Denmark men's national ice hockey team
Men's national ice hockey team representing Denmark
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The Danish national men's ice hockey team is the national ice hockey team for Denmark. The team is controlled by Danmarks Ishockey Union. It was founded in 1949, and as of 2022, the Danish team was ranked 10th in the IIHF World Rankings. Denmark currently has 4,255 players (0.07% of its population). Their coach is Swedish Mikael Gath. Denmark once held the record for the largest loss when they were defeated by Canada in 1949, 47–0, only being surpassed by New Zealand who were defeated by Australia 58–0 in 1987.
| |
| Nickname | Danish Lions |
|---|---|
| Association | Danmarks Ishockey Union |
| Head coach | Mikael Gath |
| Assistants | |
| Captain | Jesper Jensen Aabo |
| Most games | Morten Green (316) |
| Most points | Jens Nielsen (241) |
| Team colors | |
| IIHF code | DEN |
 | |
| Ranking | |
| Current IIHF | 8 ( 2) (26 May 2025)[1] |
| Highest IIHF | 8 (2025) |
| Lowest IIHF | 15 (2006, 2014–15) |
| First international | |
Canada  47–0  Denmark(Stockholm, Sweden; 12 February 1949) | |
| Biggest win | |
Denmark 27–4  Belgium(Copenhagen, Denmark; 18 March 1977) | |
| Biggest defeat | |
| Canada 47–0 Denmark (Stockholm, Sweden; 12 February 1949) | |
| Olympics | |
| Appearances | 2 (first in 2022) |
| IIHF World Championships | |
| Appearances | 57 (first in 1949) |
| Best result | 4th (2025) |
| International record (W–L–T) | |
| 386–501–58 | |
History
The team played its first world championship in 1949, led by player-coach and captain Jørgen Hviid.[2][3] Denmark lost its first game played, by a 47–0 score to the Canada men's national team.[4]
Denmark subsequently played 53 years in lower divisions. At the 2002 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships, the team finished first in Division I-B to earn promotion to the top level for the 2003 IIHF World Championship, and has remained in the top pool since, due to developed higher calibre players. The 2002 and 2003 versions of the Denmark men's national teams were recognized with the IIHF Milestone Award in 2025, for earning promotion to and remaining at the top tier of the World Championships.[4][5]
Denmark finished the 2003 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships in 11th place, defeating the United States men's national team 5–2, and tying Canada 2–2.[6] At the 2010 World Championships, Denmark finished 8th place, their best placing at the time. The feat was repeated in 2016. At the 2022 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships Denmark finished in ninth place, and earned their first victory versus Canada, in 73 years of competition, by a 3–2 score.[7]
At the 2025 IIHF World Championship, co-hosts Denmark reached its first semifinals, after defeating Canada in the quarterfinals, in what was widely considered one of the biggest upsets in the IIHF World Championship history.[a] Denmark were thus guaranteed to play in their first ever medal game and guaranteed to finish in the top four for the first time. After losing against Switzerland and against Sweden in the bronze medal game, they finished fourth.
Tournament record
Olympic Games
| Year | Finish | Rank |
|---|---|---|
 2022 Beijing |
Quarterfinals | 7th |
 2026 Milan / Cortina d'Ampezzo |
Qualification playoffs | 9th |
World Championship
| Year | Finish | Rank |
|---|---|---|
 1949 Stockholm |
Consolation round | 10th |
 1962 Colorado Springs/Denver |
6th in the Group B | 14th |
| 1963 Stockholm |
3rd in the Pool C | 18th |
 1966 Jesenice |
2nd in the Pool C | 18th |
 1967 Vienna |
2nd in the Pool C | 18th |
| 1969 Skopje |
6th in the Pool C | 20th |
 1970 Galaţi |
5th in the Pool C | 19th |
 1971 |
7th in the Pool C | 21st |
| 1972 Miercurea-Ciuc |
6th in the Pool C | 19th |
| 1973 |
7th in the Pool C | 21st |
 1975 Sofia |
6th in the Pool C | 20th |
 1976 Gdańsk |
3rd in the Pool C | 19th |
| 1977 Copenhagen/Hørsholm |
2nd in the Pool C | 19th |
 1978 Canary Islands (Las Palmas) |
3rd in the Pool C | 19th |
| 1979 Galati |
Relegation in the Pool B | 16th |
| 1981 Beijing |
4th in the Pool C | 20th |
| 1982 Jaca |
3rd in the Pool C | 19th |
 1983 Budapest |
4th in the Pool C | 20th |
 1985 Megève/Chamonix/Saint-Gervais |
5th in the Pool C | 21st |
 1986 Puigcerda |
Consolation round in the Pool C | 21st |
| 1987 Copenhagen/Herlev/Hørsholm |
