Great Britain v Ukraine: GB target instant return to top tier of World Championships

The GB team have spent three out of the last five years slugging it out with the world’s elite, demoted at the first attempt last year in Prague having won gold and promotion in Nottingham in 2023.

Sheffield Steelers’ captain Dowd (inset) is joined in the GB line-up by Elite League team-mate Cole Shudra and Leeds Knights’ Kieran Brown, with Pete Russell’s team starting their Division 1A campaign tomorrow against Ukraine, the first of five games in seven days at the Sepsi Arena in Sfântu Gheorghe.

Further tests await against the hosts, as well as Japan, Italy and Poland with two promotion spots up for grabs, while one team will be relegated.

It means there is little margin for error for a GB team Dowd feels belongs in the top tier.

“Being in that shop window with the world’s best is absolutely massive,” said Dowd about returning to the top level in Switzerland next year.

“You go back 10-15 years ago and it wasn’t even in our sights, but this group of players and coaching staff has brought this team on so much that we feel like we belong there now.

“When we got demoted last year it was obviously a really big disappointment, so we’re looking to bounce straight back up.”

Poland, relegated along with GB last year, as well as Italy, who Russell's team beat to clinch promotion at the National Ice Centre two years ago, represent the biggest threat to the British hopes, although Dowd acknowledges stern tests await in each encounter.

“At this level, it is such a tough group that if you don’t bring your ‘A-game’ you can drop a game to anybody,” added Dowd. “Everybody is hungry and because there are two spots up for grabs, all six teams will feel like they have got a shot at it.

“You’ve got to go into every single game thinking that game is the most important game that week, for every single game and so it all starts from day one, that very first puck drop and we’ve just got to make sure we produce our best hockey all week.”