The first two of the four San Jose Sharks players who went to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 have returned to practice.

Alexander Wennberg, who played for Sweden, and Philipp Kurashev, who played for Switzerland, participated in practice. Wennberg did leave practice slightly early, but the team stated that it was part of his return from Italy.

Both players were made available to the Sharks media and spoke about their time at their first Olympic Games.

“Disappointed results for the Swedes. Obviously, we were expecting to fight a little longer than we did. We played a good team, the U.S, but overall, it’s a great experience,” Wennberg said. “I mean, what a tournament. The whole experience with the best on best.”

Sweden fell 2-1 in overtime to Team USA in the quarter finals. Quinn Hughes scored the game-winning goal and ended Team Sweden’s time at the Olympic Games. Wennberg didn’t record a point in five games, but played a critical depth role for his home country.

“It’s tough to leave it on a good note. I feel like, give me a few weeks or something like that, I’m probably gonna settle in and appreciate the whole experience a little bit more,” Wennberg explained. “You’re competitive. You want to win, and obviously, we fell short.”

The San Jose Sharks center enjoyed the experience with his family. The Sharks forward says his parents have been following him throughout his career, and having them in Italy was the culmination of his hard work.

“It’s amazing. I got my parents there. They’ve been following me my whole career. [I’ve] been a huge fan for them to be there and experience [the Olympics] as well. It’s great,” Wennberg smiled. “My wife and kid were there. Kids are obsessed with hockey right now, cheering for Team Sweden. It means a lot.”

Wennberg will re-assume a spot in the Sharks’ lineup that needs contributions from everywhere during their push to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Philipp Kurashev says experience at the Olympics was special

Philipp Kurashev and Team Switzerland were bounced in the quarter finals by Finland in heartbreaking fashion. After leading 2-0 for over 53 minutes, Finland finally broke through.

The Swiss would give up the game-tying goal and eventual overtime goal and have an early exit that didn’t seem likely. Kurashev started down the lineup for Switzerland, but was forced onto the top line after the injury to Los Angeles Kings forward Kevin Fiala.

“It sucks. It was a very tough day for all of us, especially [since] it was right at the end of the game. We tried to see him after, but it kind of went pretty quick,” Kurashev said. “He was sending us videos and messages every day, trying to pump us up or give us motivation. We tried to play for him, and it shows a lot of what a guy he is, how much he cares about the group. I just hope he recovers as fast as he can.”

The San Jose Sharks forward had a goal and two assists in five games. Kurashev felt that the Swiss team felt the impact of their fans. The culture of the international fan is very different from that of a traditional NHL fan, and this was evident during the Olympic Games.

We always get a lot of our fans who travel wherever we play. It’s a little bit different culture in Europe, I think the fans and they didn’t have too many chants this time. Usually, they have chants as well. It’s maybe more loud during the play, and not just when something happens. It was a great, great atmosphere,” Kurashev said. “We really appreciate our fans coming out. They always show us support. We wish we could have rewarded them a bit better than what we did.”

The return of Pavol Regenda could be delayed, as the Sharks forward is stuck in New York due to a snowstorm. Macklin Celebrini is expected to return to the team in the near future after Team Canada was diverted to Miami.