Sheffield Steelers Sam Jones on GB's great expectations and facing off against Canada's Connor Bedard in World Championship opener

Having spent three years slugging it out with world-leading nations such as Canada, Finland and Sweden, GB were relegated back down to Division 1A in 2022.

But an unbeaten campaign at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham last year ensured their absence from the top-flight was not too long.

And while Sheffield Steelers’ defenceman Jones admits that the primary aim for GB in Prague over the next 12 days is to ensure survival at this level for another year, the bar also needs to be set higher.

Nothing much is expected from a daunting opening weekend at the Prague Arena which sees GB follow-up today’s clash against defending champions and world No 1 Canada with an encounter against another powerhouse in the shape of Finland.

Head coach Pete Russell and his players have games further down the road which they believe they are capable of winning.

Ranked 20th in the world, GB also have the likes of ‘middle’ nations such as Denmark, Norway and Austria in their group, who make up three of their last four fixtures.

This weekend’s two games, along with Tuesday’s tough test against Switzerland, will be used to get the GB players up to speed for those games down the line they believe can ensure them returning for the 2025 tournament in Sweden and Denmark.

“We’re coming in and our goal is obviously to stay up,” said Jones, one of three Steelers’ players out in Czechia, with Cole Shudra and captain Robert Dowd. “But I think it’s becoming a bit more than that now, where we expect more from ourselves in the games against Canada and Finland and the top nations.

“But we also expect to take points from teams like the Norways and Denmarks of this world, the Latvias and Kazakhstans - those teams that have been pulling off upsets themselves in this division against top nations.

“We hope to be competing with them and I think the long-term goal has to become one of those middle teams and be a staple in this tournament every single year.”

Regardless of the results, Jones believes GB’s time among the world’s elite at this time of year is always a fast learning exercise.

“I always say that you learn more in two weeks at this tournament than you do in two full seasons elsewhere,” he added. “That’s because you’re forced to adapt and when you’re thrown in at the deep end, it is good for us as a team and as individuals.”

On Saturday, GB will come up against numerous challenges when facing a Canada line-up containing several big NHL star names, including Tampa Bay Lightning duo Nick Paul and Brandon Hagel, Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain John Tavares and the newest sensation on the block, Chicago Blackhawks’ 2023 No1 draft pick Connor Bedard.

Still only 18 years old, Bedard has – as predicted by many – taken the NHL by storm in his first year, posting almost a point a game with 22 goals and 39 assists in 68 appearances.

Jones admits Bedard’s talent is “ridiculous”.

"It’ll be interesting, for sure,” added Jones. “I’ll have to be aware when he is on the ice, let’s just say that.

“He has more than lived up to the hype in his first year. Another thing that is under-rated about him too is his size, he’s not a big guy and yet he has still put up a point per game or something close to that this year.

“That just proves how good he is. He’s ridiculous, you just have to see his highlights on Instagram every single day – every game he’s doing something else that is just pushing the boundaries on what guys can do.”