The Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina 2026 are just around the corner and the world’s best ice hockey players are back on the Olympic stage for the first time since 2014. Every Wednesday until the start of the tournament in February, NHL.com/sv takes a look at the NHL and highlights the most interesting headlines from the league – from an Olympic perspective. This is Countdown Milan.
A RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK FOR HEDMAN
Already in last week’s edition of Countdown Milano, we raised concerns about Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman’s recurring injuries.
Since then, further word has come in: Hedman has undergone surgery to repair an injured elbow, but is expected to make a comeback in time for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
According to Lightning coach Jon Cooper, the recovery time for Hedman is about six weeks.
“A rested player is an effective player and the thing about Hedman is he’s not 22 years old anymore,” said Cooper. But I’m not worried about his form when he comes back, he’s always in good form. What I’m thinking is that sitting on the sidelines for six weeks can be mentally taxing. That’s probably the toughest.
– But if he can get through it, his body will be in great shape once he returns to play.
The announcement of Hedman’s (probable) return in time for games at the beginning of February seems to have brought a sigh of relief from national team captain Sam Hallam and the rest of Tre Kronor’s management staff.
