The United States has Mike Eruzione’s goal in Lake Placid and the Miracle on Ice in 1980. Canada has Sidney Crosby’s Golden Goal in Vancouver in 2010.
Sweden has its own indelible Olympic hockey memory, and even though it was 20 years ago, San Jose Sharks center Alex Wennberg remembers it by heart.
“The goal (Nicklas) Lindstrom scores with the drop passes from (Peter) Forsberg and (Mats) Sundin, that’s three of the biggest icons we have in Sweden who connect on a goal,” Wennberg said, describing the moment that helped lift Sweden to a 3-2 win over the Finland in the 2006 Gold Medal game in Turin, Italy.
“There are just so many memories.”
Two decades later, and now in Milan, the Stockholm-born Wennberg is getting his first opportunity to represent his country at the Winter Games, and at 31, he knows this is probably his last chance to win Olympic gold.
“That’s why it has a special meaning,” Wennberg said last month.
Wennberg, who has been the Sharks’ second-line center for most of the season, is having a bounce-back offensive year with 37 points, already two more than last season, in 55 games. But similar to his role on a young Sharks team that features Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, Wennberg is not necessarily being asked to be the main offensive driver on Sweden’s skilled roster.
Instead, he made the Swedish team for his ability to contribute in other ways: killing penalties, winning faceoffs, and occasionally matching up against other countries’ top lines.
“He’s just a 200-foot player,” Sharks defenseman John Klingberg said of Wennberg. “Good off the puck, with the puck, really poised, always in the right spot. If he wanted to, I feel like he could put up a lot more points. I just think he makes whoever he plays with better.”
In Sweden’s tournament-opening 5-2 win over Italy on Wednesday, Wennberg centered the fourth line with Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pontus Holmberg on the wings.
MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 11: (EDITOR’S NOTE: Image was captured using a remote camera positioned above the field of play.) Matt Bradley #13 of Team Italy and Alexander Wennberg #10 of Team Sweden face off in the first period during the Men’s Preliminary Group B match between Sweden and Italy on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
“(Wennberg) adds a lot,” Landeskog told Bay Area News Group earlier this month. “You look at the season he’s having with the Sharks, I feel like he’s involved in every single play, and if he’s not touching the puck, he’s screening the goalie or causing chaos somewhere.
“Just a valuable piece that you can really slot in anywhere: top six, bottom six, important on face-offs, special teams. He can kind of do it all. I’ve known him for a long time and have seen him develop over the years. To have the skill set to be able to play in all situations, it’s not something everybody has.”
Wennberg’s wife, Felicia, and their two young children are in Milan, as are his parents, Niclas and Katarina. Whatever sport he played while growing up in Stockholm, Wennberg said he was usually coached by one of his parents.
“They always put in the time and effort to help and support me,” Wennberg said. “They gave me opportunities, let me have fun, and do different kinds of things. There was always hockey and sports, but you’ve also got to live life as well. They kept me humble, kept me the person I am today.”
Still, playing hockey was always Wennberg’s favorite, and it led to a decorated international career.
Playing for Sweden, he won a silver medal at the Under-18 World Junior Championship in 2012 and again won silver at the Under-20 World Junior Championship in 2013 and 2014. After establishing himself as a full-time NHL player, he also represented his country at the World Championships in 2016, 2019, and 2025, scoring 22 points in 24 games.
“I remember that moment,” Wennberg said of first putting on the distinct bright yellow Swedish jersey with three crowns. “It’s kind of disbelief. It’s everything you fought for all your life, and then you get to accomplish it.
“I still remember those moments. It’s kind of like, ‘You made it,’ to play for the national team and play in Sweden’s top league.”
Wennberg and Sweden won the bronze medal at last year’s worlds in Stockholm, but a gold medal has been elusive. Now, 20 years after he saw Lidstrom’s winning goal against Finland as an 11-year-old, Wennberg has an opportunity to accomplish the same thing.
“I remember watching it growing up,” Wennberg said. “The players that were on that team were superstars, players I idolized. So that’s why it’s just so fun for me to be a part of this, to be able to maybe create the same memories as well.”