It\u2019s been 12 years since the NHL players competed in the winter Olympics. Now they\u2019re back for the 2026 games in Milan and there\u2019s a lot of excitement around the league and in the Penguins locker room. Four Pens are headed to Milan to represent their countries.<\/p>\n
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and the Olympics go together like the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he eats before every game.<\/p>\n
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He\u2019s the captain for Team Canada for the second time.<\/p>\n
Crosby said these games feel a little like the first one.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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,\u201d Crosby said.<\/p>\n
Everyone remembers Crosby\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Crosby said the key to success for him is, \u201cthe quicker you can build chemistry and come together as a group and play a team game, the better off you\u2019re going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Crosby goes up against Sweden again, like in 2014, he\u2019ll see two familiar faces across from him. His Penguin teammates Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m so excited,\u201d Rakell said. \u201cI 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\u2019s all I want. That\u2019s all I can ever dream of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Karlson was out of the Pens lineup recently with a lower-body injury, but now is back and will be ready for the games.<\/p>\n
Pens goaltender Arturs Silvos also is also ready. He\u2019s suiting up in the net for Team Latvia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s a great opportunity to play against the best and representing the country, unbelievable opportunity,\u201d Silvos said.<\/p>\n
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His mentality going into the games and possibly facing his Pittsburgh teammates:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s gonna be exciting to play them against them, and torture and get in their heads or something, you know,\u201d Silvos said. \u201cI think it\u2019s gonna be, it\u2019s gonna be a lot of fun and a lot of competition.\u201d<\/p>\n
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