RALEIGH, NC. - Denmark has locked in its spot in the 2026 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament, thanks in part to Carolina Hurricanes netminder Frederik Andersen.
"Freddie" played in and won all three games in the Group F qualifying tournament, stopping 60 out of 64 shots faced in victories over Great Britain, Japan, and Norway.
With Denmark, Latvia, and Slovakia winning their respective qualifying tournaments over the weekend, 11 out of the 12 teams are set for the Olympics in Italy. Canada, Finland, United States, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and Czechia, had all previously secured their spots due to their standings as top nations in the 2023 IIHF World Rankings.
The IIHF is expected to decide on Russia’s participation in February.
As for Andersen in Raleigh, he is entering the second year of a two-year contract signed in July 2023. The 2024-25 season will be his fourth as a Hurricane, and through three campaigns he's produced a record of 69-27-4 with a .918 save percentage.
