Great Britain making big gains thanks to European Cup of Nations

As the hockey world watched some of the best players on the planet compete for Olympic gold in Milan, Great Britain was carving out a rare international moment of its own at home in Scotland.

For nearly three decades, the Great Britain men’s national team did not play a senior international game in Scotland. That changed earlier this month at Murrayfield Ice Rink in Edinburgh, where Ice Hockey UK hosted a group of the inaugural IIHF European Cup of Nations.

The new competition, created by the International Ice Hockey Federation, is designed to give second-tier European nations structured, meaningful games during the season. For Great Britain, the weekend in Edinburgh was about more than results; it was about proving it belongs in a more demanding international rhythm.

On the ice, Britain finished third in the four-team group with two wins in three games. It opened with a 3-2 overtime victory against Ukraine on Feb. 5, then fell 4-2 to Slovenia the following day. Britain closed strongly on Feb. 7 with a 5-4 win against Poland. Ukraine ultimately topped the group standings, but Britain’s opening victory was one of the tournament’s defining results.

“I think they were looking to fill what I would call a development tool,” interim CEO of Ice Hockey UK Grant King told NHL.com International. “We don’t get enough opportunity to replicate the international pace, the detail and the pressure in a domestic environment every week.”

That gap has defined modern British hockey. The national team returned to the top division of the IIHF World Championship in 2019 after a 25-year absence and has been a regular participant since. Survival has been difficult and relegation frequent, but the very fact Britain has competed at that level underscores how far the program has come.

What it has lacked is repetition. One World Championship per year does not create habits; the European Cup of Nations is meant to change that.

“It’s about, how do we accelerate our learning?” King said. “How do we raise expectations and create a reference point for what that international level really looks like, shift by shift?”

Shift by shift is the key phrase. Britain has shown it can rise to big moments, but sustaining the speed, structure and physical demands of the international game has been more difficult. This tournament provided three meaningful tests in a compressed window, and they came with a deliberately experimental roster that featured a wave of younger players alongside established names.

For Ice Hockey UK, the emphasis was less on chasing results and more on exposing emerging talent to genuine senior international pressure, accelerating their learning in real time rather than waiting for a World Championship window.

For King, the value goes beyond the senior roster. He views the event as part of a broader way to connect the U-18 and U-20 programs to the men’s team.

“We’re trying to create a world-class Great Britain environment and a genuine progression pathway,” he said. “It’s about building the system, not just selecting a team.”

Britain used the opportunity for what King calls a next-generation focus, aimed at addressing a long-standing issue in which players progress through junior levels but stall before cementing a place with the senior side.

“We’ve always had this challenge of a gap,” he said. “People come through the 18s and 20s and then some fall off before they enter the men’s program. We want to use this opportunity to get those high-potential players into a competitive international environment.”

Hosting the event added another layer. Britain had not staged a senior international in Scotland this century. Murrayfield, which opened in 1939 and sits beside the national rugby stadium, carries deep roots in Scottish hockey. Its capacity of just over 3,000 was manageable and, for Britain’s final game on Saturday, full.

“It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the long history that we have in the UK with the game, especially in Scotland,” King said. “It wasn’t just about the players. It was about whether we have the ability to deliver an event like this.”

Success was measured in more than standings. Junior clubs from across Scotland attended. Schools participated. So did members of local Ukrainian and Polish diasporas. Sponsors activated across all three days. Streaming numbers exceeded projections, even with domestic league games competing for attention.

There is, however, a structural challenge unique to Britain. Unlike most European countries, the UK does not mandate international breaks in its professional league schedule. Nations such as Slovenia and Poland pause domestic play during international windows. Britain does not, largely because of the economic realities of its league model.

“We’re one of the only European countries that doesn’t,” King said. “In an ideal world it would be like the rest of Europe, where there are international breaks. That’s not where we are right now.”

Ice Hockey UK worked closely with the Elite League, capping call-ups at roughly two players per club to avoid stripping rosters during a busy part of the season. It required negotiation and partnership, but King insists the relationship is improving.

“We all realize we’ve got to work together to grow the game,” he said.
If pride is any indicator, the foundation is strong.

“They don’t call us British lions for nothing. Every time we put on that GB jersey, you see it.”

The next test is imminent. At this year’s IIHF World Championship, to be held in Switzerland from May 15-31 in Zurich and Fribourg, Great Britain will once again compete in the top division. Britain will be based in the Zurich group alongside Switzerland, the United States, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Austria and Hungary -- a demanding lineup and a clear reminder of the level Britain is trying to normalize.

Before heading to Switzerland, Britain will tune up with two exhibition games against Italy in late April and early May.