Danish players in the NHL?

Have any Danish elite league players made it to the NHL?

Or have some just made it to Juniors in Canada & US??

I think three Danish players period have only even been drafted. Kim Staal, Franz Nielsen, and Jannik Hansen...

I think three Danish players period have only even been drafted. Kim Staal, Franz Nielsen, and Jannik Hansen...


Nielsen has already played a couple of games. See http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8470144 I'd guess Hansen is also going to see some NHL action this or next season. Has been surprisingly good in the Moose.

I'm really not that sure if either one has actually played in the Danish league. Danish players tend to go to Swedish Elitserien to develop.

.....I'm really not that sure if either one has actually played in the Danish league. Danish players tend to go to Swedish Elitserien to develop.Correct. A few Danes have played in the Swedish junior system.

Slava Trunkho and Kiril Starkov have also been developed by the Danish federation (both were born in Russia, but their parents moved to Denmark when they were young). Trunkho was not able to get his Danish citizenship in time before jumping to the QMJHL, and since has played for Russia (turned out to be a waste of Danish resources developing him). Starkov has his Danish citizenship now, and will play for the Danish national team in the future.

You can read more on the current stock of Danish prospects here: http://www.internationalhockeygang.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2354


I think three Danish players period have only even been drafted. Kim Staal, Franz Nielsen, and Jannik Hansen...
Paul Popiel (sp?) is also Danish born, but his parents moved to Canada when he was like 8. He played 13 years in the NHL in the 70s/80s

Jesper Duus was drafted by the Oilers in the mid-80s. He turned out a very good dman, for Europe. Long career in Sweden/Germany, before finishing off with a few years in Denmark.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid=31681

I think three Danish players period have only even been drafted. Kim Staal, Franz Nielsen, and Jannik Hansen...
Don't think, know. Fail know? Research.

Drafted Danes:

Heinz Ehlers, 1984, NYR, 188
Søren True, 1986, NYR, 240
Jesper Duus, 1987, EDM, 240
Kim Staal, 1996, MTL, 96
Frans Nielsen, 2002, NYI, 87
Peter Regin, 2004, OTT, 87
Jannik Hansen, 2004, VAN, 287
Morten Madsen, 2005, MIN, 122
Kirill Starkov, 2005, CBS, 189

Nielsen, Staal and Hansen have signed NHL contracts and have been in the AHL all season. Frans got two games in the NHL these past 7 days but was reassigned now, as Shawn Bates regained his health.
Kirill Starkov was offered an NHL deal last spring but turned it down, hoping to get a better offer after a year in the WHL.

Lars Eller (F) will almost certainly get drafted, and probably at the highest ever position for a Dane, after being ranked 5th among European skaters in the Mid-Terms this week. He's playing in Sweden with Västra Frölunda's U20 team, alongside another pair of '89-born big talents (although both of them late birthdays and 2007-eligible), Mikkel Bødker (F) and Philip Larsen (D). My personal prediction is that Eller will go in the top 40, Bødker in the top 60, and Larsen in the top 100.