The 2018 World Junior Championship Tournament began yesterday in Buffalo, NY. This year’s tournament features two Capitals prospects (Sweden’s Axel Jonsson-Fjällby and Switzerland’s Tobias Geisser), but the WJC has another Capitals connection.

Olaf Eller, the father of Capitals forward Lars Eller, is serving as the head coach for Team Denmark.

Eller has coached Denmark’s under-20 national team since the 2014-15 season. Denmark has qualified for the World Junior Championship Tournament every year since Eller was named head coach, but has not medaled (2015 8th place, 2016 WJC 8th place, 2017 WJC 5th place).

Denmark is not an early favorite in the tournament, being overshadowed by the likes of the USA, Canada, Sweden, and Russia. Eller and the Denmark crew opened with a 9-0 loss to USA on Tuesday.

HIGHLIGHTS: Defending champion @USAHockey got five first-period goals and never looked back in a 9-0 demolition of @DKIshockey to start the 2018 #WorldJuniors. #WJCinBUF https://t.co/CDw5qv4y4M pic.twitter.com/NjOHob907c

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 27, 2017

Eller has a long coaching history, even serving as the head coach for the Herlev Hornets – an organization in the top Danish league AL-Bank Ligaen. During the in 2006-07 season, Robert Burakovsky, Andre’s father, played 26 games with Olaf as coach.

Headline Image: Matt Zambonin