Before the Italy game: Denmark wins for the first time

Last year's semi-finalist Denmark has secured its first victory at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Fribourg (Switzerland) – and that immediately before the match against Italy.

23 May 2026

From: dl

That was a statement! After four opening defeats, Denmark thrashed Slovenia 4-0 around midday on Saturday. The Danes didn't score their first goal until the 34th minute. Patrick Russell was the match-winner with a brace and an assist.

Denmark could therefore already secure a point on Sunday (4:20 pm/live on [channel name]). SportNews(Ticker) against Italy to secure their place in the top division. This result also has implications for Italy: The Azzurri must win against Slovenia on Monday evening (8:20 pm) after regular time to guarantee their survival in Group A. The head-to-head result is the deciding factor.

Denmark showed a response and won convincingly against Slovenia. © ANSA / ALESSANDRO DELLA VALLE

“Denmark is a good team – even though they haven’t had any points so far. Now everything is on the line for us against Italy. It will be a completely different match because we’ll have more of the puck,” explained Slovenia’s Marcel Makovec immediately after the Denmark game. Italy now knows its starting position before its final two games of this World Championship group stage.