Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm opens up about disappointment after being left of Sweden's Olympic team
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Jack Sutherland
Jan 2, 2026 (6:54 PM)
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Photo credit: NHL.com
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm is upset after he was not included on the final roster for Sweden in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
Following weeks and months of anticipation, the rosters for the top hockey nations of Canada, the United States and Sweden have all been released for the upcoming 2026 Milan Olympics.
All three countries have experienced notable snubs on their rosters that have left some fans and analysts puzzled.
One of the notable snubs from the defense of Team Sweden is Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who was taken aback by the news and admitted that it was disappointing.
This was probably my last shot at it. It's right up there with the Stanley Cup, the Olympics. Huge disappointment, not much I can do about it now. They said I had just missed (out). So I guess I'm on that (wait) list.
I said the same thing to the Swedish papers that I hope that wasn't a part of it. I don't think it was anywhere near as big a deal as the media brought it out to be. It's more a question for him (coach Sam Hallam), he's the one picking the team. - Mattias Ekholm
I said the same thing to the Swedish papers that I hope that wasn't a part of it. I don't think it was anywhere near as big a deal as the media brought it out to be. It's more a question for him (coach Sam Hallam), he's the one picking the team. - Mattias Ekholm
Ekholm has several of his Oilers teammates heading to the Olympics, including Connor McDavid for Canada and Leon Draisaitl for Germany.
Mattias Ekholm Was One Of Many Olympic Roster Snubs
Ekholm isn't the only NHL player dealing with the disappointment of being left off their respective Olympic roster.
Players like Sam Bennett, Seth Jarvis and Connor Bedard were all left off Canada's roster, while Jason Robertson and Adam Fox were snubbed from the American roster.
One of the biggest surprises was when Canada didn't choose Mark Scheifele for their roster, and he expressed his own disappointment in the same manner as Ekholm.
Also read on HockeyLatest :
Mark Scheifele opens up with emotional statement after being left off Team Canada
Mark Scheifele opens up with emotional statement after being left off Team Canada
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 2 | 145 ANSWERS Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm opens up about disappointment after being left of Sweden's Olympic team Should Mattias Ekholm have been included on Sweden's roster? | ||
| Yes | 106 | 73.1 % |
| No | 39 | 26.9 % |
| List of polls | ||