Senators' Eskild Bakke Olsen aiming to seize NHL opportunity 'not many Norwegians get'

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeOttawa SenatorsSportsHockeyNHL Senators' Eskild Bakke Olsen aiming to seize NHL opportunity 'not many Norwegians get' Undrafted, the 24-year-old centre was signed by Ottawa as a free agent in June. Author of the article: By Callum Fraser Published Sep 12, 2026 Last updated 54 minutes ago 4 minute read Join the conversation At 24, Eskild Bakke Olsen, middle, will be the oldest player in the Senators' lineup during the weekend rookie tournament in Gatineau. PHOTO BY TONY CALDWELL /Postmedia Article content Eskild Bakke Olsen stood up on the Norway bench in anticipation of something legendary as he watched teammates Noah Steen and Sander Hurrod dash towards the Canadian goal on a 2-on-1 rush in overtime. Article content With their nation’s first medal in any top-division tournament on the line, Bakke Olsen and his countrymen had somehow given up a 2-0 lead in the final 76 seconds of the bronze medal game of the 2026 World Hockey Championship in Switzerland. Article content Article content Article content So, when Steen looked off Hurrod and wired a wrister under the glove of Canadian goalie Jet Greaves, for Bakke Olsen, it all “went black.” Article content Sports Get the latest sport headlines and breaking news. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content “It was one of my greatest hockey memories,” the centre recalled on Friday at Ottawa Senators rookie camp. “And also, for Norway, we’ve never been at that level and competing there, so it’s something you will never forget, and seeing the whole country coming together as they never had before. Article content “The year before, we were one goal from getting relegated, and this year we got bronze, so Norwegian hockey is going upwards, and that’s cool to see.” Article content The IIHF website called it “one of the biggest upsets in international hockey history.” Article content For Bakke Olsen, the once unfathomable accomplishment would also serve as a stepping stone to potentially realizing another childhood dream. Article content Thrice passed over at the NHL draft in his teens, Bakke Olsen slowly but surely worked his way up through Norway’s junior and professional leagues until his first big break came three years ago when BIK Karlskoga of Sweden’s…