockey's top flight elite

Russell’s first two World Championship campaigns were relatively successful but also hugely frustrating.

In both 2015 and 2016 Great Britain finished second. On both occasions 2-1 defeats - to Lithuania and Ukraine - in their final games cost them first place and promotion.

“I think that was a good lesson for the guys, they were hungrier than ever after that," said Russell.

“We had a good core at that time, we had the captains of Sheffield Steelers, Nottingham Panthers and the Cardiff Devils in our team, so we had a good dressing room."

Then in 2017 the British rise up the world hockey order began.

In Belfast, Great Britain swept aside their opponents with five wins from five, including beating the Netherlands 14-0.

“We dominated that tournament and from there it just propelled, everything just came together," remembers Russell.

Great Britain had secured promotion to the second tier of the 2018 World Championships to face Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland and Slovenia.

“We were the favourites to get relegated and went on that crazy journey," said Russell.

“I remember we played the first game against Slovenia who had just been in the Olympics with the same team and done well and [netminder] Ben Bowns was the best player on the ice, he was fantastic.

“We won that game 3-1 and it was a bit like, ‘Oh, we’re alright here’."

Despite losing the second game heavily to Kazakhstan victories against Poland and Italy gave them a chance to win the gold medal against hosts Hungary in front of 8,000 spectators.

They took it in a shootout with a save from Bowns which earned them promotion to ice hockey’s top level.

“It was probably the best atmosphere I’ve experienced in my life in any rink I’ve ever coached in.

“That place was shaking, they were the home nation, how quick that quietened was a pretty cool experience.

“We were going crazy, it was a big moment in history for Great Britain ice hockey.”

At the 2019 World Championships in Slovakia Great Britain faced the very best international teams in a group that included the USA, Canada and Finland.

In their last game against France, GB famously avoided relegation with Cardiff born players Jonathan Phillips and Ben Davies combining to score the winner in over-time.

Since then, Great Britain have played three more times in the top division becoming something of a yo-yo team among the elite nations.

'Nine periods of hockey to do something wild'

Netminder Ben Bowns has been playing in the Great Britain squad since 2012

Great Britain have had a mixed 2024.

In May they lost six out of seven games at the World Championships and were relegated from the top division.

But in February Russell's side breezed through round three of their Olympic qualifying group games held Cardiff, beating China (10-1), Serbia (11-0) and Romania (7-4).

In the final round GB will face two of the teams they lost to in this year’s World Championships in Czechia.

The 4-3 loss against Denmark was one Russell thinks could have been different.

“Against Denmark we played really well, we could have won that game, the goalie played really well, but it didn’t happen," said Russell.

“And Norway caught us cold in the first period, we made a game of it in the end, but it wasn’t enough. They’re mega talented and young, fast and hungry.

“We’re up against more this time because Denmark have stacked up with NHL (National Hockey League) guys, so that’ll be a different proposition."

Russell points out his Great Britain squad have come a long way since they faced teams such as South Korea, the Netherlands and Estonia in mid-level world ranking matches.

“The GB journey has been brilliant, the number of players that now have 100 caps and 75 caps, the new guys coming in and the younger players we integrated," he said.

"It’s just so cool watching them all because you’ve been there that long."

Success this weekend would finally see Great Britain return to the Winter Olympics in 2026 after a gap of 78 years.

“We’ve surprised people before, no-one thought we’d get to [World Championship] Pool A.

“We’ve got nine periods of hockey to do something wild and there’s no pressure on us.

“Three games - if God looks down on us and we get a bit of luck and things go our way, you never know.

“It’s been awesome to see it come along, even to be in these situations where you have a chance.

“That’s a big thing and we’ve given ourselves that chance.”

Group F Fixtures (all times BST)

Thursday, 29 August

Norway v Japan - 14:30

Denmark v Great Britain - 18:30

Friday, 30 August

Norway v Great Britain - 14:30

Japan v Denmark - 18:30

Sunday, 1 September

Great Britain v Japan - 11:30

Denmark v Norway - 15:30

Great Britain squad

Netminders: Ben Bowns (Cardiff Devils), Jackson Whistle (Belfast Giants), Lucas Brine (Glasgow Clan).

Defence: Josh Batch (Cardiff Devils), Nathanael Halbert (HKM Zvolen), Evan Mosey (Cardiff Devils), Ben O’Connor (Dundee Stars), David Phillips (Hull Seahawks), Mark Richardson (Cardiff Devils), Sam Ruopp (ERC Ingolstadt), Josh Tetlow (Nottingham Panthers).

Forwards: Ollie Betteridge (Nottingham Panthers), Ben Davies (Cardiff Devils), Robert Dowd (Sheffield Steelers), Sam Duggan (Cardiff Devils), Liam Kirk (Eisbären Berlin), Robert Lachowicz (Glasgow Clan), Ben Lake (Belfast Giants), Cade Neilson (Glasgow Clan), Sean Norris (Guildford Flames), Brett Perlini (Cardiff Devils)