Successful week for Danish national teams

15 Nov 2010 | Henrik Lundqvist

While Danish NHL players enjoy personal success in North America, Danish ice hockey can also enjoy a number of impressive team performances of the national teams during last week.

The national team won Polesie Cup in Belarus after victories over the three A-nations: Norway, Slovenia and Belarus. A Danish national team with only players from the AL-Bank Ligaen, supplemented by three players from the Swedish leagues.

- “It was an expanded league team we played with, so it was pleasing to see that domestic players could succeed at the highest level. The new national team players also showed a high work ethic and played with lots of confidence. The attitude we had during the World Championship, that we are not afraid of any opponent, infected also the new players" says senior coach Per Bäckman.

In the same tournament last year, Denmark had to settle with the third place. And the coach can see progress

- “It's clear to see that they have evolved since last year. There is also more focus on the physical part, which is so important in international hockey, so this is some good steps in the right direction”.

It is not only the A team who has been in action. Both the U18 & U20 national team has delivered good results in last week. The U18 national team has played straight up with A-nations such as Germany and Slovakia, while the U20-national team on Danish ice in Rødovre, did the same with big nations such as Finland and Latvia.

- “We can be proud of the results we have achieved. And now it is against equal opponents or nations that are better than us. We get nothing out of playing against Poland and Holland, as we will never better off. And now we also justify our participation in this major test tournaments with these beautiful results”, says sports director in DIU, Ulrik Larsen.

The results of tomorrow's stars are also not gone unnoticed by the senior coach

- “The width has never been greater and we have never been better than we are right now. And it is thanks to that players now get lots of ice time and responsibilities in the AL-Bank Ligaen at an earlier age. And it is also good for the A-national team”, says Per Bäckman.