 | |
| Nickname | Isbjørnene (The Polar Bears) |
|---|---|
| Association | NIHF |
| General manager | Peter Andersson Roger Harli |
| Head coach | Tobias Johansson |
| Assistants | Niklas Andresen Pär Johannson |
| Captain | Emil Lilleberg |
| Most games | Tommy Jakobsen (135) |
| Team colors | |
| IIHF code | NOR |
 | |
| Ranking | |
| Current IIHF | 12 1 (26 May 2025)[1] |
| Highest IIHF | 8 (2012) |
| Lowest IIHF | 21 (2004) |
| First international | |
Czechoslovakia  7–0 Norway(London, England; 17 February 1937) | |
| Biggest win | |
Norway 24–0 Belgium(Sofia, Bulgaria; 5 March 1975) Norway 25–1 China(Debrecen, Hungary; 22 April 2005) | |
| Biggest defeat | |
Finland  20–1 Norway(Hämeenlinna, Finland; 12 March 1947) | |
| Olympics | |
| Appearances | 12 (first in1952) |
| IIHF World Championships | |
| Appearances | 71 (first in1937) |
| Best result | 4th (1951) |
| International record (W–L–T) | |
| 460–786–112 | |
TheNorway men's national ice hockey team is the nationalice hockey team fromNorway that participates at theIIHF World Championships. The team is governed by theNorwegian Ice Hockey Association and is coached byPetter Thoresen.
TheNorwegian Ice Hockey Association (NIHA) was founded in 1934 and, adopting the international rules and regulations of ice hockey, became a member of theInternational Ice Hockey Federation in 1935.[2][3] Poor finances delayed the formation of a national team until 1937, and continued to hamper its development in the years prior toWorld War II. After missing out on the1935 World Championships and1936 Winter Olympics, the NIHF managed to raise enough funds to send a team to London for the1937 World Championships. The national ice hockey team thus played its first game on 17 February 1937, losing 0–7 toCzechoslovakia, and was eliminated from the competition following a 2–13 loss toSwitzerland.[4] Norway also took part in the next tournament in1938, but was unable to participate in1939. Results remained meagre throughout the pre-war years; of the nine international fixtures contested between 1937 and 1940, the closest Norway came to winning was 3–4 in the first game againstSweden, on 20 January 1939.[5]
After the war, ice hockey in Norway accelerated as new teams formed and improvements in infrastructure were made. The opening of theJordal Amfi in Oslo made Norway's facilities state of the art.[6] Results began to improve on the international stage, though not before Norway had endured its worst defeat ever at the hands ofFinland in 1947.[citation needed]
The period from 1949 to 1953 has been viewed as a "golden age" in the history of the national team, beginning with the maiden victory, a 2–0 win overBelgium at the1949 World Championships. In 1951, the NIHF appointed CanadianBud McEachern as head coach. McEachern brought a physical style which suited the players of the generation well,[7] and at the1951 World Championships, Norway defeated theUnited States andGreat Britain to finish fourth overall. Norway's inaugural Olympic tournament, was as host nation of the1952 Winter Olympics. In 1953, Norway was the first Western nation to play theSoviet Union, overshadowed by the death ofJoseph Stalin shortly after the team's arrival in Moscow.[citation needed]
Norway would continue during the 1950s to challenge the strongest national hockey teams. From the 1960s, the sport became more popular in the nation but national team achievements would decline as mild winters did not result in government support to constructartificial ice rinks to replace what had traditionally been relied on in the past due to weather conditions.[8] NIHA presidentTore Johannessen managed Norway at the1962 Ice Hockey World Championships.[9] After the1965 World Championships, Norway was no longer allowed to compete at the highest level, and the NIHF resigned itself to competing at the top ofPool B instead.[8] Qualifying for the Winter Olympics was still within reach, however, and Norway managed to do so in both 1964 and 1968.
