Move over Hamlet, there’s a new king of Denmark.
Following his two-point night in the Jets’ 7-4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Winnipeg forward Nikolaj Ehlers passed Frans Nielsen for the most points by a Danish-born NHL player.
His 474 points (209 goals, 265 assists) have set the standard for players from the Scandinavian nation, and after starting the season on a hot streak, putting up 15 points in his first 11 games, he seemed destined to break the record sooner than later.
In all, the 28-year-old took only 616 games to break Nielsen’s mark of 473, which he set over a 925-game career.
Ehlers tied the record in the second period, setting up Logan Stanley’s goal to even the game against the Lightning 2-2. Then, as the game dragged on and it looked like he would have to wait another day, Ehlers raced down the ice on the rush and used his speed to pot the empty netter and reach Denmark’s highest peak.
Nielsen set the record in 2020-21 while playing his final season with the Detroit Red Wings. He spent 15 years in the NHL — 10 years with the New York Islanders and five with Detroit.
Coming up behind Ehlers, but unlikely to pass him, are Lars Eller of the Pittsburgh Penguins (409 points) and Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Seattle Kraken (343 points).
