His coaching track record includes a World Championship gold, two World Championship silver medals, three SHL championships, and two promotions from HockeyAllsvenskan to the SHL. Tommy Samuelsson has also been named Coach of the Year in both the SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan.
As a player, Samuelsson won three Swedish championships, four World Championship medals (three silver and one bronze), and two Olympic bronze medals. Morten Green, Elite Director and General Manager of the national team, is the man behind the appointment:
“Tommy brings immense experience from both club and national team levels, and he possesses a fundamental coaching philosophy that aligns well with the direction in which we want to develop our national team. He is skilled at structuring teams tactically, strong in player management, and deeply passionate about the sport. That is the combination we were looking for, and we found it in Tommy,” says Morten Green.
Tommy Samuelsson is looking forward to the task:
“I’ve had good talks with Morten over the past few months, and we quickly reached an agreement because it’s a challenge that really appeals to me. Coaching a national team at this level is a dream of mine, and it promises to be an interesting challenge—we need to be efficient when we’re together, and we need to be clear about our objectives and the direction we want to take as a team. Together, we need to foster positive development for Danish ice hockey, and I’m really looking forward to that,” says Tommy Samuelsson, adding:
Danish ice hockey is in a good place. There are talented players coming up, and we have a strong national team core featuring players competing at the highest level across Europe. I also believe Denmark could see a boost following the impressive Stanley Cup victory involving Nikolaj Ehlers and Frederik Andersen, which is generating positive attention for the sport in Denmark.”
