What?! Canada, Crosby Suffer Huge Upset Loss at Worlds

In one of the biggest upsets in IIHF World Championship history, host country Denmark upset the mighty Team Canada in the quarterfinals on Thursday, 2-1 at the Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, Denmark.

It was the biggest win in Denmark’s hockey history. Their previous big win was to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics last summer by winning a hockey tournament hoping to qualify. Now, upsetting Team Canada will echo across the hockey spectrum.

It is a stunning and stinging defeat for the Canadians, assembled by Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas, and led by a few of the best players in the world, including Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, and San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini.

Canada had only one player on the roster who is not an NHL player, Porter Martone, and he will be a top-five draft pick at next month’s 2025 NHL Draft.

Conversely, Denmark pulled the upset in front of 10,500 fans, mostly their own, with a roster dotted with just a couple of NHL regulars, but otherwise full of players most hockey fans have never heard of.

Canada led 1-0 in the final minutes on a third-period goal by Travis Sanheim (assisted by Crosby). Still, Denmark tied the game when Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers tied the game with 2:17 remaining. Markus Lauridsen and Patrick Russel registered assists.

Russel played 59 games over three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers from 2018 through 2021. Lauridsen, 34, played a few seasons in the AHL from 2012 through 2015, but has been playing in the Swedish Elite League since.

The seismic shock for Canada was yet to come. Denmark pushed in the final minutes, and Nick Oleson, who has never played North American professional hockey, only in the Swedish Elite League, snapped a rebound over sprawled Team Canada goalie Jordan Binnington.

And Denmark shocked the hockey world with a 2-1 win.

Canada had 40 shots on goal in the game, and allowed 33, but Denmark outshot Canada 22-10 in the third period. The quarterfinal loss ends Canada’s tournament, and sadly, Marc-Andre Fleury’s career. The beloved goaltender extended his career by a few weeks to join Canada at the World Championships.

Large Denmark goalie Frederick Dichow (6-foot-4, 192 pounds) was sensational, stopping 39 of 40. Dichow was a fifth-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2019 (138th overall).

Former Minnesota Wild boss Dean Evason coached Canada, which had never before lost to Denmark in a knockout round. Denmark will play for a medal this weekend. Denmark will next face Switzerland Saturday. The winner will play for gold against Team USA or Sweden. The losers of the semifinals will play for bronze.