Ice hockey in Denmark
Ice hockey is growing in popularity in Denmark. It is governed by the Danish Ice Hockey Union. Denmark has men's and women's national teams, and domestic competitions such as the Superisligaen and Danish Division 1. Internationally, Denmark competes in the Ice Hockey European Championships, the IIHF World Championships, and the Winter Olympics.
Denmark has taken part in international ice hockey since 1949, starting with the World Championships in Stockholm. The Danish men’s team has long competed in the World Championships and made its first Olympic appearance at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
A major moment came in 2025 when Denmark co-hosted the IIHF World Championship. Denmark defeated Canada 2–1 in the quarterfinals, one of the biggest upsets in ice hockey history, and reached the World Championship semifinals for the first time.
Danish players have found success in the NHL. Frans Nielsen played 15 seasons with the New York Islanders and Detroit. Nikolaj Ehlers holds the NHL record for most points by a Danish-born player. Jannik Hansen was the first Danish-born and trained player to appear in an NHL playoff game, for the Vancouver Canucks in 2007. Lars Eller was the first Dane to win the Stanley Cup (with the Washington Capitals in 2018) and the first Danish player to reach 1,000 NHL games in 2024. Frederik Andersen became the first Danish NHL goaltender (debuting with the Anaheim Ducks in 2013) and later reached 500 games and 300 wins with the Hurricanes in 2025.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:15 (CET).