There was only one substitute for Filip Forsberg when Sweden won the Olympic opener against host nation Italy 5-2 in the Santagiulia Arena in Milan on Wednesday evening.
He was positioned as an extra forward behind the twelve who were part of the four lines.
"It's clear that you want to be there and play, but at the same time it's the Olympics. There's fantastic quality on our team," Forsberg said after Thursday's training.
"It is impossible"
With 24 goals for NHL club Nashville, Forsberg is the top Swedish scorer in the world's top ice hockey league this season. He has Olympic teammates Mika Zibanejad (23 goals) and William Nylander (18) behind him in the statistics.
National team captain Sam Hallam points out that the same competitive situation exists in the squads of the best nations now that the best NHL players are participating in the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
"You very rarely get the opportunity to play on a team this good. It's impossible to put this (team) together at the NHL level," he says.
Toronto defender Oliver Ekman-Larsson was a substitute but did not play at all as the team's seventh defender.
"For us, it will be a better rhythm on six (defenders)," says Hallam.
In the NHL and the upcoming national team tournament World Cup (resuming in 2028), six replacement defenders are allowed, he points out. In the Olympics, there can be seven.
"If you get injured early, you're down to five, so it's clear that we're using the format."
Oliver Ekman-Larsson:
"I knew the competition was tough and there were only six defenders playing. I pushed the guys, did what I could and was ready if they needed me."
"Best seat in the arena"
He expects a tough and close match today against Finland at lunchtime (12:10 p.m.), but doesn't know if that will open up playing time.
"Of course you hope for that," says the 34-year-old.
Would you prefer that there were only six defenders?
"I haven't thought that far ahead. I had the best seat in the arena, I got to watch the hockey," says Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Against Italy, the trio Marcus Johansson (forward), Hampus Lindholm (defender) and Jesper Wallstedt (goalkeeper) were left out of the team.
Daniel Kihlström/TT
Facts: Blue-yellow goal league in the NHL
TT
Swedish NHL scoring leaders (top six):
24 goals: Filip Forsberg, Nashville
23: Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers
20: Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles
19: Lucas Raymond, Detroit
18: William Nylander, Toronto, Leo Carlsson, Anaheim
Footnote: Everyone except the injured Carlsson is part of Sweden's Olympic squad.
