Great Britain’s opening game of the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championship ended in defeat, as they were beaten 5-2 by Austria in Group A.
Five players made their full Great Britain debuts on Saturday.
Frantic Opening Sets the Tone
All seven goals came in a frantic opening two periods in Switzerland. Austria’s Peter Schneider scored twice.
Pete Russell’s side gave themselves a mountain to climb early on. They quickly fell 3-0 behind in what was a high-scoring first period.
Brief British Fightback Proves Insufficient
Goals from David Clements and Liam Kirk pulled the score back to 3-2 after one period. Austria then extended their lead to three again before the end of the second.
Robson Saves the Day, Briefly
Mat Robson made two big late saves on the penalty-kill. The first of seven group games ended in defeat for Great Britain.
Elsewhere in the Groups
Elsewhere in the group, hosts Switzerland won their opening game 3-1 against the USA on Friday. Finland beat Germany by the same scoreline.
In Group B, the Czech Republic lead the way having beaten Denmark 4-1 in their opening game, while Canada are in second after a 5-3 victory over Sweden.