Glasgow to Host GB Men’s and Women’s Teams Together

A first for both national teams

The historic milestone is not simply that both teams will play in Glasgow. It is that the men and women will appear in the same competition on home ice, making the Braehead event a shared occasion for British national ice hockey.

Ice Hockey UK chief executive Tim Bratton called hosting the tournament a proud moment for British ice hockey and described the teams’ joint appearance as historic. The event places both sides within one international programme, while each has its own group of opponents.

Four days of games at Braehead

Braehead Arena will host 12 matches from 11-14 February. Great Britain’s men are scheduled to face Poland, Romania and Lithuania, while the women will meet the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain.

The fixture list gives Glasgow a substantial role in this round of the competition: both GB teams play their group games at the same venue over the same four-day period. For supporters, that creates an opportunity to follow the men’s and women’s national sides as part of one event, rather than at separate home competitions.

A tournament built around international breaks

The European Cup of Nations began last year with the aim of adding international games during the three international breaks each year. Teams play in groups at different venues, and a women’s tournament has been added this season.

That format explains why the Glasgow programme includes multiple nations and separate men’s and women’s fixtures. The competition is designed to provide international match opportunities across the breaks; Braehead’s significance is that the expanded format brings both Great Britain teams onto home ice together.

Earlier group games in Poland

Before the Glasgow matches, Great Britain’s men will travel to Poland for the first round of group games from 5-7 November. Italy and Ukraine will also feature in that round, giving the men’s competition an earlier stage before the February fixtures at Braehead.

The women’s side has already completed its first group stage, finishing second this month. Great Britain beat Spain and Slovenia but lost to hosts and section winners Poland, results that provide recent competitive context ahead of the team’s Glasgow games against the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain.

Why the Glasgow date matters

Hosting the men’s and women’s teams together gives the event a significance beyond the individual fixtures. It is a first for Great Britain’s national sides in a competitive home setting, and the shared venue makes that milestone visible to supporters of both teams.

The February schedule also gives the European Cup of Nations a clear home showcase in Glasgow. With 12 matches at Braehead Arena and opponents from across Europe, the occasion combines the tournament’s international format with a landmark moment for British ice hockey.

Takeaway: Braehead Arena will host the first European Cup of Nations in which Great Britain’s men and women compete together on home ice.