Denmark's expectations for the 2009 IIHF World Championship have been in free fall after it has become clear that their most experienced NHL'ers will not be available and the team has been hit by an injury bug which is making the blue lines razor thin. Denmark has stayed up since they entered the World Championship in 2003, and the main objective is to avoid the 7 year itch which means relegation.
2008-09 has been a mixed year for Danish hockey. On the bright side, Denmark continues to produce talents and with little means (only 4,000 players). Both the U18 and U20 teams were short of being promoted to the junior elite divisions and in April, the U16 team won 5-nation tournament ahead of strong nations such as Switzerland and Germany. In North America, Danish hockey continues to impress. Last summer, Mikkel Bødker was selected 1st round in the NHL draft and made a direct impact on the young Phoenix Coyotes team. At N.Y. Islanders, Frans Nielsen is receiving more and more responsibillity. While being injured for a long time before Christmas, Nielsen was a key player for the Islanders in the second half of the NHL season. In the early going of the NHL season, Jannik Hansen was playing on the Vancouver Canucks' hottest line, but then he got injured and since has been a marginal player for the team. At Ottawa Senators, Peter Regin became the 4th Dane to play in the NH. Next season, the number of Danes in the NHL could be extended to six as Lars Eller (another 1st round draft, selected 13th 2007 by St. Louis) and Philip Larsen (drafed by Dallas Stars) will make an attempt to make it to the big scene. Eller and Larsen were significant players for HC Frölunda this season.
On the negative side, the Danish league, AL-bankligaen is collapsing like a card of house. In recent years, the league has clearly been financially overstreched and mismanaged. When the global financial crisis broke out, it hit the league severely. Nearly every team was on the verge of going bankruptcy, and when the season ended, the league was reduced from 10 to 5 teams.
For the national team, the export of players to North America is becoming a burden. While the future looks bright, the national team doesn't yet have enough experienced players to do without its NHL'ers if it is to fulfill its ambitions of breaking into top 10 on the world scene.
Unfortunately, in the 2009 IIHF World Championship, Denmark will have to do without two of their most important key players, namely Frans Nielsen and Jannik Hansen. Frans Nielsen is expected to play a key role for N.Y. Islanders next season and has been ordered to rest and rehabilitate his knee. Jannik Hansen, who was arguably Denmark's best player in the 2008 World Championship is involved in the NHL playoffs. With the advance of Vancouver Canucks to the next round, he won't be available for the IHWC. Closer to home, Lars Eller was injured in the Swedish playofffs and won't be available either. To make matters worse, a number of key defensemen are also injured, making the Danish defense lines even thinner than they already are. The injured defensemen includes Stefan Lassen (Herning), Michael Eskesen (Rødovre) and Daniel Nielsen (Herning) while the latter, though not 100% healthy, is listed on the Danish IHWC roster.
Denmark is currently in the midst of a generation shift that started in earnest last year. The team is very young (average age of the players listed in the roster below is exactly 23.9), and the main priority in the 2009 IIHF World Championship is to avoid relegation. If Denmark makes it to the qualifying round and beat their arch-rivals from Norway, the team will have accomplished more than expected.
Goaltending
Peter Hirsch is no longer a part of the national team though a comeback cannot be excluded if he regain his game with Coventry Blaze in the British Elite Hockey League. Hirsch's days with the national team is in any case numbered as Denmark have several talented goaltenders. Patrick Galbraith (23), who had a solid season with Sønderjyske, the Danish champions, will be the starting goaltender. Galbraith made his IHWC debut last in year vs. Russia and prevented the mighty red machine from scoring more than 4 goals. Sebastian Dahm (22) is the backup goaltender. As his performance with in the OHL and Syracuse Crunch in the AHL has proved, Dahm is a tremendously talented goaltender. But he hasn't much future with Columbus Blue Jackets that are loaded with top goalies, not least Mason who is expected to win the Calder trophy this season. Dahm hasn't seen much action since medio-March and that is a question mark. Frederik Andersen (19), Herning's backup goaltender, will be third goaltender.
Defense
Denmark's biggest weakness is their defense. With the injury bug, the Danish blue line is currently down to two stable defense pairs. At the time of writing, only five defensemen have been listed. How they will be composed remains to be seen, but Jesper Damgaard and Philip Larsen will certainly anchor the Danish powerplay.
Captain, Jesper Damgaard (33) is easily the oldest and most experienced player on the Danish team. He has participated in 15 IHWCs and logged 238 games for the Danish national team. He is a bit slow but is productive on the powerplay and he has a good slapshot from the blue line. Philip Larsen is the biggest Danish defense prospect. He had a great season with HC Frölunda where he had the highest +/- rating on a team that is loaded with international stars. Philip Larsen who is only 19 is destined to become a star himself in the future; A few days ago Larsen signed a 3-year entry contract with the Dallas Stars. Mads Bødker (21), the older brother of Mikkel, has paired with Kenny Jönsson at Rögle (Swedish Elitserien) and could very well pair with Jesper Damgaard in even teams. Daniel Nielsen is another experienced defenseman but his health status is a big question mark.
