Denmark is on the verge of achieving its highest ever finish at the Ice Hockey World Championships, thanks to Switzerland. A Swiss victory over Austria in the quarter-finals would guarantee Denmark a minimum of seventh place in the tournament.

This favorable outcome is irrespective of Denmark’s result against Canada later on Thursday. The ranking of teams eliminated in the quarter-finals is determined by their group stage performance, where Denmark accumulated more points than Austria.

Oliver Lauridsen, a veteran of the Danish national team, emphasized the significance of this potential milestone. Denmark’s previous best finish was eighth place, achieved twice.

A higher final ranking also translates to more points for the world ranking, influencing seedings for future World Cup tournaments and Olympic qualifications. Denmark currently holds the 11th position and has the opportunity to close the gap with Latvia and Slovakia, both of whom have been eliminated from the World Cup.