Olympic start with a mammoth task: Blue Team challenges Sweden

Italy kicks off its men's Olympic ice hockey campaign on Wednesday evening. A real test awaits them right from the start against Sweden.

February 10, 2026

From: do

Wednesday evening marks the big moment for Italy's national ice hockey team. After a two-decade absence, the Azzurri return to the big stage and will take to the ice of Milan's Santa Giulia Arena for the first time at 9:10 p.m. Their first opponent is a formidable one: Sweden, one of the tournament favorites, awaits them.

For South Tyrol's ice hockey fans, this opening game is something truly special. With Alex Trivellato (Leifers), Damian Clara (Reischach), Gianluca Vallini (Bozen), Daniel Glira (Toblach), Diego Kostner (Runggaditsch), and Tommy Purdeller (Montal St. Lorenzen), several players from their home region are on the Italian roster. For many of them, it's the biggest moment of their careers so far: playing on the biggest stage in sports.

Clear role distribution

The sporting odds are more than clear. Italy is relying primarily on players from the ICE Hockey League, while Sweden is traveling to Milan with a roster full of NHL professionals. Names like Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks), Mika Zibanejad (New York Rangers), Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres), and Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning) underscore the enormous quality of the "Tre Kronor," who are among the tournament's top medal favorites.

The "Blue Team" enters the game as the clear underdog, but they are by no means going down without a fight. Coach Jukka Jalonen is counting on discipline, commitment, and team cohesion. The fact that many players know each other well from their time in the league should help to at least partially compensate for the lack of individual talent. Goaltender Damian Clara (drafted by the Anaheim Ducks) could play a key role. The 21-year-old from South Tyrol is considered a great talent and is seen by experts as the favorite for the starting position in the Azzurri's net.

Rasmus Dahlin is one of the best defenders in the world. © Instagram/buffalosabres

Hardly anyone expects a victory in the opening match. But the Olympic Games often follow their own rules. For Italy and the South Tyrolean players, it's about giving it their all on the ice and delivering a passionate performance for the home crowd. The dream of an upset lives on, even though the task could hardly be greater.