Hurricanes at the Olympics: Ehlers Makes His Mark, Slavin Steady in Debut
The Olympic men’s hockey tournament is officially underway, and several Carolina Hurricanes are already making their presence felt on the international stage. While Seth Jarvis didn’t suit up for Canada’s opener, the rest of the Canes’ Olympians hit the ice in a busy afternoon slate that featured Denmark taking on Germany and the United States facing Latvia-two games that happened to go down simultaneously.
Let’s break down how things unfolded for Frederik Andersen, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Jaccob Slavin as they kicked off their Olympic campaigns.
Denmark Falls Behind Early, Can’t Recover
For Denmark, the path to an upset win over Germany was always going to be narrow-and it started with slowing down two of the NHL’s elite talents: Leon Draisaitl and Tim Stützle. That plan unraveled almost instantly.
Just 23 seconds into the game, Draisaitl found the back of the net, putting Germany up 1-0 before Denmark could even settle in. That early punch set the tone, and while Denmark showed flashes of fight, they never quite recovered.
Nikolaj Ehlers, though, gave his team a spark. Midway through the first period, the Hurricanes winger worked from the corner and fed Oscar Fisker Molgaard with a slick setup that led to the equalizer. It was a vintage Ehlers play-quick, creative, and precise-and it made him the first Hurricane to record a point at this year’s Olympics.
Ehlers logged heavy minutes, skating over 20 minutes and firing three shots on goal. He was one of Denmark’s most active forwards, and his chemistry with Andersen and the rest of the group was evident even in a losing effort.
Andersen, for his part, held the line as best he could. He stopped 23 of 26 shots, but the second period belonged to Germany-and especially to Stützle.
The Ottawa Senators star scored twice in the middle frame, including a power-play goal assisted by Draisaitl. That pair proved to be too much.
Despite outshooting Germany 38-26, Denmark couldn’t crack Philipp Grubauer again after the first period. The final score: 3-1, Germany.
Slavin Keeps It Quiet, Just the Way He Likes It
Across the rink in the U.S.-Latvia matchup, Jaccob Slavin made his Olympic debut in a game that went largely according to script-except for a surprisingly tight first period.
Latvia hung around early, helped by two successful coach’s challenges and a couple of pings off the post. After 20 minutes, the game was tied 1-1, even though the Americans had clearly carried the play. But in the second period, the U.S. offense found its groove and pulled away en route to a 5-1 win.
Slavin’s performance? Exactly what you’d expect from one of the NHL’s most quietly effective defensemen.
He was on the ice for Latvia’s lone goal, but the sequence wasn’t on him. Slavin did his job tying up his man and preventing the initial rush from getting dangerous.
The puck just took an unfortunate bounce and ended up behind Connor Hellebuyck. Sometimes, that’s just how hockey goes.
Slavin logged 15:03 of ice time-second-lowest among the U.S. defensemen-but played a key role on the penalty kill, which went a perfect 3-for-3. He also came up with a key shot block in the third period, laying out in the right circle to snuff out a late Latvian chance.
Even in a game that was already in hand, Slavin was still sacrificing the body. That’s just who he is.
What’s Next: A Hurricanes Showdown on the Horizon
With both teams in Group C, the U.S. and Denmark are on a collision course. They’ll meet Saturday afternoon in what could be a pivotal matchup for both squads.
For the Americans, a win would likely set up a group-deciding showdown with Germany on Sunday. For Denmark, it’s a chance to bounce back and avoid the bottom of the group when they face Latvia.
Saturday’s game will also feature a unique twist for Hurricanes fans: teammates going head-to-head on the Olympic stage. Ehlers and Andersen trying to solve Slavin and the U.S. defense? That’s must-watch hockey.
And with Jarvis still waiting in the wings for Canada, the Hurricanes’ Olympic storyline is just getting started.