Mikkel Aagaard may not have grown up in a hockey hot bed, but that didn’t stop him from becoming a rink rat at a very young age.

Born in Frederikshaven, Denmark where soccer is the national sport, and inspired by his older brother Mads, Mikkel was three when he began playing hockey and often times found himself taking in his older brother’s early morning practices, yearning for his chance to play.  He got better at the game the more he progressed and soon aspired for a career as a professional hockey player.

In order to reach his dream, however, Aagaard knew he would likely have to leave home, something he always had in the back of his mind.  When Aagaard was selected by the Niagara IceDogs with the 16^th overall pick in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, the choice of whether to go or not was obvious.

“I always knew that I wanted to explore the world playing hockey,” said Aagaard.  “I knew that I wanted to go to a different country to play. When I had the opportunity to go to Niagara to play in the OHL I couldn’t say no.”

Once he arrived in North America, Aagaard had to lean on his coaching staff and billet family to help with the transition of living in Canada.

“The entire coaching staff and my billet family I lived with really helped me. Hockey wise the coaches were great, we had a lot of good chats. Even today I am still really close to Marty Williamson. The culture aspect of it, my billets really helped me. It’s not that big of a difference from Denmark to Canada but there is a bit of cultural difference.”

Fortunately, Aagaard was able to rely on technology to keep close ties to home, noting the use of Facetime and Skype to stay in contact with family across the pond.

He spent the 2014-15 season and part of 2015-16 with the IceDogs before being traded to the Sudbury Wolves in November, 2015.  In his rookie season Aagaard recorded 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points in 59 games. In his second season split between the IceDogs and the Wolves, his stats improved, scoring 24 goals and adding 29 assists for a total of 53 points in 64 games.

Aagaard recalls scoring his first career OHL goal at home in front of a sold out IceDogs crowd at the brand new Meridian Centre as one of his fondest hockey memories.  “That goal was the very first goal scored in the building which is really special for me.” 

Aagaard also reflects fondly on his time in Sudbury.  “I had a lot of success on the ice with the Wolves and some great personal memories from my time there.  I truly enjoyed my experience in the OHL.”

Aagard was also fortunate to represent his country on an International level, including at the World Under 18 Championships which helped earn his opportunity with the IceDogs.

“International experience has been amazing to me. You get to play against the best players in the world. Obviously it is a huge honour to represent your country.  I really enjoyed putting on the red and white jersey. Those tournaments are an open window to show the world what you can do and earn yourself a job.”

Aagaard’s success playing in the OHL caught the eyes of NHL scouts including those from the Calgary Flames where he earned an invitation to attend the Flames’ summer rookie camp.  Based on his performance there, he was invited to Flames’ main training camp where he was inserted into the lineup for his ever taste of NHL action, a pre season game against the Edmonton Oilers.

Following the game, Aagaard signed his first professional contract with the Stockton Heat, the Flames’ American Hockey League affiliate where he began the 2016-17 season before being reassigned to the Flames’ ECHL affiliate in Adirondack.

“Everything looked good in Stockton at the start of the season, but I wasn’t playing much which was frustrating.  Then more and more guys got sent down from Calgary’s camp and it was a natural process for me to be sent to Adirondack.”

Rather than sulking and being disappointed, Aagaard went out and proved to Flames management that he belonged in the AHL.  After recording 39 points in 38 games with the Thunder, Aagaard was recalled to finish the season with the Stockton Heat.

He wasn’t bothered by the transition from the ECHL to the AHL though, noting the similarities in systems as a main reason for making a smooth transition.

“I wouldn’t say it was a hard transition because every AHL team has an ECHL affiliate and they work the same systems so when you’re in the ECHL you get prepared to go to the AHL. Obviously there is a difference, but the transition was smooth.”

Ahead of the 2017-18 season, Aagaard was invited to the Springfield Thunderbirds training camp where he was able to impress management and earn an AHL contract with the Thunderbirds.  As Aagaard explains, the decision to leave the Flames organization to join the Florida Panthers AHL affiliate was due to opportunity and personal fit.

“For me, Springfield was the right fit. Florida was willing to give me an opportunity and I thought I should go to a team where it would be easier to get into the lineup.”

As Aagaard continues his journey through the professional ranks, working towards his dream of one day becoming an NHL player, he credits his move to Canada as one of the major reasons for his personal success so far.

“Coming to Canada and understanding how the North American game is different compared to the European game really helped me with my development. Also the amount of games you play. My last season in Denmark we played 45 games compared to 68 in the OHL.”

Moving forward Aagaard isn’t interested in setting quantitative targets in terms of goals and assists, but rather is focused on the process and improving the little details of his game in hopes of one day earning an NHL contract and becoming an every day NHL player.

“For me, it’s about the process.  Getting in every day and getting better at the small details of the game and staying consistent because that’s what the game is all about. Earning trust from your coach and getting more playing time. Today’s game is about the little details which can lead to better numbers.  If the Panthers call, I’ll be ready.”