Sweden not revealing starting goalie ahead of Olympic opener

MILAN -- Here is what's clear with Team Sweden for its opener of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 -- somebody has to start in goal.

Who that is, however, is still a mystery.

For the third straight day, coach Sam Hallam would not reveal who will be in goal when the Swedes play Team Italy on Wednesday (3:10 p.m. ET; Peacock, USA, ICI TOU.TV, CBC Gem, SN, RDS).

"We announce that when we put out the roster tonight," Hallam said after Sweden's morning skate.

The choices are Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild, or Jacob Markstrom of the New Jersey Devils.

After Sweden plays Italy on Wednesday, it has back-to-back games against Finland and Slovakia on Friday and Saturday.

"I mean we have a plan," Hallam said. "We play today and then we have a practice day tomorrow and then we play Finland, so it could be that you start tonight, you start Finland and then it's a back-to-back, so maybe a good opportunity to change and get a second goalie in, but you have a plan.

"But something can happen in the first shift tonight that breaks the plan, someone could wake up with a sore throat."

The front-runner would appear to be Gustavsson, who is 20-9-6 for the Wild this season with a 2.64 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in 36 games (35 starts).

The 27-year-old from Skelleftea started the first two games of the 4 Nations Face-Off against Canada and Finland, each an overtime loss, but left after giving up two goals on four shots in the first period against Finland because of an illness.

He previously played on the international stage at the 2016 World U-18 Championship (silver), the 2017 and 2018 (silver) World Junior Championship, the World Championship in 2018 (gold) and 2024 (bronze).

Markstrom was also selected to play in the 4 Nations but missed the tournament because of a knee injury. The 36-year-old from Gavle is 15-13-1 with a 3.20 goals-against average and .882 save percentage I 30 games this season (29 starts). He's played for Sweden in the World U-18 Championship (2008), the World Junior Championship twice (2009 silver, 2010 bronze), the World Championship five times (2010 bronze, 2013 gold, 2016, 2019, 2025 bronze) and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Wallstedt, a 23-year-old rookie from Vasteras, played his way onto the roster with a strong start to the season for the Wild, going 14-5-4 with a 2.72 GAA and .914 save percentage and four shutouts in 23 games.

One thing Hallam did make clear is that it's likely only two of the three goalies will get playing time in Milan.

"If we can get two goalies in in the round robin, yeah, but I'm not looking to play three goalies."