Norway would be relegated toPool C after finishing in last place in Pool B of the1972 World Championships. The NIHF was forced to revise its objectives; not to return to Pool A, but merely to survive in Pool B. The goal of qualifying for the Winter Olympics remained throughout this period, but after another stint in Pool C in 1975, the ice hockey tournament at the1976 Winter Olympics went ahead without Norway's participation.[8]
In the 1970s, the unwillingness of the government to support the sport with improved training facilities encouraged a growing reluctance among players to represent Norway internationally.[8] This trend was finally reversed under the leadership ofGeorg Smefjell andOlav Dalsøren from 1978 to 1980. Smefjell and Dalsøren succeeded in reestablishing Norway competing internationally. At the1979 World Championships, Norway finished fourth in Pool B and qualified for the1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. There, the team showed encouraging signs for the future, despite losing heavily against the top tier nations and eventually coming away from the tournament with only a single point.[10]
The appointment ofRonald Pettersson as head coach in 1980 heralded an era of Swedish influence on Norway's international ice hockey. For the next nine years, four Swedish coaches in a row took charge of a team that proved to be highly unstable. For Pettersson, the1981 World Championships were a disappointment. Wins againstYugoslavia andJapan were barely enough to avoid relegation from Pool B. His successor,Arne Strömberg, experienced similar difficulties. At the1982 World Championships, an otherwise strong performance was blighted by losses against newly promotedChina andAustria.[10]
The next Swedish import wasHans Westberg in 1982, whose unorthodox methods lead Norway to the1984 Winter Olympics. Expectations ahead of the Olympic tournament were only partially met, the 3–3 draw against the United States being the most notable result.[10][11] The following season, while initially promising, ended in catastrophe at the1985 World Championships as Norway dropped out of Pool B for the third time.[12]
Norway stabilized itself in the lower half of Pool A in the 1990s, but the team was relegated again in 1997. After a spell with Swedish coachLeif Boork,Roy Johansen was hired in 2001. A new era of slow, but steady, growth began and Norway climbed thirteen places in theIIHF World Ranking during Johansen's reign, from a 21st place in 2004, to an 8th place in 2012. Johansen stepped down as head coach in 2016 and was replaced byPetter Thoresen.
| Games | GP | W | OW | T | OL | L | GF | GA | Coach | Captain | Finish | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 Oslo | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 46 | Bud McEachern | Round-robin | 9th | |
 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo | did not participate | |||||||||||
 1960 Squaw Valley | did not participate | |||||||||||
 1964 Innsbruck | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 19 | Rolf Kirkvaag | Consolation round (group B) | 10th | |
 1968 Grenoble | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 18 | Egil Bjerklund | Consolation round (group B) | 11th | |
 1972 Sapporo | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 27 | Ake Brask | Consolation round | 8th | |
| 1976 Innsbruck | did not participate | |||||||||||
| 1980 Lake Placid | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 36 | Ronald Pettersson,Olav Dalsøren | First round | 11th | |
 1984 Sarajevo | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 43 | Hans Westberg | First round | 12th | |
 1988 Calgary | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 38 | Lenhart Åhlberg,Tore Jobs | 11th place game | 12th | |
| 1992 Albertville | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 40 | Bengt Olsson,Tore Jobs | 9th place match | 9th | |
| 1994 Lillehammer | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 26 | Bengt Olsson,Tore Jobs | 11th place match | 11th | |
| 1998 Nagano | did not qualify | |||||||||||
| 2002 Salt Lake City | did not qualify | |||||||||||
| 2006 Turin | did not qualify | |||||||||||
