Sweden HC Addresses Predators Wing's Limited Ice Time vs. Italy

Filip Forsberg played a short amount of time in Sweden's 5-2 win over Italy, raising questions about Olympic roster rules.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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During Sweden's 5-2 victory over Italy in their Olympic opener, star forward Filip Forsberg, who leads all Swedish-born NHL players with 24 goals this season, played a very short amount of time. This raised eyebrows not for the result, but for the deployment. Swedish head coach Sam Hallam addressed the issue, citing the Olympic format that allows for more players on the roster compared to the NHL.

Why it matters

The limited deployment of Forsberg and fellow NHL star Oliver Ekman-Larsson highlights the challenges coaches face in managing elite talent with the Olympic roster rules, which differ from the NHL. This could become a recurring issue as teams balance playing time for their top players during the tournament.

The details

In the NHL, teams dress 18 skaters and two goalies, but at the Olympics, teams can dress 20 skaters and two goalies. This creates difficult decisions for coaches and awkward situations for elite players like Forsberg and Ekman-Larsson, who saw limited ice time despite their star status. Sweden head coach Sam Hallam defended his approach, acknowledging the uncomfortable reality of having more talent than ice time available.

  • Sweden defeated Italy 5-2 in their Olympic opener on February 12, 2026.
  • Sweden faces Finland later this week at Santagiulia Arena.

The players

Filip Forsberg

A Nashville Predators winger who leads all Swedish-born NHL players with 24 goals this season.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson

A Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman who did not see any ice time in Sweden's win over Italy.

Sam Hallam

The head coach of the Swedish national hockey team.

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What they’re saying

“I was joking around that I had the best seat in the house.”

— Oliver Ekman-Larsson (si.com)

“I think it's just the format. We're used to dressing six defensemen, 12 forwards. You never have this question in the NHL. We didn't have it in the 4 Nations. So, it's the format that offers us the possibility to have an extra 'D,' an extra forward on the bench, and if we wouldn't dress seven and 13 and get an early injury, I would look pretty stupid.”

— Sam Hallam, Head Coach (si.com)

“You have to be really good to make it into 25, and we can't play 25. That's the honest truth about it. You're here to play for our country and it's a tournament. We're going to need each and every one of them. That's the way it is, but everybody can't play.”

— Sam Hallam, Head Coach (si.com)

What’s next

Team Sweden faces Finland later this week at Santagiulia Arena. The Finns are desperate after losing their opener 4-1 to Slovakia, while Sweden looks to clean up its inconsistent performance. Whether Forsberg and Ekman-Larsson see more ice time remains to be seen.

The takeaway

The limited deployment of elite NHL players like Forsberg and Ekman-Larsson in Sweden's Olympic opener highlights the challenges coaches face in managing talent with the Olympic roster rules, which differ from the NHL. This could become a recurring issue as teams balance playing time for their top players during the tournament.