He is the third Dane to be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame, following Jesper Damgaard and Jorgen Hviid.
Nielsen became the second Danish player to play in the NHL when the talented center was drafted by the Islanders 87th overall in the third round of the 2002 NHL Draft.
He went on to play 10 seasons for the Islanders before spending five seasons with the Detroit Red Wings (2016-21).
Nielsen led the NHL with seven shorthanded goals in 2010-11 and recorded 20 over the span of his career. Nielsen finished his career with 473 points through 925 games played.
Born in Herning, co-host of the 2025 Men’s World Championship, Nielsen played his teen hockey at the local level before moving to Sweden and turning pro with Malmo in the early 2000s.
Nielsen represented Denmark at nine IIHF World Championships and helped Denmark’s national hockey team qualify for its first Olympic Games in 2022.