In April 2023, Nottingham played host to the IIHF World Championship Division I tournament. While it’s not among the biggest sports in the UK, ice hockey does command a strong following in hotspots up and down the country – basically wherever we have a team competing in the EIHL and, especially, the CHL.
Over in Estonia, Group B of Division I unfolded, and just as that side of the tournament finished, at the National Ice Centre, Group A got underway. Luckily for local fans, even in a particularly difficult draw, the home team put on a grand show to gain passage to the top tier of IIHF competition.
A mighty draw, even with the ever-present NHL
Much like with many other sports that aren’t rugby, cricket, or football, such as basketball, many ice hockey fans in the UK look across the Atlantic to see the sport in its finest form. Fans will watch highlights on Viaplay or the NHL app, see live games when the weekend puck drops align for our times, and even make the most of the betting options available for each day’s NHL fixtures.
With a good mind for how the game works and how the stats work, ice hockey fans around the UK can flex their knowledge in markets like player points, handicap lines, and futures betting. When the IIHF is on, and during the EIHL season, that same knowledge can be flexed in more local hockey betting markets. Of course, many will have looked to the odds for the Group A games in Nottingham last year, but few would have expected what was to come.
Destined to face off against the world’s best once again
In their first year since being relegated from the top division of the IIHF World Championships, Great Britain had a point to prove. Getting sent back to Group A of Division I didn’t prompt a change in coaching from Peter Russell, which ended up being the correct choice for the team set to host on their first opportunity to go back to the top flight.
It all started very well, with Great Britain obliterating the Korea Republic 4-0, but then a potential bump in the road popped up. Poland arrived and battled to make up a hefty deficit in the third to take the game to overtime. In front of over 5,000 fans, Ben Lake fired home the winner.
From there, Great Britain continued its relentless surge back to the top league. They beat Lithuania 3-0, Romania 7-0, and finally Italy 3-5 – who were relegated with Great Britain the year prior – to earn the cheers of the 5,538 in attendance. Promotion in the IIHF table was secured.
Now, Great Britain doesn’t have any active players in the world’s top domestic league of ice hockey, with the most recent player in the NHL from these shores being Tom Hodges, who played one game in 2021/22 in goal for the Anaheim Ducks.
This year, however, thanks to their efforts in Nottingham last year, Great Britain will face the likes of Canada, the United States, Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany in the IIHF World Championship in Czechia.
