The Gus Bus has hopped on an airplane, ready to play in his first Olympics.
“It’s a great honor. A few years back, I probably wouldn’t have thought I was gonna play in the Olympics and now I have the chance to do it and super proud to represent Sweden,” Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson said.
In a surprising move to some, the Wild have two goaltenders playing in the Milano Cortina Winter Games: Gustavsson and countryman Jesper Wallstedt, who is in his first full NHL season.
Wallstedt was surprised he made the team.
“Obviously, with how everything has been and coming into this year and so on, Olympics was probably last of my focus,” Wallstedt said. “It was more so just get back and play as good hockey as I can here, but yeah, I was very surprised and honored to be part of it.”
The pair has been a terrific tandem for the Wild. Now, they’re two-thirds of a position group going for gold.
“It’s gonna be a lot of fun to go there and also keep our thing going that we’ve had here, too, bring that successfully over there,” Wallstedt said.
Minnesota has five Swedes on the Olympic roster. They are also sending four dangerous players to Team USA. Both nations are among the tournament’s top contenders, which made the last few practices stateside simmering with subterfuge.
“I’m trying to mislead them now in practice,” Gustavsson said with a smile. “I’m trying to stand the wrong way when they’re coming down, so when they’re coming down in the game, I’m gonna stand the right way.”