Frans Nielsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frans Nielsen
Nielsen with the Eisbären Berlin in 2021
Born	(1984-04-24) 24 April 1984 (age 41) Herning, Denmark
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Herning Blue Fox Malmö Redhawks Timrå IK New York Islanders Lukko Detroit Red Wings Eisbären Berlin
National team	Denmark
NHL Draft	87th overall, 2002 New York Islanders
Playing career	2001–2022

Frans Nielsen (born 24 April 1984) is a Danish former professional ice hockey player. He played as a forward for many years. Nielsen is famous for playing with the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League (NHL).

He made history as the very first Danish citizen to play in the NHL. Frans also played a lot for the Danish national team. Because of his amazing career, he was even chosen to join the IIHF Hall of Fame.

Frans Nielsen's Hockey Journey

Frans Nielsen started his journey in ice hockey early. The New York Islanders picked him in the third round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. This is like a special lottery where teams choose young players. Before joining the NHL, he played in the Swedish Elitserien league since 2001.

In 2006, Frans signed a two-year contract with the Islanders. He had already played over 216 games in the Swedish league. In those games, he scored 25 goals and made 34 assists.

Starting in North America

Frans began the 2006–07 AHL season with the Islanders' farm team. This team was called the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Farm teams help young players get ready for the NHL. On January 5, 2007, he was called up to play for the Islanders.

He made his first NHL appearance on January 6. Before this, he had scored points in nine games in a row for the Sound Tigers. This was a great start to his career in North America.

Nielsen with Lukko in 2012

NHL Highlights and Special Skills

During the 2010–11 NHL season, Frans Nielsen became known for scoring goals when his team was short a player. These are called "short-handed goals." He scored seven of them, which was the most in the league! He even scored two goals during a penalty shot when his team had two fewer players.

His captain, Doug Weight, once said Frans was their "best all-around player." This shows how important he was to the team. In 2012, he signed a big four-year contract with the Islanders.

Frans was also incredibly good at shootouts. A shootout happens when a game is tied after overtime. Players take turns trying to score against the goalie. Frans was so good that his special move was called the "Danish Backhand of Judgement." He scored 49 goals out of 106 attempts in shootouts. That's a success rate of over 46%!

On October 25, 2014, he scored his first "hat trick" in the NHL. A hat trick is when one player scores three goals in a single game. He scored all three goals in the third period against the Dallas Stars.

Nielsen with the New York Islanders in 2015

Moving to Detroit and Later Career

After 10 years with the Islanders, Frans Nielsen joined the Detroit Red Wings. He signed a six-year contract with them on July 1, 2016. In the 2016–17 NHL season, he was chosen to play in the 2017 NHL All-Star Game. This is a special game where the best players from around the league play against each other.

In the 2017–18 NHL season, Frans made history again. He scored his 47th shootout goal, becoming the player with the most shootout goals ever! This goal helped the Red Wings win a game against the New York Rangers.

After the 2020–21 NHL season, the Red Wings decided to buy out his contract. This meant he became a free agent. He then decided to return to Europe. In October 2021, he signed a one-year contract with a German team, Eisbären Berlin. He helped them win the DEL championship, which is Germany's top hockey league.

International Play

Frans Nielsen proudly represented his home country, Denmark, many times. He played for Denmark fourteen times at the highest level. In 2002, he helped Denmark get promoted to the IIHF elite division. This is the top group of hockey nations.

He also played for Team Europe in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Team Europe won a silver medal in this big tournament.

Frans was part of the Danish team that qualified for their first-ever Olympic appearance. This was for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. At the opening ceremony, Frans and curler Madeleine Dupont were the flag bearers for Denmark. This is a great honor! He played in all five games at the Olympics, helping Denmark finish in 7th place.

Frans Nielsen retired from professional ice hockey after the 2022 IIHF World Championship. He was later inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2025. He is only the third Danish player to receive this honor.

Awards and Honours