Tollefsen, Thoresen included on Norway’s Olympic hockey squad for Vancouver Games

Ole-Kristian Tollefsen

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and former NHL forward Patrick Thoresen have been named to Norway’s Olympic hockey squad for the 2010 Games in Vancouver

Tollefsen and Thoresen were included in coach Roy Johansen’s 23-man team on Dec. 29. The last time the Norwegians played hockey at the Olympics was in 1994 when they hosted the Games in Lillehammer.

The only survivor of that Lillehammer team is 39-year-old defenseman Tommy Jakobsen. He returned to Norway last summer after a 13-year career in Germany and Austria.

The Norwegians won a qualification tournament in Oslo in February.

Tollefsen, 25, is the fifth Norwegian-born player to play in the NHL and the second for the Flyers. Thoresen, 26, played in 21 regular-season games and 14 playoff contests for the Flyers in 2007-08. He now plays in the Russian league for Salavat Yulayev Ufa, and is sixth in scoring in the KHL.

Head coach Roy Johansen represented Norway in three Olympic Winter Games (1984, 1988, 1992).

Twenty-one out of the 23 Olympic squad named played for Norway in the 2009 World Championship.

Missing is veteran defenseman Anders Myrvold, who played in the NHL for Colorado, Boston, the Islanders, and Detroit.

Eleven of the players come from the Swedish Elite league. Six players come from the Norwegian league, and three from Germany.

The German-based players are defensemen Mats Trygg of Koelner Haie and forwards Morten Ask and Tore Vikingstad of Thomas Sabo Tigers and Hannover Scorpions.

Goalkeepers

Pal Grotnes (Stjernen), Andre Lysenstoen (Haki), Ruben Smith (Storhamar).

Defensemen

Alexander Bonsaksen (Modo), Jonas Holos (Farjestad), Tommy Jakobsen (Lorenskog), Juha Kaunismaki (Stavanger Oilers), Lars Erik Lund (Valerenga), Ole Kristian Tollefsen (Philadelphia Flyers), Mats Trygg (Kolner Haie).

Forwards

Morten Ask (Thomas Sabo Tigers), Anders Bastiansen (Farjestad), Kristian Forsberg (Modo), Mads Hansen (Brynas), Marius Holtet (Farjestad), Lars Erik Spets (Valerenga), Mathis Olimb (Frolunda), Martin Roymark (Frolunda), Per-Age Skroder (Modo), Patrick Thoresen (Ufa Salavat), Tore Vikingstad (Hannover Scorpions), Martin Laumann Ylven (Linkoping), Mats Zuccarello Aasen (Modo).

Source: Canadian Press