Rickard Rakell was enthralled in 2006.
Sweden’s entry into the Olympics that year was stocked with luminaries such as Nicklas Lidstrom, Mats Sundin and his personal favorite, Peter Forsberg.
And a 12-year-old Rakell was captivated when Sweden goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made a stunning goalmouth save with his right leg to rob Finland forward Olli Jokinen of a potential tying goal with 26 seconds remaining in the gold medal game, which Sweden won 3-2 in Turin, Italy.
“I just remember watching that game on TV,” Rakell said. “I still get goosebumps whenever I see highlights from that game.”
Two decades later, the 32-year-old winger for the Pittsburgh Penguins will get a chance to pursue his own gold medal. On Friday, it was formally announced that Rakell was named to Sweden’s Olympic roster for the upcoming Olympic tournament in Milan.
Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson also was selected for Sweden’s roster.
“Obviously, super excited,” Rakell said. “It’s a dream come true for me to get the chance to play in the Olympics and represent my country. I couldn’t be more excited.”
Rakell has skated for Sweden in other international tournaments, but this will be his first Olympic tournament. As for Karlsson, he will be going for the second time. In 2014, he was part of Sweden’s team, which earned silver in Sochi, Russia.
A variety of factors, ranging from the business concerns of the NHL as well as the pandemic, kept NHL players out of the Olympics in 2018 and 2022.
“Weird, you know?” Karlsson said of the 12-year gulf. “Obviously, I missed two of them in the time that you could have played, which is very frustrating at one point. But, at the same time, there’s nothing you can do about it. Just happy that it’s back on and, hopefully, it stays this way for the younger generation and we don’t get to miss another one because it’s a very special thing to be a part of.”
One person who will not be a part of the event, at least for the moment, is Penguins forward Bryan Rust.
One of 44 players invited to USA Hockey’s orientation camp for the Olympics in August, the Michigan-born Rust was not among the 25 names announced for the United States’ provisional roster Friday.
Injury replacements could be named in the event a player is sidelined between now and when the tournament begins Feb. 11. But Rust indicated he hasn’t gotten any word if he is under consideration as a reserve.
“Obviously, it’s something I had hopes and dreams of, but I’m not going to let that affect me too much,” Rust said. “Obviously, it would have been nice to get a call. But the (United States) has so many amazing players, it’s going to be fun to watch that team, and it’s going to be fun to watch how good they are and how well they do.”
A pair of Western Pennsylvanians were named to the United States’ roster: New York Rangers forwards J.T. Miller (Coraopolis) and Vince Trocheck (Upper St. Clair).
In June, the first six selections for each Olympic roster were revealed. Penguins forward Sidney Crosby (Canada) and goaltender Arturs Silovs (Latvia) were named to their respective teams at that time.
Off the ice, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas is serving as a director of player personnel with Hockey Canada, and Penguins video coach Madison Nikkel will operate in the same capacity for USA Hockey.
The NHL will pause its season between Feb. 6 and 24 for the tournament, which Rakell would like to see unfold in a similar fashion to what he witnessed in 2006.
“I always thought it was a possibility,” Rakell said. “Anything can happen.
“I’m excited to go there and do my best.”
Note: Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin participated in practice Friday in Cranberry for the first time since he suffered an undisclosed injury in early December. Currently designated to injured reserve, Malkin operated in a non-contact capacity. Coach Dan Muse said Malkin remains “week-to-week,” but his presence on Friday was viewed as progress. Malkin will not travel with the team for an upcoming two-game road trip over the weekend. He has missed the past 13 games because of his malady.
