Men's Final Olympic Ice Hockey Qualification: Mats Zuccarello's two points help Norway to 4–2 comeback win against Japan
The Minnesota Wild NHL veteran tallied two assists as Norway came from a surprise 1-0 deficit to beat Japan 4–2 in Aalborg, Denmark, in the final men's Olympic qualifier for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Ice Hockey
Norway had NHL veteran Mats Zuccarello and hot prospect Michael Brandsegg-Nygård to thank for saving their blushes in the opening game of the 2024 Men's Final Olympic Ice Hockey Qualification Group F tournament in Aalborg, Denmark, on Thursday (29 August) as they came from behind to beat Japan 4–2.
The Norwegians, ranked world number 12, were unable to get their normal game going in the first period as their 24th-ranked opponents began strongly and even took the lead, Nakajima Teruto scoring with just under four minutes left in the first.
That meant a somewhat embarrassing deficit at the first intermission, before Ken Andre Olimb levelled the game 14:15 into the second.
The equaliser was the start of a flurry of goals as Japan's resolute discipline gave way.
Zuccarello, the Minnesota Wild star, and Eirik Salsten first teamed up to put the puck on Patrick Thoresen's stick for the go-ahead goal at even strength shortly after Japan regrouped from a penalty kill with under 90 seconds to play in the second period.
And there was still time for another goal as Yamada Kotaro was sent to the box for holding, allowing Zuccarello and Stian Solberg to assist Brandsegg-Nygård – an 18-year-old drafted 15th overall in the NHL Entry Draft this year by the Detroit Red Wings – on the powerplay.
The prospect added his second goal of the game 2:54 into the final period, unassisted, as Norway finally put distance between them and Japan. A late Japanese powerplay consolation from Hirano Yushiroh was not enough as Norway ended up comfortable winners.
Hosts Denmark and Great Britain are the other two teams in the group, from which the winners will qualify for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Two other qualification tournaments are taking place, in Slovakia and Latvia, featuring four more teams in each group.