Boedker and Hansen Proud to Represent Denmark as Host Country at Worlds

HERNING, Denmark -- Mikkel Boedker is enjoying home ice advantage.
True home ice.
Boedker is starring with host Denmark at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Herning and Copenhagen.
"Hockey on home ice, you can't beat that," said Boedker, who with Jannik Hansen joined the team mid-tournament when the San Jose Sharks were eliminated in the Western Conference second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"Playing for your country, it's an honor every time. That's the reason why I'm here.
"I think it's been amazing. The fans have been outstanding. I think the whole organization around the World Championship has been phenomenal. Overall, it's exceeded everybody's expectations. It's been amazing to play every night in front of 11,000 Danish fans.

"It's been an honor and a privilege for all of us."
It's why he and Hansen jumped to join Denmark's roster six days ago, teaming with fellow NHLers Frederik Andersen of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Frans Nielsen of the Detroit Red Wings in the process.
Answering the call is nothing new for Hansen.
He's participated in six World Championships (2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016) before signing on again.
None, however, have been on home ice.
Until now.
"I think it's a different mentality for European teams," he said. "We grew up here. This is the biggest thing in the hockey season, World Championship. This is what you want to play and where you want to compete.
"For us, it's that same lingering that this is where we want to play. I've played with a lot of these guys through National teams when you're 13, 14, 15, 16, all the way through. It's the same guys that come together, more or less, every year with new guys coming up."
Those same guys are how Hansen heard the buzz in Denmark.
It's lived up to the billing.
"Tremendously," said Hansen, who has also represented Denmark via Team Europe in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, three times at both the World Junior Championship (2004, 2005, 2006) and the World Under-18 Championship (2002, 2003, 2004).
"We heard rumors about the crowd when we were still playing. It's lived up to everything we were told. Tremendous support. European fans are different than North American fans. There's a lot of singing, a lot of drumming. Stuff going on during the games that you don't see…it's not just the goals that are being celebrated here.
"For no reason at all everyone is standing up and doing stuff. It's neat to see.
"It's nice."
There's been plenty to cheer.
With a win against Latvia on Tuesday, Denmark will secure a spot in the tournament's quarterfinal for just the third time ever. Getting there will guarantee that the country will finish no lower than eighth -- their best ever finish set in 2010 and matched in 2016.
They've come a long way.
Hansen was born in 1986, when Denmark finished third in Group C at the World Championship and 21st overall behind Romania, Bulgaria, China, and immediately ahead of Hungary and North Korea.
Boedker was born in 1989, when Denmark had improved to 16th.
Denmark has participated in the top division, finishing 13th or better, every year since 2003, to follow a 54-year absence from the main group.
Not bad for a country of just 4,700 registered players competing in only 27 ice rinks across Denmark.
"We've grown," said Boedker, who has four assists in three games with Denmark, and also participated in the World Cup, four more World Championships (2009, 2011, 2013, 2014), and three times at the World Junior Championship (2006, 2007, 2008) and World Under-18 Championship (2005, 2006, 2007).
"We've had a lot of good players, a lot of successful NHLers. Now we have two guys in each Conference Final (Lars Eller, Washington Capitals and Nik Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets). It's grown a bit. I think everybody's kind of didn't know what to expect really.
"But I think now every game we go out, we're excited and definitely ready."