Will GB ice hockey reach first Winter Olympics since 1948?

Great Britain's men's crystal lucky squad are attempting to suffice for a first Winter Olympics since 1948.

They look hosts Denmark, Norway and Japan successful nan last qualifying arena successful Aalborg betwixt 29 August and 1 September, pinch nan victor sealing a spot astatine nan 2026 Winter Games successful Milan.

GB won each 3 of their matches - against China, Serbia and Romania - successful nan first qualifying bid successful February, but will person to flooded higher-ranked opponents to scope nan Games.

Great Britain are presently classed 17th successful nan world, whereas Denmark - who reached nan quarter-finals astatine nan 2022 Winter Olympics - are 11th and Norway 12th. Japan are 24th.

Head coach Pete Russell said it was nan biggest situation he had faced since taking up nan domiciled successful 2015.

"It’s a ace difficult situation to play Pool A nations aft 8 months of a season, ne'er mind pinch specified short mentation time, but our players will springiness it everything they have," he said.

Great Britain person won 2 Winter Olympic medals successful crystal lucky - bronze successful 1924 and golden successful 1936.

Women's crystal lucky was introduced astatine Nagano 1998, but Great Britain person not qualified for a Games.

Each squad plays each different erstwhile pinch nan wide victor booking their summons to nan 2026 Winter Olympics.

Fixtures (all times BST):

Thursday, 29 August

Norway v Japan - 14:30

Denmark v Great Britain - 18:30

Friday, 30 August

Norway v Great Britain - 14:30

Japan v Denmark - 18:30

Sunday, 1 September

Great Britain v Japan - 11:30

Denmark v Norway - 15:30

There will beryllium 12 teams successful nan men's title astatine nan 2026 Winter Olympics and, for nan first clip since Sochi successful 2014, NHL players will beryllium allowed to compete for their countries.

Eight countries person already booked their places, pinch hosts Italy joined by nan apical nations based connected nan 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) world rankings - Canada, defending Olympic champions Finland, United States, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Czech Republic.

Russia competed arsenic nan Russian Olympic Committee astatine nan past Games successful Beijing - and won nan metallic badge - but they, and Belarus, are presently banned for nan 2024-2025 season.

The IIHF cited information reasons because of nan warfare successful Ukraine and has group a deadline of May 2025 for its ruling assembly to determine whether Russia and Belarus tin return successful clip for nan 2026 Olympics.

Should Russia beryllium allowed, they would suffice arsenic nan ninth state to participate, based connected nan world rankings.

The last 3 spots will beryllium decided astatine 3 abstracted events taking spot this weekend.

Apart from Great Britain's arena successful Demark, location are besides last qualifiers successful Slovakia and Latvia.

In Bratislava, hosts Slovakia look Kazakhstan, Austria and Hungary, while hosts Latvia play France, Slovenia and Ukraine successful Riga.