While hockey is quickly becoming globalized, nations with regular access to sub-zero temperatures have a significant advantage in developing the sport. The International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) top-ranked teams in 2023 all came from some of the most northern countries in the world – Canada, Finland, Russia, USA, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and Czechia are all hockey superpowers and regularly have some of the coldest temperatures year-round. However, looking at the list of the top hockey nations, one question comes to mind – where’s Norway?
Despite being one of the most northern countries in the world, Norway has not made many waves in hockey, especially in the junior circuit. The 2024 World Juniors will be just their ninth time qualifying for the tournament since 1979 and the first time in a decade. However, the small nation has had more success than you might realize. In the early 1990s, the Norwegians stuck around for three consecutive tournaments and have been a consistent thorn in the side of the powerhouses since their first appearance at the World Junior Championship.
Norway’s First World Juniors
Norway made their World Junior debut in 1979, and despite having been an IIHF member since 1935, they were sorely unprepared to take on the world’s best teams. Placed into the Blue Group, they fell to the Soviet Union in their very first game 17-0, then lost 6-4 to Czechoslovakia despite leading 2-1 after the first period. In the final game of the round-robin, they took on the Americans and finished the first period tied 1-1 before being beaten soundly 7-1.
Related: 2024 Guide to the World Junior Championship
That placed Norway in the consolation round along with the USA, West Germany, and Canada, who won just one game during the round-robin. But after a 10-1 loss to the Canadians and an embarrassing 6-0 defeat to West Germany, it was obvious that Norway wasn’t ready to handle the top division yet, and they left with their tail between their legs to Pool B for the 1980 tournament.
A Norwegian Hockey Renaissance
However, despite the results, the Norwegians weren’t ready to accept their demotion. In the 1980 Pool B tournament, Petter Thoresen, father of NHLer Patrick Thoresen, led the scoring race with nine goals and 11 points, helping Norway finish second to Austria. In 1981, he tied for sixth with four goals and eight points while Norway finished first in their pool but came just one point shy of earning the promotion. Finally, in 1982, Norway went undefeated, poetically beating Austria in the final game 3-2 and earning the chance to return to the top division in 1983.
Although Norway’s second appearance was similar to their first tournament, failing to win a single game and losing by double-digit margins twice in seven games, the nation was beginning to take notice of the sport and provide extra funding. Swedish coaches and trainers were brought in to help build a better Norwegian program. Norway returned to the top division in 1989. Despite the improvements, things began frustratingly the same until they faced the West Germans, who finally granted Norway their first win in World Junior history, allowing them to stay in the top group for one more year. Now the world could see what the Norwegians were capable on.
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At the 1990 Championship, Norway put together its greatest performance. They walloped Poland 7-3, nearly beat both the Swedes 4-3 and the Canadians 6-3, and upset the Americans 6-5. Much of that was thanks to an 18-year-old Espen Knutsen, who finished the tournament with two goals and seven points to lead the team, which prompted the Hartford Whalers to use a 10th-round pick on him in that summer’s draft. Two other players from that team, Tommie Eriksen and Ole Eskild Dahlstrom, were also picked in the draft, both in the 11th round. While the latter two never made the NHL, Knutsen went on to play 207 games with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets, which included a historic All-Star appearance.
Knutsen returned to the World Juniors in 1991, but without Dahlstrom and Eriksen, along with many others, the team was unable to keep the momentum from the previous year. They once again finished a tournament without a win and were served their greatest defeat by none other than the United States, who came back with a vengeance and crushed Norway 19-1, which was the greatest blowout in World Junior history until 1993.
A Lot of Potential, But No Luck
Losing that game must have taken its toll on Norwegian hockey because it would take 15 years before they returned to the World Juniors. By this time, the tournament had expanded to 10 teams to account for the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The tournament was restructured again in 2003 to relegate two teams instead of one, meaning Norway would have a much tougher time staying up with the top group.
Thankfully, the Norwegians had the team to do it. The roster featured future NHLers Mats Zuccarello and Jonas Holøs, as well as European greats Lars Haugen and Mathis Olimb, who had been the hero at the 2005 World Junior Division 1A. However, despite their skill, Norway still went winless in six games, scoring just six goals and getting shut out three times, leading to their demotion alongside Latvia. It wasn’t a good showing from anyone, and unlike the 1990 team, no one earned a second look at that summer’s draft. Holøs was eventually picked by the Colorado Avalanche in 2008, while Zuccarello had to wait until 2010 before signing his first NHL contract with the New York Rangers as a free agent.
Norway returned in 2011 on the backs of goalie Lars Volden and forward Scott Winkler, but both aged out, leaving the team without much hope. They went winless in four round-robin games and picked up just a single victory in the relegation series before joining Germany in Division 1A in 2012. However, Norway was back on top in 2014, and this time, only one team would be relegated from the top group. Unfortunately, Norway once again found themselves at the bottom against Germany. Despite a decisive 3-0 win in game one of the relegation series, the Germans won the next two, sending Norway down, where they remained until today.
Norway’s Odds in 2024 and Beyond
Norway has the odds against them at this year’s World Junior Championship. Not only are they the 10th seed, but they are one of the smallest hockey nations participating; they have just 53 indoor rinks and five outdoor rinks spread across the country, and their total registered player count is less than an eighth the number of hockey players of Finland.
However, the Norwegians have made some positive strides recently, boosting their junior hockey population to account for over 72% of the nation’s total hockey players, which is on par with Canada. That commitment to development is paying off, too. Against the projected gold medalist, the United States, they looked very competent, with Petter Vesterheim scoring a beautiful power-play goal midway through the third period to keep the score tight.
It’s clear that the Norwegian program is getting better. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, a projected first-round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft, helped Norway earn a promotion to the top group at the U18 level for the first time in 12 years, and this year, the team finished 9th without him to qualify for the 2024 tournament. It’s a similar path to Germany, which has continued to have success despite losing several of the players that got them to the top group, and Norway could see a similar future. So, while this year may be difficult, this team knows that a great future lies ahead. Who knows? Maybe this is the beginning of the next great European star.