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Penguins' Rickard Rakell shares his excitement for his first Olympic Games experience
Photo credit: The Hockey Writers
For the first time in his career, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell has been selected to play in the Olympics and will play for Team Sweden next month.
The rosters for the leading hockey countries, Canada, the United States and Sweden, have all been released for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics, set to take place in Milan next month.
There are plenty of names on the rosters of all three nations that just about every fan and analyst would have expected, along with more than a few notable snubs.
One player who has been named to Sweden's roster is Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell, who has never played in the Olympics before. He said that both he and his family are very excited for the opportunity.
Obviously, super excited. t's a dream come true for me to get the chance to play in the Olympics and represent my country. I always thought it was a possibility. Anything can happen. Having a good year last year and still being able to go in the 4 Nations and show what I can do there. I'm excited to go there and do my best.
It means a lot to me. They're a big part of all the success. We're doing all of this together. It means the world to me. - Rickard Rakell
It means a lot to me. They're a big part of all the success. We're doing all of this together. It means the world to me. - Rickard Rakell
So far this year, Rakell has 13 points (4G, 9A) in 19 games.
Multiple Other Penguins Players Have Been Selected To Play In The Olympics
Not surprisingly, there are other Penguins players who are heading to the Olympics, including Sidney Crosby for Canada and Erik Karlsson for Sweden.
But there was another notable snub, as forward Bryan Rust was not taken by Team USA general manager Bill Guerin to play for the American squad.
Among the other snubs for the American roster include Jason Robertson and Adam Fox, and Sam Bennett and Seth Jarvis for Canada.
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JANVIER 2 | 104 ANSWERS Penguins' Rickard Rakell shares his excitement for his first Olympic Games experience Will Rickard Rakell finish his career with the Penguins? | ||
| Yes | 44 | 42.3 % |
| No | 60 | 57.7 % |
| List of polls | ||