NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
During Team USA’s comeback men’s hockey win over Denmark at the Winter Olympics, two fans raised Greenland’s flag in the stands to protest President Donald Trump’s intention to acquire Greenland for the United States
The flag was raised enthusiastically after Denmark took an early lead. But the USA came back to win the game 6-3.
Vita Kalniņa and her husband Alexander Kalniņš, fans of the Latvian hockey team who live in Germany, held up a large Greenlandic flag during warm-ups and again when the Danish team scored the opening goal in the preliminary round against the USA, which eventually beat Denmark 6-3.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
USA’s Brady Tkachuk, right, challenges Denmark’s Oliver Bjorkstrand during a preliminary round men’s ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
“We are Europeans and I think that as Europeans we should stick together,” Kalniņš told The Associated Press.
“The Greenlandic people decide what should happen to Greenland, but as it is now, Greenland is part of the Danish kingdom, and since Greenland is part of Denmark, as in this case, we support both countries against the United States.”
A Danish fan at the game, Dennis Petersen, said: “It doesn’t matter what sport it is – it could be tennis, it could be bobsleigh, it could be ice hockey, it could be football – it has nothing to do with politics. … They are athletes, not politicians.”
An American fan at the game, Rem de Rohan, said: “I think it’s time for people to kind of put it down and compete country against country and enjoy,” he said. “We love rooting for every country that’s been here.”
Fans on social media had their own reactions to the flag display and the outcome of the game.
“Now that the USA is up 4-2, can we bet that if the USA wins the game, Denmark will give up Greenland?” one fan wrote in response to the flag.
One fan wrote: “Team USA won, do we get Greenland now?”
AMERICANS GATHERING FOR OLYMPICS URGED TO ‘EXERCISE CAREFULLY’ AFTER ITALIAN RAILWAYS ATTACKED BY DELAYED ‘SABOTAGE’
USA’s Jack Eichel, second right, celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal during a preliminary round men’s ice hockey match against Denmark at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Another fan said similarly: “How did it go? we won, we get Greenland now.”
Some American conservative influencers used the American victory as a springboard to make viral jokes about annexing Greenland.
USA’s comeback win seemed uncertain early in the game.
After trailing 2-1 through the first period, the Americans dominated offensively and took a 6-3 victory over Denmark on Saturday in Milan Cortina Olympic Games.
The Americans scored three unanswered goals to open the second period, with 4 Nations hero Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights) and Noah Hanifin (Vegas Golden Knights) finding the back of the net.
Both sets of brothers on the team — Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and Jack and Quinn Hughes — each had a point in the contest. Fourteen players had points for the Americans with a different scorer each time the lamp was lit.
The Americans had 47 shots on goal against Denmark’s 21.
The U.S. ends preliminary play Sunday with one match against Germany at 3:10 p.m. ET. The Americans will once again be heavy favorites and a win will put them in the knockout stages.
The Americans can also go straight to the knockout stage with an overtime loss. With a regulation loss, their fate would be determined by Canada’s matchup against France and point differentials with Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
But as a heavy favorite against a German team with just eight NHL players, the U.S. may not need to worry.
