Red Wings defenseman Nick Jensen is playing for Team USA at the World Championship, and journalist Julie Robenhymer penned an article profiling Jensen for DetroitRedWings.com:
Instead of the sandy beaches of the Caribbean, Jensen packed his bags for Denmark, host of this year’s event.
“I decided it was time to come to the homeland,” he said with a smile. “I have great-great ancestors who are from here. I don’t know if you saw all the Jensens on Team Denmark, but we’re popular over here. There’s even a Nicklas Jensen on their team too and we’re about the same age so people get us confused a lot.”
This is Jensen’s first time wearing the USA Hockey jersey at an international event, but he said it has been well worth the wait.
“Coming over here with some of the best American players available — all of them in the NHL and one really good prospect coming up in the draft (Michigan’s Quinn Hughes) — they’re all really high-skill guys on the ice and great character guys off the ice,” the stay-at-home defenseman said. “It’s everything I expected it to be. It has been so fun playing in front of this crowd, even if they’re not cheering for us. These fans have been great and it’s still just so much fun to be out there.”
After four games so far in the preliminary round, USA sits atop the Group B standings with 10 points after wins against Canada (SO), Denmark, Germany and Latvia (OT).
Jensen, who went goal-less with the Red Wings this season but finished the season with 15 assists, has a goal and an assist for Team USA.
