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Dozens of colourful hockey bags representing teams from across the National Hockey League landscape stacked in an hotel ballroom in the village of Garden City, not far from John F. Kennedy Airport, all bearing baggage tags denoting the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
Nearby, dozens of hockey sticks are taped together and tagged by staff from the National Hockey League Players’ Association and the NHL, all bound for Milan as well.
One bundle of sticks reminds us that something special is afoot. It’s the bundle belonging to veteran defenceman Radko Gudas of the Anaheim Ducks.
Dutifully attached to his stack of big boy sticks are children’s sticks. His son was determined should make the trip to Italy, in case there was a chance for some hotel hockey for the four Gudas kids who will accompany their father as he competes in his second Olympic Games.
It’s a sure sign that after a dozen years since the last time NHL players took part in the Olympic tournament, best-on-best international hockey is back in a big way. All of the machinations that have seen close to 150 NHLers and their gear transported across the Atlantic Ocean are also a reminder that this moment is in many ways, bigger than the players themselves.
Before multiple charter flights to Italy, the hotel was awash with players arriving from various dots on the NHL map, many with families in tow.
Strollers, mini hockey sticks and toddlers were everywhere. Less than 24 hours later, most of those players were on the ice in Milan taking their first reps on Olympic ice while their wives, partners, parents, sons and daughters all strove to beat the inevitable jetlag.
“It's been great. It's been very hectic. I mean, today it's been, I don't know, it felt like one or two days today,” Swedish defenceman Gustav Forsling told reporters in the mixed zone at the small practice rink adjacent to the main rink at Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena.
In some ways, each player’s journey to this first day of practice and the reality that the Olympics are at hand is just a little bit different, even if the dreams these players share are the same.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, about 100 of Jaccob Slavin’s neighbours lined the family’s street waving U.S. flags and homemade signs, sharing lots of fond wishes as the Team USA defenceman headed for the airport.
“It was a great surprise by my wife, she organized it,” Slavin reported. “That was pretty special.”
For Canadian defenceman Colton Parayko, his first trip to an Olympic tournament has been a catalyst to reconnecting with many people from the very beginnings of his own hockey journey.
“It kind of reaches back for forever almost, my junior billets have reached out, to college, a lot of people from college, a lot of American people that I’ve met along the way that are excited to watch Canada, which is really cool. Just a lot of great people along the way,” said Parayko, who graduated from University of Alaska Fairbanks.
“Once you get here it just finally hits you – it’s such a cool experience so far and it’s only been Day 1. Everything has been amazing so far,” Parayko added. “Couldn’t be more excited to represent the country and just put my best foot forward.”
Boston defenceman Hampus Lindholm found out late in the proceedings that he would be pulling the Swedish national jersey over his head for his first Olympic competition, named an injury replacement for the Minnesota Wild's Jonas Brodin.
“I think it's just exciting. We haven't had this kind of tournament for a while, and just being on an all-Sweden team, I remember last time I played in the world championships, it's a special feeling when you get together. You're Swedes, and you get to represent the Tre Kronor and it’s such an honour. We haven't had enough possibilities to do it, so I think guys are super excited to come here, and I think, overall, super excited,” Lindholm said.
Lindholm’s Boston Bruins teammate Charlie McAvoy was a given to be on Team USA’s roster at the Olympics, but in Boston’s last game before the Olympic break he was levelled by a controversial hit from fellow Olympian Sandis Vilmanis, who will suit up for Latvia.
McAvoy, who went immediately to the dressing room after regaining his feet following the hit to his previously broken jaw, admitted he didn’t want to allow himself to think of the worst, that his Olympic dream might die hours before heading to Italy.
“Honestly I tried really hard not to (go there) but I was really scared when it happened,” McAvoy acknowledged after Team USA’s first brief skate in Milan.
“I couldn’t swallow at first and I had a lot of pain there and it started swelling up right away, and like emotional in the way where you don’t want to think worst case scenario.”
McAvoy was injured during last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off and couldn’t compete in the final against Canada, won by the Canadians in overtime.
Perhaps his appreciation of the moment finally being at hand here in Italy, is even more keen as a result.
“There’s no place in the world I’d rather be right now than here and getting the chance to represent at the Olympics,” McAvoy said.
(Feature photo courtesy of Getty Images)