Liam Kirk out to create more special GB memories by clinching place at 2026 Winter Olympics

As is often the case at such international gatherings, GB head into this week’s 2026 Winter Olympics Qualifiers in Aalborg, Denmark, as the underdog - but they have been here before and confounded those expectations on a number of occasions.

Maltby-born Kirk has spent the past month acclimatising to life with new team Eisbaren Berlin in the DEL, something he appears to have taken too well if last week’s opening pre-season game against Lausitzer Füchse was anything to go by when the left-hander posted two goals and two assists in a 5-0 win.

How he would love to maintain that kind of form over the next four days.

Today sees Pete Russell’s team open their bid to reach Milan in 18 months’ time when they take on hosts and pre-tournament favourites Denmark.

There follows an equally tough encounter with Norway before a day’s rest and a closing game against Japan on Sunday.

Russell’s team faced both Denmark and Norway during this year’s World Championships in Prague, edged out 4-3 by the Danes before losing 5-2 to Norway as they suffered an immediate return to the second tier.

Japan are a team GB have fared well against in recent years, but a bad start will make that game irrelevant by the time it comes around.

The hosts are hoping to have given themselves the best possible chance of making it to Italy by adding several NHL stars to its roster, including Carolina Hurricanes No 1 netminder, Frederik Andersen.

“We know it’s going to be a challenge for us, but we’re just looking at this as an incredible opportunity,” said 24-year-old Kirk. “It’s three games to get ourselves into the Winter Olympics – when you look at it like that, it is exciting, although we don’t need any more motivation when putting on the GB jersey.

“We know it’s going to be tough, but we’ve overcome adversity and the odds before. We like being the underdog – it’s going to be fun.

“Just going back a few months and the World Championships, we were close with Denmark and they’ve obviously added a few more big names to their roster which will boost them.

“The Norway we let ourselves down a bit and we didn’t really perform, was just one of those days.”

GB’s players come together in Aalborg at an unusual time of year, given they are normally only next to each other in a locker room at the end of a domestic campaign as opposed to before their club schedules have actually begun.

For Kirk, though, the time of year is not important – all that matters is securing a first Winter Olympics appearance since 1948 – 12 years after GB actually won the gold medal.

“I love it with GB,” he added. “Some of my best memories playing this game have been in a GB shirt. Ultimately, it’s 60 minutes of hockey.

"We’ve seen it so many times before where anything can happen.”