Forwards
The Danish scoring lines have plenty of talent - in fact, so much talent that Denmark's only KHL player, Kirill Starkov (CSKA Moscow) didn't get a ticket to the IHWC.
The first scoring line will probably be centered around Peter Regin with Nichlas Hardt and Kim Staal on the wings. Kim Staal is another question mark as he has been injured during most of the season. Staal has had time to rehabilitate and if he's fit, he has proven to be a tremendous sniper for the Danish national team. Hardt (20) is a powerforward that also has a great scoring touch.
Morten Green (Leksands, SWE) will center the second scoring line with Mikkel Bødker and Kasper Degn on the wings. Green is the best playmaker in the Danish team while Kasper Degn (who helped SC Bietigheim Steelers promotion to DEL next season) combines his energy with a nice scoring touch. One year ago, Mikkel Bødker was virtually unknown in Denmark. Now he is the poster child of everything that are associated with the Danish hockey miracle. Bødker had a sparkling start in the NHL, quickly making it to the 1st line and getting 20 min ice time per game, but after Christmas he has considerably worn off. Question is how useful he we actually be for Denmark after such a long season?
Mads Christensen (who will play in the German DEL next season) was Player of the Year in Albankligaen. Another powerforward that can be truly dominant at times.
Morten Madsen (Houston Aeros, AHL) will most likely center the checking line. In the CHL, Madsen became the first Dane to corner 100 points in a season. Within the Minnesota Wild organization, he has transformed to a defensive powerforward so it makes much sense to put him on that line. Mads Christensen (Player of the Year, and in DEL next season) is a strong powerforward. and will definitely play on this line. Julian Jakobsen could be the third player on this line. Jakobsen (Rookie of the Year, 2007-08) is a talented player who expects to play in Sweden next season.
The 4th 'energy line' could be centered around Alexander Sundberg and winged by Thor Dresler and Kim Lykkeskov.
This is at least how the lines looked like at the morning practise before Denmark's opening game vs Czech Republic.
Final analysis
Despite the woes on the blue line and the disappointment that NY Islanders wouldn't release Frans Niesen (who played more than 50 games for the Isles after his injury), the atmosphere is excellent in the Danish camp. The players are particularly happy about again having an experienced Swedish head coach, Pär Bäckman. who understand the culture and mentality of Danish hockey.
The Danish players are also eager to revenge the defeat to Norway in the Olympic qualification, but its questionable whether they have what it takes to beat the equally talented and more experienced Norwegian team. The safe bet that Denmark will end up in relegation round. The team has been there before and know what it takes to survive, but anything can happen.
 DENMARK 2009 IHWC ROSTER
*) players with asterix haven't been listed yet. The number in parenthesis indicates games played for the national team
Goaltenders
01. Patrick Galbraith, SønderjyskE (28)
30. Frederik Andersen, Herning Blue Fox (8)
91. Sebastian Dahm, Syracuse Crunch (AHL) (2)
Defense
03. Philip Larsen, HC Frölunda (SWE) (14)
04. Mads Bødker, Rögle BK (SWE) (52)
05. Kasper Pedersen, Frederikshavn Whitehawks * (7)
07. Jesper Damgaard, Malmö Redhawks (SWE-1) (235)
11. Mads Bech Christensen, Frederikshavn Whitehawks (43)
81. Daniel Nielsen, Herning Blue Fox * (124)
90. Philip Hersby, Totempo Hvik (17)
Forwards
12. Kasper Degn, Bietigheim Steelers (GER-1) * (103)
13. Morten Green, Leksands IF (SWE-1) (182)
18. Mads Christensen, SønderjyskE (42)
19. Kim Staal, HV71 (SWE) (142)
21. Thor Dresler, Herning Blue Fox (125)
23. Kim Lykkeskov, SønderjyskE (42)
24. Alexander Sundberg, Rødovre Mighty Bulls (98)
44. Nichlas Hardt, Malmö Redhawks (SWE-1) (32)
61. Julian Jakobsen, Odense Bulldogs (26)
89. Mikkel Bødker, Phoenix Coyotes (NHL) (3)
93. Peter Regin, Binghamton Senators (AHL) (71)
XX. Morten Madsen, Houston Aeros (AHL) *
XX. Jesper Jensen, Frederikshavn Whitehawks (4)
XX. Rasmus Olsen, AAB Ishockey (50) |