2nd in the Pool C | 18th |
 1989 Oslo/Lillehammer |
8th in the Pool B | 16th |
| 1990 Budapest |
2nd in the Pool C | 18th |
| 1991 Brøndby |
1st in the Pool C | 17th |
| 1992 Klagenfurt |
4th in the Pool B | 16th |
| 1993 Eindhoven |
4th in the Pool B | 16th |
| 1994 Copenhagen/Aalborg |
5th in the Pool B | 17th |
 1995 Bratislava |
5th in the Pool B | 17th |
| 1996 Eindhoven |
6th in the Pool B | 18th |
| 1997 Katowice (Spodek)/Sosnowiec |
8th in the Pool B | 20th |
 1998 Ljubljana/Jesenice |
4th in the Pool B | 20th |
| 1999 Odense/Rodovre |
1st in the Pool B | 17th |
| 2000 Katowice/Krakow |
5th in the Pool B | 21st |
| 2001 Grenoble |
3rd in Division I, Group A | 21st |
| 2002 Eindhoven |
1st in Division I, Group B | 18th |
 2003 Helsinki/Tampere/Turku |
Second round | 11th |
 2004 Prague/Ostrava |
Qualifying round | 12th |
| 2005 Vienna/Innsbruck |
Relegation round | 14th |
 2006 Riga |
Relegation round | 13th |
 2007 Moscow |
Qualifying round | 10th |
 2008 Halifax/Quebec |
Qualifying round | 12th |
 2009 Bern/Kloten |
Relegation round | 13th |
 2010 Cologne/Mannheim/Gelsenkirchen |
Playoff round | 8th |
| 2011 Bratislava/Košice |
Qualifying round | 11th |
| / 2012 Helsinki/Stockholm |
Preliminary round | 13th |
| / 2013 Stockholm/Helsinki |
Preliminary round | 12th |
 2014 Minsk |
Preliminary round | 13th |
| 2015 Prague/Ostrava |
Preliminary round | 14th |
| 2016 Moscow/Saint Petersburg |
Playoff round | 8th |
| / 2017 Cologne/Paris |
Preliminary round | 12th |
| 2018 Copenhagen/Herning |
Preliminary round | 10th |
| 2019 Bratislava/Košice |
Preliminary round | 11th |
| 2020 Zurich/Lausanne |
Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic[15] | – |
| 2021 Riga |
Preliminary round | 12th |
| 2022 Helsinki/Tampere |
Preliminary round | 9th |
| / 2023 Tampere/Riga |
Preliminary round | 10th |
| 2024 Prague/Ostrava |
Preliminary round | 13th |
| / 2025 Stockholm/Herning |
Bronze medal game | 4th |
| 2026 Zurich/Fribourg |
Qualified |
Team
2026 Olympics roster
The first six players of Denmark's roster were announced on 16 June 2025.[16] The remaining roster was named on 7 January 2026.[17] On 8 February, Jonas Røndbjerg was ruled out due to injury, and replaced by Malte Setkov.[18] Jesper Jensen Aabo served as Denmark's captain, with Oliver Lauridsen and Patrick Russell as alternate captains.[19]
Head coach: Mikael Gath[20]
| No. | Pos. | Name | Height | Weight | Birthdate | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | D | Malte Setkov | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) | 101 kg (223 lb) | 14 January 1999 (aged 27) | Rødovre Mighty Bulls |
| 9 | F | Frederik Storm | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | 86 kg (190 lb) | 20 February 1989 (aged 36) | Kölner Haie |
| 11 | F | Alexander True | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | 91 kg (201 lb) | 17 July 1997 (aged 28) | JYP |
| 12 | F | Oscar Mølgaard | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 80 kg (176 lb) | 18 February 2005 (aged 20) | Coachella Valley Firebirds |
| 15 | D | Matias Lassen | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 88 kg (194 lb) | 15 March 1996 (aged 29) | Iserlohn Roosters |
| 17 | F | Nicklas Jensen | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | 98 kg (216 lb) | 6 March 1993 (aged 32) | SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers |
| 20 | F | Lars Eller | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 90 kg (198 lb) | 8 May 1989 (aged 36) | Ottawa Senators |
| 22 | D | Markus Lauridsen | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 90 kg (198 lb) | 28 February 1991 (aged 34) | HC Pustertal Wölfe |
| 24 | F | Nikolaj Ehlers | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 82 kg (181 lb) | 14 February 1996 (aged 29) | Carolina Hurricanes |
| 25 | D | Oliver Lauridsen – A | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | 105 kg (231 lb) | 24 March 1989 (aged 36) | TPS |
| 27 | F | Oliver Bjorkstrand | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 79 kg (174 lb) | 10 April 1995 (aged 30) | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 29 | F | Mikkel Aagaard | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 86 kg (190 lb) | 18 October 1995 (aged 30) | Skellefteå AIK |
| 30 | G | Mads Søgaard | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) | 91 kg (201 lb) | 13 December 2000 (aged 25) | Belleville Senators |
