2026 PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship preview

Last year the daughter of Jann Hoffmann, Mette Hofmann, handed the Jann Hoffmann Trophy to Teemu Harju. Photo: PDC Nordic & Baltic/Mads Magnussen

The 2026 PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship starts Friday evening, when 24 players will be competing for the Jann Hoffmann Trophy.

The PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship begins on Friday, as the top 24 players from the 2026 PDCNB Pro Tour rankings compete for the Jann Hoffmann Trophy in Odense.

The reigning champion Teemu Harju will be aiming to go back-to-back on Danish soil, after winning the inaugural tournament in Copenhagen last year, while current PDC tour card holders Cor Dekker, Oskar Lukasiak, Darius Labanauskas and Viktor Tingström are also set to be in action.

The tournament’s second edition takes place at the Odense Congress Center from November 6-8, with the top players from the Nordic & Baltic region battling it out for the €6500 top prize, along with qualification for both the 2026 Grand Slam of Darts and 2026/27 PDC World Darts Championship for the winner.

A change to the format this year will see the 24 players split into eight groups of three, with a group stage being held across three sessions on Friday and Saturday, before the eight group winners advance to the knockout stage on Sunday.

The tournament’s opening night will be headlined by the defending champion Harju, who faces Denmark’s Andreas Nielsen, one of 11 debutants in the field.

The Finn defeated Edwin Torbjörnsson 8-2 in last year’s final to become the first winner of the PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship, capping off a breakthrough 2025 campaign that saw him also win two Nordic and Baltic Pro Tour titles and make his debut at Alexandra Palace.

Last year’s PDCNB Pro Tour rankings runner-up went without a title in 2026, finishing ninth on this season’s rankings, but insists he is confident of retaining the Jann Hoffmann Trophy and securing a return to the sport’s biggest tournament in December.

“It doesn’t really matter that I haven’t won any titles this year,” Harju said. “The start of the season was quite challenging, but the last couple of tournaments have gone better, so I’m feeling pretty confident right now.”

“I guess there can’t be any other goal than winning the trophy, but I’m not putting any extra pressure on myself because of it.”

“I wouldn’t say I feel pressure to defend my title, but of course I want to win the tournament again this year.”

Friday’s evening session will also feature Denmark’s Benjamin Drue Reus, who will start his bid for the title against Finland’s Jani Laurila in the final game of the opening night.

The former PDC tour card holder marked his return to the Nordic and Baltic Pro Tour after a year-long absence by winning Pro Tour 9 in August, a run that propelled him into the top 24 in the rankings and secured a debut in the PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship.

“At the start of the year I was not mentally ready to travel around for the tournaments,” Reus said. “It took too much out of me, so I waited until I felt completely ready again.”

“It was absolutely wild to win the title at my comeback, especially because I did not count on it. My main target was to start competing again, so I was better prepared for the new season.”

The tournament’ has moved locations this year from Copenhagen to Odense, the home of the famous Hans Christian Andersen, and it is also the hometown of Reus, who will be one of sixth Danish players in the 24-player field.

“In general I do like that the tournaments are being held in other cities than Copenhagen, so that other people have the opportunity to attend in the crowd,” Reus said.

“But of course it is perfect, that this will take place in my hometown. I really look forward to playing, as it will be my first time in the tournament.”

A bumper double session on Saturday will see the eight top ranked players on the PDCNB Pro Tour rankings enter the action, including this year’s table topper Daniel Larsson, who along with runner-up Dekker, have already qualified for the PDC World Darts Championship by finishing in the top two in the rankings.

Larsson opens Saturday’s play when he takes on either Anton Östlund or Alexander Thorvaldsson, the latter of whom will be making history as the first player from Iceland to compete in the PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship.

Former PDC tour card holder Larsson bagged the ninth Nordic and Baltic Pro Tour title of his career with a victory in Pro Tour 8 back in May, and also reached a further two finals and five semi-finals across the 12 event season.

“The form is good and the confidence is high, so I have a good feeling going into the championship,” Larsson said.

“As for the rankings and what’s to come afterwards, it is the same for the championship. I don’t think about the bonuses that could come after a win.”

“I am just focusing on winning it, and it would be a big honour to have my name on a trophy with Jann’s name on it. I really loved him and had great respect for him.”

