Nicklas Jensen
Nicklas Jensen | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 6, 1993 Herning, Denmark |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey winger |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Known for | Playing for SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers in Switzerland's National League (NL), NHL debut with Vancouver Canucks |
Nicklas Jensen (born 6 March 1993) is a Danish professional ice hockey winger who currently competes for SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers in Switzerland's National League (NL).
Jensen launched his hockey journey with the Danish squad Herning Blue Fox before relocating to North America in 2010 to join the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Following his selection to the OHL All-Rookie Team, he was ranked 21st among North American skaters for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and was picked 29th overall by the Vancouver Canucks. The majority of the 2012–13 season saw him playing with Swedish side AIK IF in the Elitserien, after which he returned to North America to skate for Vancouver’s AHL affiliates, including the Chicago Wolves. Jensen made his NHL debut with Vancouver in 2013, appearing in 24 games across three seasons, though he primarily played in the AHL. In 2016, he was traded to the New York Rangers.
On the international stage, Jensen has represented Denmark at two Division I IIHF World U18 Championships, securing Best Forward honors in 2010. He also participated in two IIHF World Junior Championships, contributing to Denmark’s group victory at the 2011 Division I tournament, and has competed for Denmark’s senior national team in three World Championships.
Early life
Born in Herning, Denmark, Jensen is the son of Dan Jensen, a former Ontario Hockey League player who relocated to Denmark and played for Herning Blue Fox as well as the Danish national team. Growing up surrounded by hockey, Nicklas also engaged in soccer until age 14. His Canadian roots provided family support during his OHL tenure; while with the Oshawa Generals, several relatives resided nearby in Ontario.
Playing career
Jensen began his playing career with his hometown club, Herning Blue Fox, spending most of the 2008–09 season with their junior team and tallying 43 points (28 goals, 15 assists) over 28 games. That same season, he made his senior debut by scoring three goals in four contests for Herning’s second-tier squad. The following year, after promotion to Herning’s top-level team competing in Denmark’s premier league, AL-Bank Ligaen, he recorded 12 goals and totaled 26 points across 34 games, earning Rookie of the Year honors.
Chosen eighth overall in the 2010 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft by the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Jensen transitioned to North America for the 2010–11 campaign. He netted the game-winning goal during his OHL debut and later matched a seven-game goal streak—the third-longest such run that season. In January 2011, after accumulating seven points over three games, he was named OHL Player of the Week and also participated in the 2011 CHL Top Prospects Game. Jensen concluded his rookie OHL season with 58 points (29 goals and 29 assists) over 61 games, ranking fifth among rookies and earning placement on the OHL Second All-Rookie Team. During the playoffs, he contributed 11 points across ten games as Oshawa advanced to the second round.
Approaching the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Jensen held a ranking of 21st among North American prospects and was drafted 29th overall by the Vancouver Canucks. He characterized himself as a "power forward and goal scorer," while Canucks assistant GM Laurence Gilman highlighted his quick shot release and strong work ethic. Joining fellow Dane Jannik Hansen within Vancouver’s system, Jensen inked a three-year entry-level contract on 22 September 2011. Despite an impressive training camp showing, coach Alain Vigneault determined he required further development and assigned him back to Oshawa for a second OHL season, where he posted comparable numbers with 25 goals and 58 points over 57 games.
Following Oshawa’s early playoff elimination in 2012, Jensen joined Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, making his professional debut that April. Shortly thereafter, he scored his first pro goal and notched a hat trick during the regular season finale. In playoff action, he tallied two goals before sustaining a concussion that prematurely ended his postseason.
For the 2012–13 season, Jensen was loaned to AIK competing in Sweden’s top-tier Elitserien league. He led all rookies with 17 goals and ranked fourth on his team with a total of 23 points across 50 games. After concluding that season, he returned to Chicago for eleven games and added four points. Injuries within Vancouver’s roster paved the way for his NHL debut on April 1, 2013 against San Jose. Once key players recovered from injury, Jensen was reassigned back to Chicago.
He scored his inaugural NHL goal on March 14, 2014 versus Jaroslav Halak of the Washington Capitals.
On January 8, 2016 while playing for AHL affiliate Utica Comets, Jensen was traded along with a sixth-round draft pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Emerson Etem. New York recalled him from their AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack on April 20, 2016.
After limited NHL action amounting to seven scoreless games over parts of two seasons with New York, Jensen’s KHL rights—initially held by Salavat Yulaev Ufa—were transferred to Finnish club Jokerit on April 20, 2017. As a restricted free agent from New York, Jensen agreed to an optional two-year contract with Jokerit on July 12, 2017.
