photo: © DIU
One of Danish ice hockey’s great figures, the former DIU chairman and honorary member of the Danish Association, has quietly passed away in Denmark after a long illness. He was 88 years old.
Ejvind Olesen was a fighter. Not least on words. A travel journalist – his last job was at the travel media Standby.dk – but another one of his passions, the sport of ice hockey, was now and then also taken under loving care by the old chairman.
As long as he could muster the strength, Ejvind Olesen was a regular guest at Hørsholm Ice Rink, and here too he liked to have an opinion about the team and its composition. The latest Rungsted championships pleased him and he experienced them as an "independent spectator", free from his neutral position as the first man in the Danish Ice Hockey Union.
Ejvind Olesen started as a traffic trainee at DSB, but journalism won. And from Ritzau's Bureau he came to Berlingske, where he worked for 36 years. Hence a quarter of a century as a highly regarded travel editor.
As a young sports journalist at Frederiksborg Amts Avis and Ritzau, he had an excellent idea in 1970 and founded the Pondus Cup. It was an international Christmas tournament that ran for many years, helped lift ice hockey in Denmark, and drew many spectators to the games in the Copenhagen area.
Ejvind Olesen was on the board of DIU from 1985 to 2001, including 15 years as chairman. He became a significant voice both in the sport of ice hockey and in Danish sports in general and was never afraid to get involved – even if he had to take some hard blows from time to time – both internally and externally. Ejvind Olesen always persisted.
His importance to Danish ice hockey should not be underestimated, both nationally and internationally. It was Ejvind Olesen who, in a structure committee with several large, highly demanding top nations, had the best IIHF World Championship Division enlarged to 16 teams, so that the smaller nations also got a chance to play at the premier IIHF event.
He was also the one who fought hard to get the Danish professional players abroad – back then there weren't that many – home to play in the IIHF Division C and B (as they were named at that time) throughout the 80s and 90s.
When the foreign import players rushed across the Danish borders in the latter part of Olesen's reign, it was he who came up with the classic quote: "Just because there is a free bar, you don't have to get drunk.
He never stopped taking an interest in Danish ice hockey and rejoiced at the great results: "The national team's victories over Sweden and Canada gave me great experiences and filled me with joy and pride. I never thought I would experience it. I can't help but be nervous when I watch those games," he said a few years ago in an interview with Metalligaen.dk.
The firebrand lived his life to the fullest until the very end.
Honoured be the memory of Ejvind Olesen.
Ejvind Olesen was a fighter. Not least on words. A travel journalist – his last job was at the travel media Standby.dk – but another one of his passions, the sport of ice hockey, was now and then also taken under loving care by the old chairman.
As long as he could muster the strength, Ejvind Olesen was a regular guest at Hørsholm Ice Rink, and here too he liked to have an opinion about the team and its composition. The latest Rungsted championships pleased him and he experienced them as an "independent spectator", free from his neutral position as the first man in the Danish Ice Hockey Union.
Ejvind Olesen started as a traffic trainee at DSB, but journalism won. And from Ritzau's Bureau he came to Berlingske, where he worked for 36 years. Hence a quarter of a century as a highly regarded travel editor.
As a young sports journalist at Frederiksborg Amts Avis and Ritzau, he had an excellent idea in 1970 and founded the Pondus Cup. It was an international Christmas tournament that ran for many years, helped lift ice hockey in Denmark, and drew many spectators to the games in the Copenhagen area.
Ejvind Olesen was on the board of DIU from 1985 to 2001, including 15 years as chairman. He became a significant voice both in the sport of ice hockey and in Danish sports in general and was never afraid to get involved – even if he had to take some hard blows from time to time – both internally and externally. Ejvind Olesen always persisted.
His importance to Danish ice hockey should not be underestimated, both nationally and internationally. It was Ejvind Olesen who, in a structure committee with several large, highly demanding top nations, had the best IIHF World Championship Division enlarged to 16 teams, so that the smaller nations also got a chance to play at the premier IIHF event.
He was also the one who fought hard to get the Danish professional players abroad – back then there weren't that many – home to play in the IIHF Division C and B (as they were named at that time) throughout the 80s and 90s.
When the foreign import players rushed across the Danish borders in the latter part of Olesen's reign, it was he who came up with the classic quote: "Just because there is a free bar, you don't have to get drunk.
He never stopped taking an interest in Danish ice hockey and rejoiced at the great results: "The national team's victories over Sweden and Canada gave me great experiences and filled me with joy and pride. I never thought I would experience it. I can't help but be nervous when I watch those games," he said a few years ago in an interview with Metalligaen.dk.
The firebrand lived his life to the fullest until the very end.
Honoured be the memory of Ejvind Olesen.