MILAN — A seemingly innocuous question about a “punchable face” during a press conference Monday offered a glimpse into the relaxed atmosphere surrounding the Swedish men’s hockey team as they prepare for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson, fielding questions from Swedish media, responded with a laugh when the phrase – initially misunderstood by an American reporter – was clarified as applying to teammate Joel Eriksson Ek.
Gustavsson, alongside fellow Wild players Jesper Wallstedt, Eriksson Ek, and Marcus Johansson, is poised to represent Sweden in the tournament. The team’s coach, Sam Hallam, is expected to announce his starting goaltender – Gustavsson, Jacob Markstrom, or Wallstedt – on Wednesday, ahead of Sweden’s opening match against Italy. Gustavsson expressed his willingness to accept any role assigned to him. “Any role they need,” he said.
Hallam acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, stating on Tuesday, “It’s a big decision. Do you go on form? Do you go on how many games and what you have under your belt? It’s different. But I feel confident in all three. They look good, and hopefully we make the right decision there.”
The Swedish contingent at the Olympics includes several players with ties to the Minnesota Wild. Johansson replaced the injured Leo Carlsson, while Jonas Brodin, too of the Wild, was forced to withdraw due to injury. Wallstedt, a 23-year-classic rookie, received a call-up from Hallam after a strong start to his season with the Wild, particularly during a successful November. He recalled watching the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and possibly the 2010 Vancouver Games, as a child, pausing school lessons to follow the Swedish team.
Eriksson Ek highlighted the excitement of competing alongside his Wild teammates, as well as American players Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy, and Brock Faber, and Germany’s Nico Sturm. Several other Wild minor-leaguers, David Spacek (Czech Republic) and Samuel Hlavaj (Slovakia), will also participate in the Games.
Germany’s Sturm, who participated in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament last February, described the level of competition as “insane hockey. Best hockey we’ve seen in a long time,” and anticipates a similar intensity at the Milano Games. Germany will open its tournament against Denmark on Thursday, with Sturm eager to play alongside Leon Draisaitl.
For American defenseman Brock Faber, these are his second Olympic Games, though his previous appearance in Beijing was impacted by the pandemic. He will be paired with Jaccob Slavin when the U.S. Opens against Latvia on Thursday. Faber is rooming with college teammate LaCombe, while Boldy shares a room with Jake Sanderson, and the Hughes brothers, Quinn and Jack, are rooming together.
Matt Boldy, the leading goal scorer among American Olympians with 32 NHL goals this season, is expected to start on a line with Jake Guentzel and Auston Matthews. He stated the team’s objective plainly: “We came here to win gold. That simple. It’s an honor to be part of this group, and now we have to get it done.”
The significant presence of players and staff from the Minnesota Wild organization – including general manager Bill Guerin, assistant coach John Hynes, director of player personnel Chris Kelleher, athletic trainers John Worley and Travis Green, and team doctor Joel Boyd – has not gone unnoticed. Quinn Hughes remarked, “It really is neat having so many of us here. It says a lot about our team and maybe why we’ve been so good.”
