In a stunning turn of events at the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship, host nation Denmark pulled off one of the most remarkable upsets in tournament history, eliminating title favorites Canada with a dramatic 2-1 victory in the quarter-finals on Thursday, May 22.
The win, delivered in front of a raucous crowd at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, propels Denmark to its first-ever semi-final appearance in the competition. It also marks only the second time Denmark has defeated Canada in an official IIHF match, the first coming during the preliminary round in 2023.
Despite trailing 1-0 late in the game to a Canadian squad led by Olympic legend Sidney Crosby, the Danes mounted an extraordinary comeback. With just 2:17 remaining and skating with an extra attacker, star forward Nikolaj Ehlers unleashed a powerful shot from the blue line to equalize. The arena erupted.
The decisive blow came a mere 89 seconds later. Danish Olympian Nick Olesen, showing exceptional composure in front of goal, capitalized on a rare error from Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington, calmly slotting the puck into an open net with just 48 seconds left on the clock.
"I have no words, it's unbelievable. The fans here were cheering for us the whole game and they helped us get the win. It's crazy," said a jubilant Olesen after the game.
A visibly disappointed Crosby reflected on the loss: "We got better as the tournament went on. I don't think tonight was necessarily our best, but we still found a way to give ourselves a lead and ... it was a pretty tough environment here, a road game. We got the lead and were in a pretty good spot, but it turned pretty quick."
With this victory, Denmark advances to the semi-finals in Stockholm, where they will face Switzerland on May 24 at 18:20 local time. The dream to win a historic medal for the host nation stays alive.
Source:
https://www.olympics.com/en/news/denmark-stuns-canada-men-ice-hockey-world-championship-upset
https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/denmark-stun-canada-swedes-beat-czechs-reach-world-championship-semis-2025-05-22/
A proud Canadian
