The last time Canada's Sidney Crosby played at the Olympics was 2014, when he captained the team to gold-medal victory.
photo: Andre Ringuette/IIHF
It has been 12 years. Twelve long years. Kids and early-career NHLers who played in Sochi in 2014 are now closer to the end of their careers than the beginning. Yet many from the last NHL Olympics are here in Milan to do what they love—play hockey and represent their country. It is a combination that cannot be equalled.
To show the power and influence of the NHL, it is worth noting that although there are eleven players on the men’s side returning from 2018, a non-NHL year, there are 19 players here in Milan who were in Sochi in 2014. And of those 19, four also played in 2010 in Vancouver.
Let’s start with the obvious. Two Canadians played in both 2010 and 2014—Sidney Crosby and Drew Doughty. In 2010, Crosby was the Saviour who delivered the golden goal in hero-in-waiting fashion. Doughty, however, was at the other end. The then 20-year-old had to work his way into ice time, and he did just that. At the start, he was the seventh defender; by the end, he was one of their studs.
The only player, non-NHLer as it turned out, who played in 2010, 2014, and 2018 (as well as 2022), and who is here for a fifth Olympics, is Czechia’s Roman Cervenka. The IIHF Player of the year for 2023-24 continues to add to his legend every time he represents his country. The 40-year-old will be joined by 2014 teammates Radko Gudas and Ondrej Palat and 2018 teammate Tomas Kundratek.
The only other player who is back after appearing in Vancouver and Sochi is Latvia’s inspirational Kaspars Daugavins. The 37-year-old has been captain of the national team for much of the last decade. He has three teammates joining him from 2014—Ralfs Freiburgs, Zemgus Girgensons, and goalie Kristers Gudlevskis. Latvia did not qualify for the PyeongChang Olympics, but Gudlevskis is one of only two goalies from 2014.
The other is Swiss legend Reto Berra. The 39-year-old is in his third Olympics and has played in ten World Championships. Other 2014 alumni joining him include flagbearer Nino Niederreiter and all-star defender Roman Josi. Another goalie, Leonardo Genoni, played in 2018 along with Pius Suter.
Finland, bronze medallists in 2014, are bringing back two players from that team, Olli Maata and Mikael Granlund. Maata had the final goal in the team’s 5-0 whipping of the U.S. for bronze that year while Granlund was perhaps the team’s best player at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago. There are also two Finns from 2018 who will be on the Milan roster—Mikko Lehtonen and Eeli Tolvanen.
Sweden had to settle for silver in 2014 after losing to Canada, 3-0 in the final game, but Tre Kronor is hoping to have three stars from that game come to Milan—Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Erik Karlsson, and Gabriel Landeskog.
The only other players from Sochi are Slovakia’s Martin Marincin (who will turn 34 during the Olympics) and Tomas Tatar, 35. The Slovaks will aim to improve on a disappointing 11th place finish in 2014.
As for 2018, Germany has Jonas Muller, Moritz Muller, and Dominik Kahun coming back, while the Slovaks have Peter Ceresnak and Matus Sukel.
Milan 2026 is proving to be a grand homecoming, a place where so many great players hope to grab glory one more time. They are older and wiser, maybe not as speedy-quick but smarter. The Olympics is better for having NHL participation, and fans will quickly fall in love with a game faster than any they have ever seen before.
Buckle up. This is going to get fast.
To show the power and influence of the NHL, it is worth noting that although there are eleven players on the men’s side returning from 2018, a non-NHL year, there are 19 players here in Milan who were in Sochi in 2014. And of those 19, four also played in 2010 in Vancouver.
Let’s start with the obvious. Two Canadians played in both 2010 and 2014—Sidney Crosby and Drew Doughty. In 2010, Crosby was the Saviour who delivered the golden goal in hero-in-waiting fashion. Doughty, however, was at the other end. The then 20-year-old had to work his way into ice time, and he did just that. At the start, he was the seventh defender; by the end, he was one of their studs.
The only player, non-NHLer as it turned out, who played in 2010, 2014, and 2018 (as well as 2022), and who is here for a fifth Olympics, is Czechia’s Roman Cervenka. The IIHF Player of the year for 2023-24 continues to add to his legend every time he represents his country. The 40-year-old will be joined by 2014 teammates Radko Gudas and Ondrej Palat and 2018 teammate Tomas Kundratek.
The only other player who is back after appearing in Vancouver and Sochi is Latvia’s inspirational Kaspars Daugavins. The 37-year-old has been captain of the national team for much of the last decade. He has three teammates joining him from 2014—Ralfs Freiburgs, Zemgus Girgensons, and goalie Kristers Gudlevskis. Latvia did not qualify for the PyeongChang Olympics, but Gudlevskis is one of only two goalies from 2014.
The other is Swiss legend Reto Berra. The 39-year-old is in his third Olympics and has played in ten World Championships. Other 2014 alumni joining him include flagbearer Nino Niederreiter and all-star defender Roman Josi. Another goalie, Leonardo Genoni, played in 2018 along with Pius Suter.
Finland, bronze medallists in 2014, are bringing back two players from that team, Olli Maata and Mikael Granlund. Maata had the final goal in the team’s 5-0 whipping of the U.S. for bronze that year while Granlund was perhaps the team’s best player at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago. There are also two Finns from 2018 who will be on the Milan roster—Mikko Lehtonen and Eeli Tolvanen.
Sweden had to settle for silver in 2014 after losing to Canada, 3-0 in the final game, but Tre Kronor is hoping to have three stars from that game come to Milan—Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Erik Karlsson, and Gabriel Landeskog.
The only other players from Sochi are Slovakia’s Martin Marincin (who will turn 34 during the Olympics) and Tomas Tatar, 35. The Slovaks will aim to improve on a disappointing 11th place finish in 2014.
As for 2018, Germany has Jonas Muller, Moritz Muller, and Dominik Kahun coming back, while the Slovaks have Peter Ceresnak and Matus Sukel.
Milan 2026 is proving to be a grand homecoming, a place where so many great players hope to grab glory one more time. They are older and wiser, maybe not as speedy-quick but smarter. The Olympics is better for having NHL participation, and fans will quickly fall in love with a game faster than any they have ever seen before.
Buckle up. This is going to get fast.