Denmark enters the 2024 World Championships as a decided underdog. Back after being relegated following the 2022 tournament, Denmark will have an uphill battle yet again in Utica.
Denmark enters the 2024 World Championships as a decided underdog. Back after being relegated following the 2022 tournament, Denmark will have an uphill battle yet again in Utica.
Denmark enters the 2024 World Championships after earning promotion from the Division 1A tournament alongside China last year. Denmark hosted in 2022 before being relegated.
This year again Denmark will be in a difficult fight to stay in the top division of the World Championships.
It’s a new era for Denmark, who for the first time in 15 years enter the World Championships without Josefine Jakobsen as their go-to player up front. That task will be handed over to veterans Nicoline Sondergaard Jensen and Silke Lave Glud.
Denmark’s biggest downfall is that the nation has almost no players competing in top leagues, whether it’s the SDHL, PWHL, or NCAA, the nation is void of a deep pool of players competing with and against top competition. Most of Denmark’s team comes from Sweden’s second league.
The main exception to this rule, is netminder Emma-Sofie Nordstrom, who will have the weight of her nation on her shoulders. Nordstrom was a named a Second Team ECAC All-Star this season backstopping St. Lawrence University to an NCAA national championship tournament appearance. To avoid relegation, Nordstrom will need to be almost perfect for the Danes.
Also coming from the NCAA level to play for Denmark are Mercyhurst forward Sofia Shriver, Vermont defender Sofie Scott Dahl, and Frederikke Foss, who played at Shattuck St. Mary’s this season, but will join Maine next year.
One player of note for Denmark is 15-year-old Olivia Ranum. It’s likely Ranum will be the youngest player to compete in the World Championships this year. The 2008 born forward has twice represented Denmark at the U-18 World Championships.