Ice hockey in Denmark

Ice hockey in Denmark
Country	Denmark
Governing body	Danish Ice Hockey Union
National team(s)	Men's national team Women's national team
National competitions
Superisligaen Danish Division 1
International competitions
Ice Hockey European Championships IIHF World Championships Winter Olympics

Ice hockey in Denmark is a sport that has been growing in popularity in recent years. ^{[1] [2]}

History

Denmark has qualified for international ice hockey tournaments since 1949, starting with the World Championships in Stockholm.

Ice hockey in Denmark is governed by the Danish Ice Hockey Union. ^{[3] [4]}

National team

A longtime participant in the IIHF World Championships, the Denmark men's national ice hockey team made their first Olympic appearance at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. ^[5]

Notable players

Frans Nielsen, who played 15 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings, was the first Danish-born and trained player to play in the NHL. ^[6] Current Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers holds the NHL record for most points of any Danish-born player, ^[7] while defenseman Jannik Hansen was the first Danish-born and trained player to appear in a playoff game, making his playoff debut for the Vancouver Canucks in 2007. ^[8] Current Washington Capitals forward Lars Eller was the first Dane to win the Stanley Cup, doing so with the Capitals in 2018. ^[9] and later became the first Dane to play 1,000 NHL games in 2024. ^[10] Frederik Andersen became the first Danish goaltender to appear in an NHL game when he debuted for the Anaheim Ducks in 2013, ^[11] later reaching the milestones of 500 games played and 300 wins while with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2025. ^{[12] [13]}

References

1. Sapurji, Sunaya. "Grassroots to Gold: Denmark's tight-knit hockey family is growing fast". The New York Times. Retrieved Dec 3, 2024– via NYTimes.com.
2. Robenhymer, Julie (Jan 6, 2016). "As Denmark Succeeds, the Goal Moves". The New York Times. Retrieved Jan 15, 2025– via NYTimes.com.
3. "Danmarks Ishockey Union" . Retrieved Dec 3, 2024.
4. "Short end of the stick: How a sport's revival is on thin ice | the Post". Archived from the original on 11 December 2015.
5. "Denmark earns first-ever ice hockey victory at 2022 Winter Olympics | NBC Olympics". www.nbcolympics.com. Retrieved Dec 4, 2024.
6. Duff, Bob (November 10, 2016). "Detroit's Nielsen holds place in Danish NHL history". The Windsor Star . Retrieved December 4, 2024.
7. "Jets' Nikolaj Ehlers becomes all-time leader for points by a Danish player". sportsnet.ca. November 3, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
8. "Canucks call on rookie". Vancouver Sun . 13 April 2007. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
9. Cowan, Stu (14 June 2018). "Lars Eller proud to be first Danish player to win the Stanley Cup". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
10. Crechiolo, Michelle (27 January 2024). "Penguins Celebrate Eller's Milestone Night with Overtime Win". NHL.com. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
11. "How Frederik Andersen became the NHL's first Danish goalie". sportsnet.ca. The Canadian Press. November 24, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
12. Ruff, Walt; Dewar, Peter (January 20, 2025). "Recap: Canes Rally On Milestone Night For Andersen, Staal". Carolina Hurricanes. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
13. Dusterberg, Kurt (January 23, 2025). "Andersen earns 300th win, Hurricanes rally past Blue Jackets". NHL.com. Retrieved January 24, 2025.