Position Right Wing Playing career Weight 93 kg Shoots Left Name Mikkel Bodker Career start 2006 | NHL team Arizona Coyotes Role Ice hockey player Salary 3.75 million USD (2015) Height 1.83 m | |
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NHL Draft 8th overall, 2008Phoenix Coyotes Current team Arizona Coyotes (#89 / Left wing) Similar People Oliver Ekman‑Larsson, Martin Hanzal, Shane Doan, Max Domi, Mike Smith Profiles | ||
Ben Harpur Scores First NHL Goal Then Mikkel Bodker Adds Another Just 49 Seconds Later
Mikkel Boedker; [ˈbœdkɛɐ̯]; born 16 December 1989) is a Danish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected eighth overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest-ever drafted Danish player. He also features on the cover of the video game NHL 10 in Denmark and Norway.
Contents
- Ben Harpur Scores First NHL Goal Then Mikkel Bodker Adds Another Just 49 Seconds Later
- Playing career
- International play
- References
Playing career
Bødker was brought up in the highly-regarded youth hockey program of Rødovre SIK. In 2005, at the age of 15, he moved to Frölunda HC in Sweden, where he played on Frölunda's junior team. He had an impressive 2006–07 season with 49 points (19 goals and 30 assists) in 39 games. The team won the national junior championships and Bødker also made his debut with the men's team in the Swedish Elite League.
After the season, Bødker was drafted by the Kitchener Rangers in the 2007 CHL Import Draft and he joined the team for the 2007–08 season. He had a successful first season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he played on the Rangers' second line. He scored 29 goals and 44 assists for a total of 73 points in 62 regular season games. In the playoffs, he enjoyed even more success, with 35 points in 20 games en route to helping the Rangers winning the OHL playoff championship. In the Memorial Cup, he had six points in five games as the Rangers finished runner-up, losing in the finals to the Western Hockey League (WHL)'s Spokane Chiefs.
Bødker scored his first NHL goal on 12 October 2008, against Jean-Sébastien Giguère of the Anaheim Ducks. Bødker also played in the NHL YoungStars Game in 2009 at the year's All-Star weekend festivities in Montreal, Quebec.
In the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, Bødker had an impressive showing, scoring two straight overtime-winning goals in Games 3 and 4 of the first round series against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Coyotes would go on to a franchise-record-setting playoff run to the Western Conference Finals, where the team ultimately lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings in five games. Bødker scored four goals and four assists during the Coyotes' playoff run. On 15 October 2014, Bødker, scored his first career NHL hat-trick against the Edmonton Oilers to lead the Coyotes to the 7–4 victory.
Following the 2014–15 NHL season Bødker became a restricted free agent under the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Arizona Coyotes made him a qualifying offer to retain his NHL rights and, on July 5, 2015, Bødker filed for Salary Arbitration.
In the 2015–16 season Bødker became the first player ever to record two hat tricks in one season against the Ottawa Senators. His first came against the Senators in Ottawa on 24 October 2015 in a 4–1 win. His second hat trick against the Senators came on 28 November 2015 in Arizona in a 4–3 win.
On February 29, 2016, Bødker was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Alex Tanguay, Conner Bleackley and prospect Kyle Wood, to assist the Avalanche in their playoff pursuit. Ultimately though, Colorado would not qualify for the post-season.
With the Avalanche unable to come to terms with Bødker, he left as a free agent in the off-season in signing a four-year $16 million contract with Stanley Cup finalists, the San Jose Sharks on July 1, 2016.
International play
Bødker's older brother Mads is a former defenceman with SønderjyskE Ishockey in the Danish league Metal Ligaen and a regular player with the Danish national team. The two brothers teamed up on the Danish junior national team at the 2007 Division I World Junior Championships and helped Denmark gain promotion to the top division for the first time. Playing against opponents up to two years older, Mikkel Bødker scored one goal in five games.
Bødker again played for Denmark at the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He finished second in team scoring behind Lars Eller, notching two goals and four assists in six games.