Mikkel Bødker

Mikkel Bødker
Bødker with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2014
Born	(1989-12-16) 16 December 1989 Brøndby, Denmark
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Frölunda HC Arizona Coyotes Lukko Colorado Avalanche San Jose Sharks Ottawa Senators HC Lugano HV71
National team	Denmark
NHL draft	8th overall, 2008 Phoenix Coyotes
Playing career	2006–2023

Mikkel Bødker (surname alternately spelled Boedker; born 16 December 1989) is a Danish former professional ice hockey right winger. 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 featured on the cover of the video game NHL 10 in Denmark and Norway.

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. He enjoyed even more success in the playoffs, with 35 points in 20 games en route to helping the Rangers win 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.

Bodker pictured during his time with the Colorado Avalanche

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 a 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 5 July 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 29 February 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 postseason.

With the Avalanche unable to come to terms with Bødker, he left as a free agent in the off-season, signing a four-year $16 million contract with Stanley Cup finalists, the San Jose Sharks on 1 July 2016.

On 19 June 2018, he was traded by the Sharks alongside Julius Bergman and a sixth-round pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Mike Hoffman, Cody Donaghey and a fifth-round pick in the 2020 Draft.

Bødker playing for Lukko in 2012.

On 19 May 2020, Bødker agreed to a two-year deal with HC Lugano of the National League (NL), beginning in the 2020–21 season. He then signed a one-year contract with HV71 of the SHL, as announced by the club on 26 June 2022.

Bødker announced his retirement from professional ice hockey on 23 May 2023.

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.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2004–05	Rødovre SIK	DNK.2		1	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Frölunda HC	J18 Allsv		5	2	0	2	0		2	0	1	1	0
2005–06	Frölunda HC	J20		37	9	8	17	22		2	1	2	3	0
2006–07	Frölunda HC	J18 Allsv		3	3	2	5	2		6	5	4	9	2
2006–07	Frölunda HC	J20		39	19	30	49	14		8	6	5	11	6
2006–07	Frölunda HC	SEL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Kitchener Rangers	OHL		62	29	44	73	14		20	9	26	35	2
2008–09	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		78	11	17	28	18		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		14	1	2	3	0		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	San Antonio Rampage	AHL		64	11	27	38	4		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	San Antonio Rampage	AHL		36	12	22	34	8		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		34	4	10	14	8		4	0	1	1	2
2011–12	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		82	11	13	24	12		16	4	4	8	0
2012–13	Lukko	SM-l		29	21	12	33	10		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		48	7	19	26	12		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		82	19	32	51	20		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Arizona Coyotes	NHL		45	14	14	28	6		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Arizona Coyotes	NHL		62	13	26	39	10		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		18	4	8	12	2		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	San Jose Sharks	NHL		81	10	16	26	10		4	1	1	2	2
2017–18	San Jose Sharks	NHL		74	15	22	37	12		10	1	5	6	6
2018–19	Ottawa Senators	NHL		71	7	28	35	6		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Ottawa Senators	NHL		20	2	2	4	0		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	HC Lugano	NL		51	18	17	35	18		4	0	0	0	4
2021–22	HC Lugano	NL		44	4	20	24	8		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	HV71	SHL		41	5	6	11	8		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				709	118	209	327	116		34	6	11	17	10

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2005	Denmark	WJC18	10th		6	1	1	2	6
2006	Denmark	WJC D1	14th		5	1	3	4	2
2006	Denmark	WJC18 D1	13th		5	2	2	4	4
2007	Denmark	WJC D1	11th		5	1	0	1	14
2007	Denmark	WJC18 D1	11th		5	4	7	11	4
2008	Denmark	WJC	10th		6	2	4	6	2
2009	Denmark	WC	13th		6	3	1	4	4
2011	Denmark	WC	11th		6	3	1	4	2
2013	Denmark	WC	12th		7	0	3	3	0
2014	Denmark	WC	13th		7	2	2	4	2
2016	Denmark	OGQ	DNQ		3	1	1	2	4
2016	Team Europe	WCH			2	0	0	0	0
2018	Denmark	WC	10th		4	0	4	4	2
2019	Denmark	WC	11th		7	1	4	5	2
2021	Denmark	WC	12th		3	0	4	4	0
2021	Denmark	OGQ	Q		3	0	0	0	0
2022	Denmark	OG	7th		5	1	1	2	0
Junior totals					26	9	13	22	30
Senior totals					53	11	21	32	16

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database