Edmonton Oilers History of Danish Hockey Players – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

In a major addition through free agency this offseason, the Edmonton Oilers signed goaltender Frederik Andersen to a one-year contract.

Andersen recently won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes. During the 2026 NHL Playoffs, he went 13-2 with a 1.89 goals-against average (GAA) and a .910 save percentage (SV%).

A native of Herning, Denmark, Andersen is one of only 18 Danish players to have played in the NHL. But he comes to a team that has long embraced Danes, as the Oilers are one of six NHL players to have at least three players from Denmark in their history. Here’s a look:

Pope Popiel

The NHL’s first Danish-born player, defenseman Poul Popiel suited up for what would be his last major pro hockey game as a member of the Oilers in their first NHL season in 1979-80.

A native of Sollested, Popiel was playing for Edmonton’s minor league team, the Houston Apollos of the Central Hockey League (CHL), when he was recalled by the Oilers after the NHL club was hit by injuries to their blue line.

The 36-year-old made his regular season debut at Northlands Coliseum against the Boston Bruins on November 4, 1979, when there were only 12.^th NHL regular season game in Oilers history. He remained on the roster for Edmonton’s next nine games, including its first NHL road victory, a 5-3 win over the host Washington Capitals on November 13, 1979.

After appearing in 10 games with the Oilers – where he compiled 0 points, zero penalty minutes, and 12 shots on goal – Popiel was sent back to Houston, where he spent the rest of the season. He never posted another shutout at the highest level of hockey, finishing his NHL career with 54 points in 225 games.

As of the end of the 2025-26 season, Popiel is the NHL’s all-time leader among Danish-born defensemen in all major statistical categories, including games played (225), goals (13), assists (41), points (54), penalty minutes (212) and shots on goal (305).

Philip Larsen

Esbjerg native Philip Larsen was acquired by Edmonton in a trade with the Dallas Stars on July 5, 2013. The defenseman spent the first few weeks of the 2013–14 season with the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League (AHL) before being recalled by the Oilers.

At Rexall Place on Nov. 3, 2013, Larsen entered Edmonton’s lineup against the Detroit Red Wings, becoming the first Danish player to qualify for a regular season game with the Oilers in nearly 34 years.

The defender spent the entire season with the Oilers, appearing in 30 games, scoring three goals and recording nine assists. He recorded three assists in one game, the most by any Edmonton defenseman that season, against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 10. In an 8-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 5, Larsen was a plus-four, the highest plus/minus of any Oilers player in 2013-14.

After the season, Larsen left Edmonton to play in Russia. The Oilers eventually traded his rights to the Vancouver Canucks in 2016.

Now 36, Larsen continues to play well, spending 2025-26 with Esbjerg Energy in his hometown. He ranks second to Popiel among Danish-born defensemen in NHL history in games played (151), goals (nine), assists (28), points (37), penalty minutes (46) and shots on goal (190).

Patrick Russell

Forward Patrick Russell is the only Danish player to have spent multiple seasons in Edmonton, tallying seven points in 59 games from 2018-19 to 2020-21.

The Holte native originally signed with the Oilers on May 9, 2016, following two seasons of NCAA hockey at St. Louis. Cloud State. After spending all of 2016-17 and 2017-18 in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors, Russell was recalled by the Oilers six weeks into their 2018-19 schedule. At age 25, he made his NHL debut against the Calgary Flames on Nov. 17, 2018, and was eligible for five more games before being sent back to the AHL.

For the next two seasons, Russell held a spot on Edmonton’s roster. He worked successfully as the 13th of the team^th forward in 2019-20, good for six games. In the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, he appeared in eight games.

Russell has played overseas, including last season in Germany with the Cologne Sharks. He was part of the Danish men’s hockey team at the Winter Olympics in both 2022 and 2026.

Denmark’s 2026 Olympics roster also included Andersen, who is now poised to make history with the Oilers: When the netminder plays his Edmonton debut, the Oilers will tie the Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks for NHL franchises with the most Danish players.

Edmonton opens its 2026-27 season at Rogers Place on Sept. 29 against the Canucks, and there’s a chance Andersen could be among the pipes for opening night.