Sweden Announces Olympic Roster, Eyes First Gold Sence 2006
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Sweden unveiled its roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 on Friday, setting its sights on ending a two-decade gold medal drought in men’s ice hockey. The team, largely built upon the foundation of the recent 4 Nations Face-Off roster, features a blend of seasoned NHL talent and emerging European-based players. The selection marks the return of NHL players to the Swedish Olympic team for the first time since 2014, a progress welcomed by players and fans alike. This is a important shift after previous Games featured teams comprised primarily of european-based athletes.
Forward Line Adjustments
Several key changes were made to the forward corps from the 4 Nations squad.Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche, Pontus Holmberg of the tampa Bay Lightning, and Alexander Wennberg of the San Jose Sharks have been added to the mix. conversely, Viktor Arvidsson (Boston Bruins) and Gustav Nyquist (Winnipeg Jets) will not be making the trip to Milan.
According to the Swedish coach, Sam Hallam, Holmberg and Wennberg bring a unique skillset to the team. “Two strong skaters and useful players, able to play both as centers and as forwards: both tactically very smart players,” Hallam stated. He further elaborated on Holmberg’s development,noting,”I know Pontus very well,he is a little bit of a pot-bellied pig when it comes to his physical game. He did well in Toronto,but he has taken wide strides in Tampa’s checking game,he really shows how strong he is: it’s incredibly arduous to face him.” Hallam also praised Wennberg’s consistent performance, highlighting his strong showing at the World Championship in stockholm last year.
Defensive and Goaltending Updates
On the blue line, Philip Broberg of the St. Louis Blues and Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Toronto Maple Leafs will join the team, replacing Mattias Ekholm of the Edmonton Oilers from the 4 Nations roster. A notable concern surrounds Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, who is currently recovering from elbow surgery.though, Hallam expressed optimism about Hedman’s potential return, stating, “We are following Victor closely and it feels safe to know that he is doing everything he can to get to play in Milan. He is a very critically important part of our team.”
In goal, Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild has earned a spot on the Olympic team, taking the place of Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators. Hallam lauded Wallstedt’s rapid ascent, saying, “Jesper has sailed up very quickly this year, and he just continues to play well.” The coach also emphasized the benefit of having a goaltending tandem with familiarity, referencing Wallstedt’s connection with fellow Minnesota Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson. Hallam also highlighted the continued strength of Swedish goaltending, mentioning Jacob Markstrom as a player capable of winning any game.
Tournament Outlook and Group Play
Team Sweden will face a challenging path to the gold medal. The tournament format will see all 12 teams play three preliminary games, with the top three group winners and the best second-place team receiving a bye into the quarterfinals. The remaining eight teams will compete in single-elimination games to determine the final four quarterfinalists. The gold medal game is scheduled for February 22nd.
Sweden is placed in Group B and will begin its Olympic journey against Team Italy on February 11th, followed by matchups against team Finland on February 13th and Team Slovakia on February 14th.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson, a silver medalist at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, expressed his excitement about representing his contry. “It’s obviously a huge honor.It’s great,” Karlsson said.”Very happy. Excited. And been looking forward to it for a long time now.”
