2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey: Top standouts from Denmark vs. Latvia
One of the underdogs in Milan has earned momentum and some confidence heading into the knockout stage.
Thanks to timely scoring and a solid goaltending performance, Denmark came away with a 4-2 win over Latvia, giving the Danes their first win at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The way things started, you would’ve thought Latvia had already clinched second place in the group, as they let Denmark run roughshod in the opening minutes of the game. A terrible turnover in the Latvian zone led to Mikkel Aagaard finding Nick Olesen for his second of the tournament just 23 seconds into the game.
The Danes cashed in on the power play a few minutes later, as Aagaard found the back of the net himself. Things continued to roll for Denmark as the period wore on, as a great kick pass from Oliver Bjorkstrand set up fellow NHLer Nikolaj Ehlers to put their team up 3-0.
However, Latvia started to claw its way back. After Kristaps Roberts Zile put his team on the board late in the first, a great play from Eduards Tralmaks led to the Grand Rapids Griffins forward scoring his second goal of the tournament to make it a one-goal game.
Latvia kept the pressure for the remainder of the game, but Danish goaltender Frederik Andersen came up with some big saves in the latter half of the game, with Olesen sliding in an empty-net goal to seal the deal.
Latvia ended up outshooting Denmark 35-21, posting 14 shots on goal in the final frame. Andersen made 33 saves for his first win at the Olympics. Arturs Silovs was credited with just 17 saves in his second start in as many days.
Denmark went 1-for-5 on the power play, but killed off all five of its penalties on Sunday.
With the win, Denmark secures third place in Group C. Even if Germany loses to the United States, the Danes and last-place Latvia will play in the playoff qualifiers on Tuesday.
Denmark
#95 Nick Olesen, F: Olesen might’ve been the beneficiary of a bad play by Latvia, and great awareness by Aagaard, leading to his early goal, but the vision he showed in setting up Aagaard on the power play showed he’s one of the best players in the Czech Extraliga. The HC Motor České Budějovice star places himself in the right place to both put the puck in the back of the net, as well as set up his teammates with scoring chances.
#29 Mikkel Aagaard, F: Aagaard certainly had his best game of the tournament. The Skellefteå AIK standout was a crucial part of the Danes’ hot start on Saturday. The way he didn’t rush a shot on goal, instead giving a nice feed to Olesen in the opening minute to put his team on the board. That kind of play, for the uninitiated, shows that the 30-year-old isn’t gripping the stick too tight, even on this stage.
#31 Frederik Andersen, G (Carolina Hurricanes): After he had a tough result against Germany in his first start, Andersen redeemed himself on Sunday, and definitely reinstilled some confidence in himself heading into the knockout stage, regardless of who or when the Danes play. When Latvia started to find its footing in the second period, Andersen settled into his game as well and came up clutch in the final 20 minutes to help his team score the win.
Latvia
#34 Eduards Tralmaks, F (Detroit Red Wings): I don’t think I’m the only person who’d say that Tralmaks was the best player on the ice for Latvia on Sunday. While he might not have the NHL pedigree as some of the players on his team, but he has certainly been one of the hardest-working players in the tournament, and it’s leading to significant production. Along with picking up an assist on Zile’s goal, Tralmaks looked like a 30-goal scorer in the NHL with his second of the tournament in the second period.
#77 Kristaps Zile, D: While Zile might not be one of Latvia’s top two-rearguards, he has had a big role in the top four, and played his best hockey in Italy against the Danes. The play leading up to his goal showed his patience with the puck and his awareness of when to let it go from the point. He also assisted on Tralmaks’ goal, giving him his first two points of the tournament.
#72 Janis Jaks, D: Jaks entered the Olympics as an effective two-way blueliner with HC Energie Karlovy Vary of the Czech league. He’s been able to showcase that ability so far in Milan. Even in the loss, he was able to be involved offensively, assisting on Zile’s goal late in the first period. He ended with four shots on goal on Sunday and a plus/minus of +1 while registering 17:47 of ice time.