Frederik Andersen
A Danish goalie whose calm, towering presence in the crease has backstopped multiple NHL teams to deep playoff runs.
Born 1989 (age 37)·Danish ice hockey player·Birthday: October 2·Millennials
Biography
Frederik Andersen's path to the NHL was anything but straightforward. Born in Herning, Denmark, he honed his skills in a country not known for producing hockey giants, playing professionally there and in Sweden before being drafted. His patient, positional style and 6'4" frame caught the eye of the Anaheim Ducks, where he quickly became a starter and won a Masterton Trophy for perseverance. A trade to Toronto placed him under the intense spotlight of a hockey-mad city, where he became a workhorse and a fan favorite, setting franchise records for wins. After battling injuries, his career found a second wind in Carolina, where his steadying influence helped transform the Hurricanes into a perennial contender. Andersen's success has made him a pioneer, inspiring a new generation of Danish netminders to dream of the NHL.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Frederik was born in 1989, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Frederik Was Born
The biggest hits of 1989
#1 Movie
Batman
Best Picture
Driving Miss Daisy
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
Frederik's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1989Born
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1994Started school
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2002Became a teenager
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2005Could drive
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2007Could vote
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2010Turned 21
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2019Turned 30
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 37 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2016 for perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
- Set the Toronto Maple Leafs single-season record for wins by a goaltender with 38 in the 2016-17 season.
- Backstopped the Carolina Hurricanes to the Eastern Conference Final in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.
- Represented Denmark in multiple IIHF World Championships, often as the team's starting goaltender.
Did You Know?
He played both soccer and hockey as a youth and was a talented enough striker that his coaches wanted him to choose between the two sports.
Andersen is one of only a handful of Danish players to be a starting goaltender in the NHL.
He wears jersey number 31 as a tribute to former NHL goalie and fellow Dane, Peter Hirsch.
“My game is about being calm and letting the play come to me.”
