It’s been 12 years since the NHL players competed in the winter Olympics. Now they’re back for the 2026 games in Milan and there’s a lot of excitement around the league and in the Penguins locker room. Four Pens are headed to Milan to represent their countries.
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and the Olympics go together like the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he eats before every game.
He’s the captain for Team Canada for the second time.
Crosby said these games feel a little like the first one.
“I think the anticipation now with not having gone for so long, I think kind of feels like that comes back a bit more since it has been a while,” Crosby said.
Everyone remembers Crosby’s golden goal in 2010 that broke the hearts of Team USA. He followed it with another goal in the 2014 medal game, captaining another gold.
Crosby said the key to success for him is, “the quicker you can build chemistry and come together as a group and play a team game, the better off you’re going to be.”
If Crosby goes up against Sweden again, like in 2014, he’ll see two familiar faces across from him. His Penguin teammates Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell.
“I’m so excited,” Rakell said. “I think watching Sweden win a gold medal was one of the biggest memories growing up. To see those players playing in the past and now I get to do that, and to share that with Karl, my teammate and my family and just a chance to win, that’s all I want. That’s all I can ever dream of.”
Karlson was out of the Pens lineup recently with a lower-body injury, but now is back and will be ready for the games.
Pens goaltender Arturs Silvos also is also ready. He’s suiting up in the net for Team Latvia.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to play against the best and representing the country, unbelievable opportunity,” Silvos said.
His mentality going into the games and possibly facing his Pittsburgh teammates:
“It’s gonna be exciting to play them against them, and torture and get in their heads or something, you know,” Silvos said. “I think it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be a lot of fun and a lot of competition.”
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