| 31 | G | Frederik Andersen | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 100 kg (220 lb) | 2 October 1989 (aged 36) | Carolina Hurricanes |
| 38 | F | Morten Poulsen | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 101 kg (223 lb) | 9 September 1988 (aged 37) | Herning Blue Fox |
| 40 | D | Anders Koch | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | 86 kg (190 lb) | 2 October 1997 (aged 28) | Graz99ers |
| 41 | D | Jesper Jensen Aabo – C | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 87 kg (192 lb) | 30 July 1991 (aged 34) | EC KAC |
| 42 | D | Phillip Bruggisser | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 91 kg (201 lb) | 7 August 1991 (aged 34) | Fischtown Pinguins |
| 48 | D | Nicholas B. Jensen | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 102 kg (225 lb) | 8 April 1989 (aged 36) | Fischtown Pinguins |
| 50 | F | Mathias Bau | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) | 108 kg (238 lb) | 3 July 1993 (aged 32) | Herning Blue Fox |
| 63 | F | Patrick Russell – A | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 92 kg (203 lb) | 4 January 1993 (aged 33) | Kölner Haie |
| 65 | F | Christian Wejse | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 88 kg (194 lb) | 4 December 1998 (aged 27) | Fischtown Pinguins |
| 80 | G | Frederik Dichow | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | 94 kg (207 lb) | 1 March 2001 (aged 24) | HV71 |
| 86 | F | Joachim Blichfeld | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 92 kg (203 lb) | 17 July 1998 (aged 27) | Tappara |
| 95 | F | Nick Olesen | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 84 kg (185 lb) | 14 November 1995 (aged 30) | Motor České Budějovice |
Former and current players in NHL
All-time record
Updated as of the match versus Norway on 8 November 2025.[21]
| Team | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 7 |
| Austria | 44 | 13 | 1 | 30 | 95 | 175 |
| Belarus | 29 | 13 | 2 | 14 | 72 | 90 |
| Belgium | 13 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 177 | 31 |
 Bulgaria | 32 | 19 | 2 | 11 | 137 | 88 |
| Canada | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 85 |
| China | 16 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 86 | 52 |
 Croatia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 4 |
| Czech Republic | 13 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 18 | 47 |
 East Germany | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 25 | 84 |
 Estonia | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 16 |
| Finland | 28 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 31 | 111 |
| France | 86 | 37 | 5 | 44 | 243 | 294 |
| Germany | 30 | 11 | 0 | 19 | 67 | 90 |
 Great Britain | 30 | 17 | 4 | 9 | 139 | 93 |
| Hungary | 67 | 29 | 4 | 34 | 228 | 286 |
| Italy | 30 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 96 | 118 |
 Japan | 34 | 14 | 1 | 19 | 112 | 147 |
 Kazakhstan | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 38 | 25 |
| Latvia | 38 | 14 | 0 | 24 | 93 | 131 |
 Lithuania | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 55 | 31 | 7 | 17 | 242 | 185 |
 North Korea | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 12 |
| Norway | 104 | 44 | 9 | 51 | 263 | 330 |
| Poland | 32 | 11 | 3 | 18 | 102 | 134 |
| Romania | 20 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 75 | 80 |
| Russia | 15 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 17 | 68 |
| Slovakia | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 50 | 93 |
| Slovenia | 30 | 16 | 3 | 11 | 97 | 78 |
 South Africa | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 |
 South Korea | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 86 | 16 |
| Spain | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 8 |
| Sweden | 28 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 44 | 132 |
| Switzerland | 33 | 3 | 1 | 29 | 51 | 147 |
 Ukraine | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 29 | 30 |
| United States | 12 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 16 | 46 |
| Yugoslavia | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 73 | 78 |
| Totals: | 946 | 386 | 58 | 501 | 2 997 | 3 414 |
Uniform evolution
- National team jerseys
2013–2017 IIHF jerseys
2018–2021 IIHF jerseys
2022 Olympic jerseys
2022– IIHF jerseys
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