NHL Stars Shine as Olympic Hockey Returns: Lightning Trio Makes Impact in Milano-Cortina Opener
After a 12-year wait, NHL players are back on Olympic ice-and the return didn’t disappoint. The puck dropped on the 2026 Winter Games in Milano-Cortina on Wednesday, and three members of the Tampa Bay Lightning wasted no time making their presence felt.
Slovakia’s Erik Cernak, Sweden’s Victor Hedman, and Pontus Holmberg all suited up for their respective countries, marking a strong return for NHL talent on the world stage. And if Day 1 was any indication, this tournament is going to be electric.
🇸🇰 Slovakia 4, Finland 1: Slafkovsky Steals the Show, Cernak Anchors the Blue Line
The Olympic opener delivered a surprise right out of the gate. Despite being heavily outshot in the first period-Finland held an 18-5 edge in shots-Slovakia came out on top, 4-1, with a performance that was equal parts opportunistic and resilient.
Juraj Slafkovsky, the former No. 1 overall pick, reminded the world why he’s one of the most dangerous young scorers in the game. He opened the scoring midway through the first period, capitalizing on a Finnish turnover and showing poise beyond his years by outwaiting Juuse Saros before burying the puck.
Finland responded early in the second, tying it 1-1 on a power-play goal from Eeli Tolvanen. But Slovakia didn’t flinch.
In the third, Dalibor Dvorsky broke the deadlock by cleaning up a loose puck in front after a point shot ricocheted off a defender. That goal sparked a surge.
Slafkovsky struck again minutes later on the power play, this time with a laser from the top of the circles that rang off the post and in. Adam Ruzicka added the empty-netter to put the game away.
Erik Cernak, the Lightning’s reliable shutdown defenseman, logged 18:38 of ice time-fourth-most on the Slovakian squad-and finished with a +1 rating. His steady presence was key in helping Slovakia weather Finland’s 40-shot barrage.
Scoring Recap:
- 1st Period: SVK 1, FIN 0 - 7:45: Juraj Slafkovsky (1) - Unassisted
- 2nd Period: SVK 1, FIN 1 - 4:15: Eeli Tolvanen (1) - Joel Armia, Artturi Lehkonen
- 3rd Period: SVK 2, FIN 1 - 7:20: Dalibor Dvorsky (1) - Martin Gernat, Adam Liska SVK 3, FIN 1 - 10:30: Slafkovsky (2) - Simon Nemec, Dvorsky - PP SVK 4, FIN 1 - 17:39: Adam Ruzicka (1) - Tomas Tatar, Slafkovsky - EN
Shots on Goal: FIN 40, SVK 25
TBL Spotlight: Erik Cernak - 18:38 TOI, +1
🇸🇪 Sweden 5, Italy 2: Hedman Scores First Olympic Goal, Sweden Fires 60 Shots
Later in the day, Sweden took on host nation Italy, and while the final score reads 5-2, the game had its moments of tension-especially early on.
Italy stunned the Swedes just over four minutes in, when Luca Frigo capitalized on a chaotic sequence that saw Filip Gustavsson lose his stick after a long-range shot. Frigo pounced on the opportunity and gave the underdogs a 1-0 lead.
But Sweden, loaded with NHL firepower, responded with poise. Gabriel Landeskog evened the score on a power-play one-timer midway through the first, and Gustav Forsling gave Sweden the lead late in the period.
Italy, to their credit, didn’t go quietly. Matthew Bradley tied it again early in the second on just Italy’s fourth shot of the game. But from there, Sweden took control.
William Nylander broke the deadlock with a slick backhand finish late in the second, and Mika Zibanejad added insurance in the third with a rocket from the point.
Then came the moment Lightning fans were waiting for-Victor Hedman, the team’s captain and defensive cornerstone, scored his first career Olympic goal. It came on an empty-netter, but it was a fitting cap to a strong all-around performance. Hedman led all Swedish skaters in ice time with 21:12, fired four shots on goal, and finished +1.
Pontus Holmberg also contributed solid minutes, logging 14:30 and showing strong two-way play despite picking up a minor penalty.
Scoring Recap:
- 1st Period: ITA 1, SWE 0 - 4:14: Luca Frigo (1) - Unassisted ITA 1, SWE 1 - 9:06: Gabriel Landeskog (1) - Mika Zibanejad, Erik Karlsson - PP SWE 2, ITA 1 - 17:53: Gustav Forsling (1) - Jesper Bratt, Rasmus Dahlin
- 2nd Period: SWE 2, ITA 2 - 0:37: Matthew Bradley (1) - Dustin Gazley, Thomas Larkin SWE 3, ITA 2 - 16:46: William Nylander (1) - Rasmus Dahlin, Adrian Kempe
- 3rd Period: SWE 4, ITA 2 - 15:42: Mika Zibanejad (1) - Rasmus Dahlin, Rickard Rakell SWE 5, ITA 2 - 17:11: Victor Hedman (1) - Gustav Forsling - EN
Shots on Goal: SWE 60, ITA 22
TBL Spotlight:
- Victor Hedman - Goal, 21:12 TOI, 4 SOG, +1
- Pontus Holmberg - 14:30 TOI, 2 PIM
Lightning Players Off to a Strong Start
For Tampa Bay fans, it was a promising Olympic debut from all three representatives. Cernak brought his trademark grit and positioning, Hedman was a force in all three zones, and Holmberg held his own on the international stage.
With the group stage just getting started, the Lightning trio has already made their mark. And with the NHL’s best back in the Olympic spotlight, hockey fans everywhere are in for a treat.