Rakell 'Super Excited' To Get First Olympic Call

This week, Rickard Rakell learned he had been named to Team Sweden’s Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 roster, marking his first Olympic appearance.

“Obviously, super excited,” Rakell said. “It’s a dream come true for me to get the chance to play in the Olympics and represent my country. ... I always thought it was a possibility. Anything can happen. Having a good year last year and still being able to go in the 4 Nations and show what I can do there. I’m excited to go there and do my best.”

And his family is thrilled. His wife Emmeli commemorated the moment at their house by decorating with Swedish flags and yellow balloons, having a plate of themed cookies, and their daughter Daisy wearing a Sweden jersey with DADDY on the back.

“It means a lot to me,” Rakell said. “They’re a big part of all the success. We’re doing all of this together. It means the world to me.”

Growing up close to Stockholm, Rakell vividly remembers watching the Swedish team who brought home gold in 2006.

“That’s a really strong memory for me to see all those guys play together,” he said. “(Nicklas) Lidstrom, (Mats) Sundin, (Peter) Forsberg, get one last chance to play together and win the gold medal, I just remember watching that game on TV. I still get goosebumps whenever I see highlights from that game.”

Rakell was still playing junior hockey during the 2010 Winter Games, and just starting out in the league for the 2014 Olympics. That was the last time the NHL sent players, so Rakell has been waiting a long time for an opportunity like this.

“Obviously, that’s all you want. You never know if it’s a last chance that you get to play in a tournament like that,” Rakell said. “You’re thinking about it pretty much all of last year, all of summer and coming into this year.”

“You never know with injuries and all that that happens, what’s going to happen to you. ... Even though you don’t want to think about it too much, you just try to focus on your game here and try to give your best every night. I was really excited to get the call.”

Following a challenging 2023-24 season, Rakell had a career year in 2024-25, with personal bests in goals (35), assists (35), and points (70). He deservedly cemented himself in the Olympic conversation and played his way onto Team Sweden for the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, which Rakell said was his best on-ice memory of 2025.

“As a group, we learned something at the 4 Nations,” Rakell said of Sweden’s roster. “Going to the Olympics, I think we have a better view of what we can improve. And learn from our mistakes there to just try to give our best efforts in the Olympics.”

After starting the 2025-26 season with eight points (3G-5A) in nine games, Rakell missed the team’s next 20 games after undergoing hand surgery. Being named to the Olympic team despite being out for such a long stretch shows how much of a competitor Rakell is.

“He put in a ton of work there just to get himself back and be in a good position,” Head Coach Dan Muse said. “A huge credit to him to be doing all those things that he needed to do to get back, and also to get back and be in a spot where he’s gonna be able to jump back in there and contribute, which he has. He’s a guy, too, who’s used in so many different situations, and that's so important for this team. I’m really excited for him, and it’s very well deserved.”

Rakell will be joined by his friend and teammate Erik Karlsson, who was also named to the Team Sweden’s Olympic roster. The three-time Norris trophy winner knows how important Rakell will be to the lineup.

“I think he's shown over the last couple of years that he's a capable player in situations like that,” Karlsson said. “I think he had a good 4 Nations. He's a guy who can play up and down the lineup, and a reliable guy. So, I'm happy that he got the recognition for it, and very well deserved.”