Frans Nielsen
Frans Nielsen ( born April 24, 1984 in Herning ) is a Danish professional ice hockey player who stands since 2006 with the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League contract.
- 2.1 International
Career
Frans Nielsen began his career as a hockey player in his hometown in the junior department of the Herning Blue Fox, with whom he at first Danish champion was in his first professional season in the 2000 /01 season. On the title of the attackers had appointed 37 scorer points, including 18 goals, in 38 games relevant share and became the Rookie of the AL-Bank Ligaen year. Then Nielsen signed in the summer of 2001 a contract with the Malmö Redhawks, for which he played the next four years in the Swedish Elitserien. During this time he was selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 2002 in the third round than a total of 87 players from the New York Islanders. First, however, he played on in Sweden for the Redhawks and in the season 2005/ 06 for Timrå IK.
In the season 2006/ 07 Nielsen made his debut in the National Hockey League for the Islanders, but played most of the season for their farm team of the American Hockey League, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. While he also starred in his second year in North America mainly for Bridgeport in the AHL, he is since the 2008/ 09 season exclusively for the New York Islanders in the NHL on the ice and belonged respectively to the Topscorern the team. In the 2010/11 season he was an assistant captain for the Islanders for the first time.
Internationally
For Denmark, Nielsen took at junior level at the U18 Junior B World Championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002 and the U20 Junior C World Championships in 2001 and 2002 and the U20 Junior B World Championships in 2003 and 2004 in part. In the senior level, he stood in the squad of his country at the B World Cup 2002 and the A World Championships in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2012. At the World Championships 2007, 2010 and 2012, he was each assistant captain of his team.
Awards and achievements
- 2001 Danish champion with the Herning Blue Fox
- 2001 AL -Bank Ligaen Rookie of the Year
Internationally
- 2002 Promotion to Division I in the U20 Junior World Championship Division II
- 2002 promotion to the top division at the World Championships Division I
- 2004 Best scorer in the U20 Junior World Championship Division I, Group A
- 2004 best plus / minus balance of the U20 Junior World Championship Division I, Group A ( together with Thomas Moses )
- 2010 Top 3 players of Denmark at the World Cup
Statistics
(End of season 2011 /12)
Family
His brother Simon Nielsen is also a professional hockey player. His father Frits Nielsen was a professional ice hockey player and then worked as a hockey coach.