The best of times: Dave Phillips relives 'incredible' journey with Great Britain ice hockey team

That proved the case again this week, but for a different reason altogether.

The GB team will gather early next month to begin their preparations for the latest instalment in their remarkable World Championship story.

It is Romania that beckons as they seek another instant return to the top tier of the international game.

This time around though - for the first time in 19 years - Phillips will not be joining them.

The 37-year-old defenceman announced his retirement from the international game on Monday, leading to an overwhelming stream of tributes and messages of support and acknowledgement of his contribution to the national team ever since making his senior debut in 2006.

Like all such decisions, it wasn’t an easy one but one the former Sheffield Steelers, Belfast Giants and Hull Stingrays blue liner felt was the right one.

He played an integral role in what will be looked back on as a golden age for the GB men’s team, having competed three times at the top tier of the World Championships, going toe to toe with the likes of leading hockey nations such as Canada, Sweden, Finland, Czechia and the USA.

At times, such contests proved harsh learning experiences for Phillips and his GB team-mates, but moments he would not swap for anything.

“It was really tough to come to this decision,” Phillips told The Yorkshire Post. “I’ve done it for such a long time. The first tournament I played in, I was 18-years-old, so it feels like this is all I’ve known since then.

“Every time the end of March, April or May rolled around you started to look forward to getting together with GB and wherever the tournament was that particular year.

“It’s sad, but I leave with some of the best memories of my life, made with some of the best people I’ve known.

“And that is one of the toughest things, too, the people that you do it with. There’s Pete Russell, the head coach, who I also played with at GB Under-18s and 20s, too and then a good chunk of players and a lot of the staff who have all done it together for a number of years now.

“It’s been an incredible journey - the highs and lows and the fact we’ve done it all together, that is one of the most special things, that so many of us have been through it together, literally every single year.

“It’s a long time and it’s definitely been like its own little family - everyone knows each other inside and out because you are spending so much time together.”

And the highlights? Well, where do you start?

For Phillips – currently out of action for Hull Seahawks with a long-term upper-body injury sustained in early January – he quickly goes back to 2018 when GB ended its 25-year exile from the top tier of the world game, clinching promotion by defeating hosts Hungary - the team he made his debut against in France 12 years earlier.

The experiences that followed 12 months later - against the likes of Canada, Finland and Slovakia - also live long in the memory, all before the memorable final game overtime win against France which ensured GB would remain in the top tier for a second year.

That second time didn’t come until two years later because of the Covid pandemic and while it resulted in relegation, there was to be a third campaign in ‘Pool A’ after promotion was clinched at the first time of asking in Nottingham in 2023.

Again relegation followed, leading GB to Romania next month to try and get back among the elite.

Out of the long list of star players that Phillips came up against, Phillips highlights USA forward Jack Eichel as the best he has ever faced.

“You just couldn’t get the puck off him,” Phillips said of the Vegas Golden Knights star. “Or even near him to get the puck off him. He moved really well, just protected it really well.

“You just couldn’t get near him or the puck - he just had that extra level that has made him one of the biggest names in the NHL.”

Of his team-mates to make the biggest impact over the years, fellow D Mark Richardson is at the top of Phillips’ list.

"My very first year, Richy was there,” added Phillips. “He’s been there since day one with me. My first year was his second year and he helped me a lot when I first moved up into the men’s team.

"We always roomed together – I was adding it up roughly in my head the other day and I reckon we’ve probably spent a year of our lives together in various hotel rooms!

“I just latched on to him straightaway because he was the next youngest and I didn’t dare speak for that first week away with the team – I just kept my head down and only spoke when I was spoken too!”

There will of course be countless ‘highlight reel’ moments for Phillips to look back on in years to come, but little compares to the moment he helped GB achieve promotion back to the top tier for the first time since 1994 – a 3-2 shoot-out win in Budapest over hosts Hungary earning Russell and his players their most memorable golden moment.

“Getting promoted the way we did in Hungary was obviously amazing,” said Phillips. “Then every game we played in that top tier after that was just a fantastic experience.

“Don’t get me wrong, there were some tough nights, some tough losses to take but we were playing against very, very good opposition.

“We always said we had to make sure we soaked up every moment and enjoyed what we were doing because we never thought we’d get there in the first place.

“And so the games we were playing against the likes of Canada, USA and Sweden – you just wanted to give the best showing of yourselves.

“All those games stay with you.”