Canada eliminated by Denmark in stunning upset at World Championship

It was Denmark’s second victory over Canada in history.

A sequel to the Miracle on Ice has been penciled in for 2025.

Nick Olesen scored with 49 seconds left in the game to help Denmark deliver one of the most monumental upsets in hockey history when they defeated Canada 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

Despite getting outshot 30-11 through the first two periods by the opposing team before a home crowd at a sold-out Jyske Bank Boxen, Denmark dominated Canada in the third frame, outshooting them 22-10 and scoring two goals in the final 180 seconds to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory. Nikolaj Ehlers tied the game with 2:17 to go when he ripped a shot from the point through traffic that beat Jordan Binnington before Olesen punched Denmark’s ticket to the semifinals for the first time in history. 24-year-old Frederik Dichow was near perfect, stopping 39 of 40 shots to secure the biggest win of his career.

It was just the second time Denmark had defeated the Canadians in history, but it was also the second time in the last three years. The previous triumph was a 3-2 preliminary round matchup in 2023. Now, Denmark will play for a medal for the first time.

“I have no words, it’s unbelievable,” Olesen said after Denmark reached the last four for the first time. “The fans here were cheering for us the whole game and they helped us get the win. It’s crazy.”

When Ehlers scored, the arena erupted in roars, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. Olesen got his opportunity and outclassed one of the finest goaltenders in the world. He slowed the play down to his pace and forced Binnington to make the first move, which was the wrong one. And once the puck hit the open net, the crowd went from pure anticipation to pure jubilation.

Denmark didn’t just beat Canada, they also defeated a team that was filled to the brim with top NHL talent, but it didn’t matter. The same Denmark that needed a shootout victory over Germany just to reach the quarterfinal round defeated the clear favorite of the tournament, which had several players from its championship roster at this year’s Four Nations Face-Off, including captain Sidney Crosby, former Hart Memorial Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon, and goaltender Jordan Binnington, who was coming off an impressive season.

While Ehlers and Olesen saved the day on the stat sheet, Denmark owes much of their historic win to Dichow, who kept his team in the game despite getting outshot 18-4 in the first period.

Canada defenceman Travis Sanheim was the only one to solve the Dichow puzzle with 5:17 left in the game. Nathan MacKinnon was held off the scoresheet and finished with 13 points in eight games. It was up to the Danes to get their revenge, and they went beyond the limits of imagination.

Dichow, who was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and currently plays for HV71 Jonkoping in Sweden, made 39 saves for Denmark, and Binnington made 30 saves for Canada.

The Danes will square off against Switzerland, which shutout Austria 6-0 on Thursday, in the semifinals on Saturday. The United States face Sweden in the other semifinal after scoring a 5-2 win over Finland.

This also marks the end of the tournament for the Colorado Avalanche as Sweden defeated the Czech Republic 5-2 to earn their semi-final berth. Martin Nečas added a power play assist to his point totals to finish with seven in the seven games he played.