Jensen spent five seasons with Jokerit before their exit from the KHL during the 2021-22 KHL season prompted by geopolitical developments. Subsequently a free agent, he signed a two-year deal with Swiss National League outfit SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers on May 6, 2022.
International competition
Despite holding citizenship in both Denmark and Canada, Jensen opted to play for the Danish national team. His international debut came at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championship Division I in Italy, where as the team's youngest member, he contributed one assist across five games, aiding Denmark in securing second place within their group.
Approximately seven months later, Jensen participated with Denmark's under-20 squad at the 2010 World Junior Championships Division I hosted in France. Once again the youngest player on the roster, he matched third place in team scoring by accumulating five points over five matches, helping Denmark achieve a second-place finish in Pool A, just missing out on promotion.
In 2010, Jensen returned to compete with the under-18 team during the IIHF World U18 Championships held in his hometown of Herning, Denmark. He opened the tournament by netting five goals against France and recorded a hat trick along with an assist against Korea. Leading all players with 15 points and 13 goals over five games, Jensen earned recognition as Denmark's best player and was named the tournament's top forward in their division. Denmark concluded the event as runners-up following a narrow defeat to Norway.
Later that year, in December 2010, Jensen again represented Denmark at the under-20 level during the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championships Division I in Slovenia. He led his team with five points and fired 28 shots on goal across five contests, playing a key role in Denmark’s promotion to the top tier for 2012 by finishing first in their pool.
Jensen made his debut in the top division at the 2012 World Junior Championships as Denmark’s sole North American-based player and served as an alternate captain. Although Denmark finished last and was relegated, he led his squad with six points over six games and was honored as player of the game against Canada.
Following his professional debut during the 2011–12 season, Jensen was anticipated to join Denmark’s roster for the 2012 IIHF World Championship but was unable to participate due to a concussion sustained during AHL playoff action. He eventually made his World Championship debut in 2013 after Vancouver’s elimination from the playoffs, scoring two goals in three games as Denmark placed 12th overall.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2008–09 | Herning Blue Fox | DEN U20 | 28 | 28 | 15 | 43 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | Herning Blue Fox II | DEN.2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Herning Blue Fox | DEN | 34 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 28 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 2010–11 | Oshawa Generals | OHL | 61 | 29 | 29 | 58 | 42 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | Oshawa Generals | OHL | 57 | 25 | 33 | 58 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | Chicago Wolves | AHL | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | AIK | SEL | 50 | 17 | 6 | 23 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Chicago Wolves | AHL | 20 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Utica Comets | AHL | 54 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 17 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Utica Comets | AHL | 59 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 39 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 10 | ||
| 2014–15 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Utica Comets | AHL | 27 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 41 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 70 | 32 | 23 | 55 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | New York Rangers | NHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Jokerit | KHL | 54 | 19 | 18 | 37 | 36 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19 | Jokerit | KHL | 48 | 21 | 18 | 39 | 32 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2019–20 | Jokerit | KHL | 27 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | Jokerit | KHL | 54 | 18 | 13 | 31 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | ||
| 2021–22 | Jokerit | KHL | 37 | 19 | 15 | 34 | 39 | — | ||||||
| 2022–23;;;SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers;;;NL | 12;;;6;;;5;;;11;;;29; | —;;;;;;;; | ||||||||||||
| NHL totals | 31 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| KHL totals | 220 | 92 | 74 | 166 | 164 | 27 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 20 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Denmark | U18 D1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 2010 | Denmark | WJC D1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Denmark | U18 D1 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 15 | 14 | |
| 2011 | Denmark | WJC D1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | |
| 2012 | Denmark | WJC | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | |
| 2013 | Denmark | OGQ | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2013 | Denmark | WC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Denmark | WC | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2016 | Denmark | WC | 8 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | |
| 2016 | Denmark | OGQ | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2018 | Denmark | WC | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2019 | Denmark | WC | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 | |
| 2021 | Denmark | WC | 7 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Denmark | OGQ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 2022 | Denmark | OG | 0 |1 |1 |2 | |||||
| 2023 | Denmark | WC | 2 |4 |6 |0 | |||||
| 2025 | Denmark | WC | 0 |7 |7 |4 | |||||
| Junior totals | 20 | 18 | 8 | 26 | 32 | |||
| Senior totals | 68 | 20 | 23 | 43 | 48 | |||
Awards
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Rookie of the Year – AL-Bank Ligaen | 2009–10 season |
| Best Forward – IIHF U18 Division I (Pool A) | 2010 |