HOCKEY PLAYERS from Norway

Top 7

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Norwegian Hockey Players of all time. This list of famous Norwegian Hockey Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Espen Knutsen (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 33.00, Espen Knutsen is the most famous Norwegian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages on wikipedia.

Espen Knutsen (born January 12, 1972) is a Norwegian former professional ice hockey player and currently the general manager of Vålerenga in the Norwegian GET-ligaen. He played five seasons in the North American-based National Hockey League (NHL), and is to date the only Norwegian to have played in the NHL All-Star Game. In his native Norway, Knutsen is also known by the nickname "Shampoo" because his father is a hairdresser, and also a former hockey player whose nickname was "The Soap" (Såpa in Norwegian). In 2021, he resigned from Vålerenga's board of directors.

2. Mathis Olimb (b. 1986)

With an HPI of 31.95, Mathis Olimb is the 2nd most famous Norwegian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Mathis Olimb (born February 1, 1986) is a Norwegian professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for Vålerenga of the Fjordkraftligaen (Norway). He is the older brother of fellow Norwegian Ken André Olimb.

3. Jonas Holøs (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 29.05, Jonas Holøs is the 3rd most famous Norwegian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Jonas Holøs (born August 27, 1987) is a Norwegian former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) and participated in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics as a member of Team Norway.

4. Patrick Thoresen (b. 1983)

With an HPI of 28.86, Patrick Thoresen is the 4th most famous Norwegian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Patrick Thoresen (born 7 November 1983) is a Norwegian professional ice hockey left winger who is currently playing for Djurgårdens IF in the HockeyAllsvenskan. He resides in Hamar, Norway, where he grew up, during the off season. He has a younger brother, Steffen who's also an ice hockey player. His father Petter was one of Norway's players who played at five Olympic Winter Games (1980–1994). Thoresen would follow in his father's footsteps and play in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014.

5. Mats Zuccarello (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 26.49, Mats Zuccarello is the 5th most famous Norwegian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Mats André Zuccarello Aasen (born 1 September 1987) is a Norwegian professional ice hockey winger for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played for the New York Rangers and Dallas Stars. Prior to joining the NHL, Zuccarello previously played for Modo Hockey in the Swedish Elite League. In 2010, he won the Guldhjälmen (Golden Helmet), awarded annually to the most valuable player in the Swedish Hockey League. He is one of nine Norwegian players to have played in the NHL, and is regarded as the best to have played in the league.

6. Lars Haugen (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 25.03, Lars Haugen is the 6th most famous Norwegian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Lars Haugen (born 19 March 1987) is a former Norwegian professional ice hockey goaltender who most recently played with Manglerud Star in the Eliteserien.

7. Ken André Olimb (b. 1989)

With an HPI of 23.67, Ken André Olimb is the 7th most famous Norwegian Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Ken André Olimb (born January 21, 1989) is a Norwegian professional ice hockey player, currently under contract with Schwenninger Wild Wings of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He is the younger brother of fellow Norwegian international Mathis Olimb.