| 2010 Vancouver | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 3 | 8 | 23 | Roy Johansen | Tommy Jakobsen | Qualification playoffs | 10th |
 2014 Sochi | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 4 | 3 | 16 | Ole-Kristian Tollefsen | Qualification playoffs | 12th | |
 2018 Pyeongchang | 5 | 0 | 1 | – | 1 | 3 | 5 | 18 | Petter Thoresen | Jonas Holøs | Quarter-finals | 8th |
| 2022 Beijing | did not qualify | |||||||||||
| 2026 Milan and Cortina | ||||||||||||
Roster for the2025 IIHF World Championship.[14][15]
Head coach:
Tobias Johansson
| No. | Pos. | Name | Height | Weight | Birthdate | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | D | Isak Hansen | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | 93 kg (205 lb) | (2003-10-02)2 October 2003 (age 22) | Vimmerby HC |
| 4 | D | Johannes Johannesen | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | 85 kg (187 lb) | (1997-03-01)1 March 1997 (age 28) | Lahti Pelicans |
| 5 | D | Jonas Nyhus Myhre | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 94 kg (207 lb) | (2004-03-19)19 March 2004 (age 21) | Sparta Sarpsborg |
| 7 | D | Sander Engebråten | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | 82 kg (181 lb) | (2002-07-07)7 July 2002 (age 23) | BIK Karlskoga |
| 12 | F | Noah Steen –A | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 86 kg (190 lb) | (2004-08-16)16 August 2004 (age 21) | Örebro HK |
| 13 | F | Petter Vesterheim | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | 80 kg (180 lb) | (2004-09-30)30 September 2004 (age 21) | Malmö Redhawks |
| 17 | F | Eirik Østrem Salsten | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 88 kg (194 lb) | (1994-06-17)17 June 1994 (age 31) | Energie Karlovy Vary |
| 18 | F | Thomas Olsen (ice hockey) | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | 92 kg (203 lb) | (1995-06-25)25 June 1995 (age 30) | Jukurit |
| 19 | F | Håvard Østrem Salsten | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 90 kg (200 lb) | (2000-08-19)19 August 2000 (age 25) | Storhamar Hockey |
| 21 | F | Martin Johnsen | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | 80 kg (180 lb) | (2004-03-07)7 March 2004 (age 21) | Mora IK |
| 22 | F | Martin Rønnild | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | 95 kg (209 lb) | (1996-01-24)24 January 1996 (age 29) | Storhamar Hockey |
| 23 | F | Thomas Berg-Paulsen –C | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | 85 kg (187 lb) | (1999-08-06)6 August 1999 (age 26) | Malmö Redhawks |
| 24 | F | Jacob Berglund | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 92 kg (203 lb) | (1991-11-17)17 November 1991 (age 34) | Storhamar Hockey |
| 26 | F | Patrick Elvsveen | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | 84 kg (185 lb) | (2002-09-16)16 September 2002 (age 23) | Stavanger Oilers |
| 27 | F | Andreas Martinsen | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | 105 kg (231 lb) | (1990-06-13)13 June 1990 (age 35) | Storhamar Hockey |
| 28 | F | Michael Brandsegg-Nygård | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | 94 kg (207 lb) | (2005-10-05)5 October 2005 (age 20) | Grand Rapids Griffins |
| 30 | G | Tobias Normann | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | 85 kg (187 lb) | (2001-08-03)3 August 2001 (age 24) | Frölunda HC |
| 31 | G | Jonas Arntzen | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 90 kg (200 lb) | (1997-11-21)21 November 1997 (age 28) | Örebro HK |
| 32 | G | Mathias Schjerpen Arnkværn | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | 87 kg (192 lb) | (2003-11-07)7 November 2003 (age 22) | Vålerenga Ishockey |
| 37 | F | Markus Vikingstad | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | 96 kg (212 lb) | (1999-10-27)27 October 1999 (age 26) |  Eisbären Berlin |
| 39 | F | Simen Andre Edvardsen | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | 89 kg (196 lb) | (1999-01-01)1 January 1999 (age 26) | BIK Karlskoga |
| 43 | D | Max Krogdahl | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 93 kg (205 lb) | (1998-10-21)21 October 1998 (age 27) | Djurgårdens IF |
| 47 | D | Adrian Saxrud-Danielsen | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | 93 kg (205 lb) | (1992-09-27)27 September 1992 (age 33) | Storhamar Hockey |
