Mikkel Bødker

Mikkel Bødker (English: Mikkel Boedker; born December 16, 1989) is a Danish ice hockey right winger. He is currently playing for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League. He was selected 8th overall by the Coyotes in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest-ever drafted Danish player. He also features on the cover of the video game NHL 10 in Denmark and Norway.

Playing career
Bødker was brought up in the highly regarded youth hockey program of Rødovre SIK. In 2005, at the age of 15, he moved to Frölunda HC in Sweden, where he played on Frölunda's junior team. He had an impressive 2006–07 season with 49 points (19 goals and 30 assists) in 39 games. The team won the national junior championships and Bødker also made his debut with the men's team in the Swedish Elite League.

After the season, Bødker was drafted by the Kitchener Rangers in the 2007 CHL Import Draft and he joined the team for the 2007–08 OHL season. He had a successful first season in the OHL where he played on the Rangers' second line. He scored 29 goals and 44 assists for a total of 73 points in 62 regular season games. In the playoffs, he enjoyed even more success with 35 points in 20 games en route to helping the Rangers winning the OHL playoff championship. In the Memorial Cup he had 6 points in 5 games as the Rangers finished runner-up, losing in the finals to the Spokane Chiefs.

He scored his first NHL goal on October 12, 2008 against Jean-Sébastien Giguère of the Anaheim Ducks. Bødker also played in NHL YoungStars Game 2009 in Montréal, Canada.

International play
Bødker's older brother Mads is a defenceman with Rögle BK in the Swedish second tier league HockeyAllsvenskan and a regular player with the Danish national ice hockey team. The two brothers teamed up on the Danish Under-20 national team at the 2007 Division I World Junior Championships and helped the Danish team gain promotion to the top division for the first time. Playing against opponents up to two years older, Mikkel Bødker scored one goal in five games.

Bødker again played for Denmark at the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He finished second in team scoring behind Lars Eller, notching two goals and four assists in six games.