Sheffield Steelers' Robert Dowd hoping 2024 heralds 'dream' GB Winter Olympics qualification

That has particularly been the case since 2019 after head coach Pete Russell had led the national team back to the top tier of the worlds a year earlier for the first time since 1994.

For three consecutive years - broken up when the 2020 event was cancelled due to Covid - GB slugged it out with world-leading nations such as Sweden, Finland, Canada and Russia.

Relegation came in 2022, but an instant return was secured in impressive style on home ice in Nottingham in May this year. It means a trip to Prague in May 2024 where once again, the primary aim will be to survive among the elite for another year.

But 2024 could prove a special year for more than just that, as GB attempt to secure that most elusive of achievements - qualifiying for the Winter Olympics.

All being well, GB will compete in two Olympic qualifying tournaments next year, the first offers a great opportunity to progress as they enjoy home ice advantage once again, taking over Cardiff’s Vindico Arena in Cardiff in February to face-off against China, Romania and Serbia.

Classed as the third round of qualification, on paper it is a group Russell’s team should progress from, taking them through to the final leg of qualifying in August, effectively meaning an earlier start to the 2024-25 season for those players selected.

They will find themselves up against teams all sat above them in the world rankings, all vying for one of the three remaining qualifying spots available for the 2026 Winter Olympics that will take place in Milan.

Nine nations are already assured of a place, the top eight world-ranked teams from Canada down to Czechia, along with hosts Italy, who GB saw off in the final round of this year’s World Championships at the Motorpoint Arena to secure their return to the elite level.

The final stage will be a tough proposition for GB to negotiate but, given their experience of playing in the top flight since 2019, one they believe they can certainly compete in.

Sheffield Steelers’ captain Rob Dowd has been a mainstay of the GB roster since making his debut back in 2008, that year also playing in an Olympic pre-qualifier in Sanok, Poland, which saw the GB finish a disappointing third.

The last time GB competed in a Winter Olympics - in which they won gold back in 1936 in Germany - was 1948 in St Moritz, where they finished fifth.

The return to the elite level of the world game in Prague next May already has the 35-year-old forward excited but, any mention of the word ‘Olympics’ and it takes on added significance.

“Playing for your country is a very special privilege that not many people get to do,” said Dowd. “So whenever it does come around I’m always very excited to play. This year coming up, though, is a bigger year than normal with the Olympic qualifiers.

“It is definitely something special, a bit different - solely, I think, because we’ve never been there. Obviously, this group of players that we have right now, over the last few years, have achieved things that haven’t been done for many, many years - we’ve done amazing things.

“But one thing we haven’t been able to do is make it to an Olympics – this next year it is a special goal for us to try and hit. For me personally, it would be a dream fulfilled.”

So far, Dowd has made just over 90 appearances for his country. If all goes according to plan and he stays injury free, he could break through the 100-cap barrier in 2024.

A chance to test themselves against the likes of Latvia, Denmark, Slovakia, France and Norway in August - some of whom they will also face in Prague four months earlier - is welcomed by Dowd, who believes GB will be better equipped to handle the pressures that come with it given their recent experiences in the top tier.

“The games and the tournaments we have played in the World Championships these past few years will help us enormously should we get to that second stage of qualifying in August,” added Dowd.

“We are talking about elite ice hockey teams and elite players at that next stage. But we’ve become accustomed to playing that kind of hockey now, getting used to the speed of the game and how those games are played.”

That speed and skill is something they will experience again in Prague. How GB qualified for that tournament will always prove a special moment for Dowd and his team-mates.

“There was extra pressure in Nottingham,” added Dowd. “We put plenty of pressure on ourselves but playing in front of home fans you just didn’t want to disappoint.

“It was really special being able to lift the trophy and have my family, kids and parents there to watch it.

“Most of the time before that, year after year, life went on back home while we were away in different European countries trying to get medals and promotions.

“Just having them there in Nottingham, though, made it even more special.”