| 54 | D | Sander Hurrod | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 85 kg (187 lb) | (2000-04-02)2 April 2000 (age 25) | Storhamar Hockey |
| 71 | F | Eskild Bakke Olsen | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | 93 kg (205 lb) | (2002-03-19)19 March 2002 (age 23) | Linköping HC |
| 72 | D | Stian Solberg | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | 92 kg (203 lb) | (2005-12-29)29 December 2005 (age 19) | San Diego Gulls |
| 78 | D | Emil Lilleberg –A | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 94 kg (207 lb) | (2001-02-02)2 February 2001 (age 24) | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| Player | Time | Matches | Club on debut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Jakobsen (D) | 1992–2010 | 139 | Furuset |
| Mats Trygg (D) | 1999–2022 | 122 | Manglerud Star |
| Jim Marthinsen (G) | 1980–1995 | 114 | Vålerenga |
| Thor Martinsen (D) | 1964–1980 | 113 | Frisk Tigers |
| Per-Åge Skrøder (F) | 1999–2017 | 113 | Lillehammer |
| Mads Hansen (F) | 2000–2015 | 110 | Storhamar |
| Erik Kristiansen (F) | 1983–1994 | 97 | Storhamar |
| Ole Eskild Dahlstrøm (F) | 1989–2005 | 96 | Furuset |
| Petter Thoresen (F) | 1980–1995 | 96 | Vålerenga |
| Petter Salsten (D) | 1987–1995 | 92 | Furuset |
| Tore Vikingstad (F) | 1995–2010 | 88 | Stjernen |
| Trond Magnussen (F) | 1992–2004 | 88 | Stjernen |
| Ørjan Løvdal (F) | 1983–1995 | 83 | Stjernen |
| Marius Trygg (F) | 1999–2016 | 82 | Manglerud Star |
| Robert Schistad (G) | 1991–2000 | 82 | Viking |
| Morten Ask (F) | 2000–2019 | 82 | Vålerenga |
Last updated: 8 June 2025
Source: hockey.no
Note: Still active players are bolded
Updated as of 8 November 2025. Defunct teams are listed initalics.
| Opponent | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 55 | 32 | 5 | 18 | 200 | 141 | +59 |
 Belarus | 39 | 12 | 4 | 23 | 91 | 114 | −23 |
| Belgium | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 7 | +51 |
 Bulgaria | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 11 | +20 |
| Canada | 84 | 5 | 4 | 75 | 142 | 487 | −345 |
| China | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 93 | 20 | +73 |
 Croatia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 5 | +31 |
| Czech Republic | 32 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 34 | 123 | −89 |
| Czechoslovakia | 18 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 23 | 141 | −118 |
 Denmark | 100 | 48 | 9 | 43 | 321 | 255 | +64 |
 East Germany | 68 | 12 | 4 | 52 | 200 | 363 | −163 |
 Estonia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 |
| Finland | 97 | 8 | 5 | 84 | 147 | 494 | −347 |
| France | 101 | 60 | 14 | 27 | 341 | 234 | +107 |
| Germany | 50 | 14 | 2 | 34 | 147 | 243 | −96 |
 Great Britain | 21 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 113 | 55 | +58 |
 Hungary | 31 | 18 | 3 | 10 | 110 | 73 | +37 |
| Italy | 46 | 26 | 3 | 17 | 167 | 132 | +35 |
| Japan | 38 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 159 | 131 | +28 |
 Kazakhstan | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 20 | +2 |
 Latvia | 44 | 17 | 0 | 27 | 111 | 141 | −30 |
 Lithuania | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 8 | +7 |
 Netherlands | 42 | 25 | 6 | 11 | 200 | 130 | +70 |
 Poland | 77 | 31 | 7 | 39 | 243 | 316 | −73 |
 Romania | 31 | 15 | 3 | 13 | 134 | 112 | +22 |
| Russia | 18 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 25 | 75 | −50 |
 Serbia and Montenegro | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | +21 |
 Slovakia | 37 | 7 | 2 | 28 | 66 | 143 | −77 |
 Slovenia | 16 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 50 | 44 | +6 |
| South Korea | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 6 | +25 |
 Soviet Union | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 14 | 115 | −101 |
 Spain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | +15 |
| Sweden | 96 | 2 | 11 | 83 | 139 | 527 | −388 |
 Switzerland | 77 | 26 | 5 | 46 | 221 | 292 | −71 |
 Ukraine | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 26 | 27 | −1 |
| United States | 45 | 5 | 3 | 37 | 111 | 252 | −141 |
| Yugoslavia | 28 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 155 | 97 | +58 |
| Total | 1 352 | 460 | 112 | 786 | 4 021 | 5 335 | −1 314 |
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