Jani Haavisto will be the last of the 24 players to take to the stage in Odense, with his group opener against either Jonas Sørensen or Rickard Johansson closing out Saturday afternoon’s action.

It has been a welcome return to the PDCNB circuit for Haavisto in 2026, with the Finn picking up the Pro Tour 2 title on his first weekend back after an eight-year absence from the sport.

Haavisto finished the campaign in third place on the rankings, just one spot outside of automatic qualification for the PDC World Darts Championship, but he can still book a first appearance at Alexandra Palace in 12 years if he wins the title in Odense or one of the already-qualified Larsson or Dekker takes home the trophy as the extra spot would then be awarded to the PDCNB Pro Tour rankings.

“It’s been awesome to be back,” Haavisto said. “Naturally, I was nervous at first because the level of play is really high.”

“It’s been great getting to know all the players and meeting up with old friends from years back.”

“Of course winning the tournament is the main goal right now. All 24 players are there to win the tournament and they are all good players, so the games will be tough.”

The 2026 PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship will be broadcast live on the PDC Nordic & Baltic YouTube channel.

Article written by Alex Moss.

2026 PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship
Odense Congress Center
November 6th-8th

Group A
(1) Daniel Larsson
Anton Östlund
Alexander Thorvaldsson

Group B
(2) Cor Dekker
Andreas Toft Jørgensen
Jonas Masalin

Group C
(3) Jani Haavisto
Jonas Sørensen
Rickard Johansson

Group D
(4) Jonas Graversen
Benjamin Drue Reus
Jani Laurila

Group E
(5) Oskar Lukasiak
Andreas Harrysson
Andreas Hyllgaardhus

Group F
(6) Darius Labanauskas
Mio Varila
Dmitriy Zhukov

Group G
(7) Viktor Tingström
Johan Engström
Valters Melderis

Group H
(8) Petri Rasmus
Teemu Harju
Andreas Nielsen

—

2026 PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship
Odense Congress Center
Friday November 6 (1900 local time)
8x Group Stage Matches – best of 11 legs
Teemu Harju v Andreas Nielsen (Group H)
Mio Varila v Dmitriy Zhukov (Group F)
Jonas Sørensen v Rickard Johansson (Group C)
Johan Engström v Valters Melderis (Group G)
Andreas Toft Jørgensen v Jonas Masalin (Group B)
Andreas Harrysson v Andreas Hyllgaardhus (Group E)
Anton Östlund v Alexander Thorvaldsson (Group A)
Benjamin Drue Reus v Jani Laurila (Group D)

Saturday November 7
Afternoon Session (1200 local time)
8x Group Stage Matches – best of 11 legs
(Loser of first match against seeded player*)
Daniel Larsson v Östlund/Thorvaldsson (Group A)
Petri Rasmus v Harju/Nielsen (Group H)
Viktor Tingström v Engström/Melderis (Group G)
Cor Dekker v Jørgensen/Masalin (Group B)
Oskar Lukasiak v Harrysson/Hyllgaardhus (Group E)
Jonas Graversen v Drue Reus/Laurila (Group D)
Darius Labanauskas v Varila/Zhukovs (Group F)
Jani Haavisto v Sørensen/Johansson (Group C)

Evening Session (1900 local time)
8x Group Stage Matches – best of 11 legs
(Winner of first match against seeded player*)
Petri Rasmus v Harju/Nielsen (Group H)
Daniel Larsson v Östlund/Thorvaldsson (Group A)
Viktor Tingström v Engström/Melderis (Group G)
Cor Dekker v Jørgensen/Masalin (Group B)
Jani Haavisto v Sørensen/Johansson (Group C)
Darius Labanauskas v Varila/Zhukovs (Group F)
Oskar Lukasiak v Harrysson/Hyllgaardhus (Group E)
Jonas Graversen v Drue Reus/Laurila (Group D)

Sunday November 8 (1200 local time)
Quarter-finals, Semi-finals & Final

Quarter-finals – best of 13 legs
Winner Group A v Winner Group H
Winner Group D v Winner Group E
Winner Group C v Winner Group F
Winner Group B v Winner Group G

Semi-finals – best of 15 legs
Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
Winner QF 3 v Winner QF4

Final – best of 15 legs
Winner SF1 v Winner SF2

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