Two British hockey legends announce retirement from international competition
Two of Great Britain’s top players ever are moving on.
Great Britain’s hockey team has announced that goaltender Ben Bowns and forward Robert Dowd will retire from international hockey following the conclusion of GB’s World Championship finale against Germany on Monday.
The pair were mainstays of the national team, with Bowns playing in 13 World Championships (between three divisions) and Dowd skating in 17.
Bowns, 35, first represented GB at the 2008 Division II U-18 World Championship. He’d go on to represent Britain at various junior levels before making his senior team debut in 2012 in advance of the 2014 Olympic qualification tournament. He had served as the starter ever since, which included playing a pivotal role in Great Britain’s historic promotion to the elite tier of the IIHF World Championship in 2019. That was GB’s first appearance at that level in 25 years, with Bowns’ 59-save performance against the United States being the highlight of the event.
GB has bounced between the top division and Division IA ever since, with Bowns typically getting the toughest matchups. He registered three wins in top levels competition, but is 11-1 with four shutouts and a .935 save percentage in Division IA play. Domestically, Bowns is a three-time EIHL goalie of the year, among other notable accolades. Bowns has primarily served as GB’s backup to former NHL prospect Mat Robson this year, who recently made his national team debut.
According to IceHockeyUK, the long-time Cardiff Devils star will continue to play domestically in the EIHL.
Dowd, 37, has taken home four golds and two silvers in lower levels, while representing Great Britain at the elite level of the IIHF World Championship five times. Dowd spent a long time as an alternate captain with Britain before supplanting Jonathan Phillips as captain for the 2023-24 season. Dowd has four goals and nine points in 34 World Championship games, as well as another 52 points in 59 Division I outings.
Like Bowns, Dowd will continue playing with the Sheffield Steelers in 2026-27.
Great Britain was the first team relegated to Division IA for 2027 after a difficult 0-6 start to the tournament. Kazakhstan and Ukraine will move up to the main event next year, with just one team earning promotion in 2028, due to France, which is currently in Division IA, set to host the tournament. That means promotion back up for GB will be tougher than usual.