SAN JOSE — San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund can envision himself on the biggest stage in international hockey, representing his home country of Sweden next year at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
“I dream about stuff like that,” Eklund said Wednesday. “That would be so cool, and I’m going to do the best I can to make that team.”
No current Sharks player participated or is participating in the 4 Nations Face-Off, which concludes Thursday in Boston with the United States facing Canada in a highly anticipated final. Forward Mikael Granlund was selected for Team Finland in December but was traded by the Sharks to the Dallas Stars on Feb. 1.
But more chances for Sharks players are on the horizon.
Not only are NHL players set to compete in the Winter Olympics next year and in the 2030 Games in France, but the league last week also announced that the World Cup of Hockey would return in 2028 after a 12-year absence. The NHL and NHL Players Association also hope best-on-best tournaments can occur every two years after the 2030 Olympics.
That would give the current generation of leading NHL players — including a few Sharks — several more chances to represent their respective countries in best-on-best tournaments.
“It’s really good for the game,” said Sharks rookie center Macklin Celebrini, who could be a candidate for Canada’s 25-man Olympic roster next year. “It just kind of creates a little bit more excitement.”
If Celebrini is chosen for the 2026 Olympic team, he could play alongside boyhood idol Sidney Crosby, who leads Canada with five points in three 4 Nations games.
“That would be surreal,” Celebrini said. “I think it’s every kid’s goal to play in the Olympics one day.”
Besides Celebrini and Eklund, Swedish-born forwards Alexander Wennberg and Fabian Zetterlund are also candidates to take part in best-on-best hockey. Nico Sturm will likely play for Germany but is a pending unrestricted free agent and could be with another team this time next year. Slovakian forward Pavol Regenda, now with the Barracuda, is also slated to become a Group 6 UFA.
Sweden went 1-0-2 in the 4 Nations, falling just short of advancing to the final. If roster changes are made, Wennberg wants to be considered.
“It gives me something to look forward to as well,” the 11-year NHL veteran said. “I want to push and make the next team be even better.”
Other Sharks who might be involved include American-born forward Will Smith, 19, and Russian goalie Yaroslav Askarov, 22. However, considering how deep each of their countries is at those respective positions, they might be more optimal candidates for the 2030 Games rather than next year.
It’s also unclear whether Russia will be allowed to participate in the upcoming Olympic tournaments.
The International Ice Hockey Federation has suspended Russia and Belarus through the end of the 2025-26 season because of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The IIHF does not operate the World Cup, but the NHL and NHL Players’ Association will continue to monitor world events before finalizing a decision on Russia’s inclusion.
“I’m not into politics. But if Russia will be there, it’s obviously going to be more interesting,” said Sharks winger Klim Kostin, born in Penza, Russia. “Imagine having five or six nations (including Russia and Czechia), that would be great hockey, best against best.”
Kostin watched Saturday’s 4 Nations round-robin game between the United States and Canada, which had three fights in the first nine seconds of the first period.
“It was the best game I ever watched in my life,” Kostin said. “It was not just about the fighting; it was just like how guys were ready to sacrifice for the win.”
Kostin was far from alone. Television ratings for the 4 Nations have been strong so far, as Saturday’s game between the U.S. and Canada on ABC averaged 4.44 million viewers. By comparison, the NBA’s All-Star skills competition averaged 3.39 million viewers on TNT and truTV. Those numbers were down 26% from last year when an average of 4.57 million viewers watched the event.
“I think everyone’s starting to realize how great hockey is,” Smith said. “And to be honest, I think hockey’s just going to keep on climbing, and it’s going to be great for everyone.”
Eklund, 22, was considered a strong candidate for the Swedish roster for the 4 Nations but was left off as the team’s management opted for a more experienced lineup. Shortly before 4 Nations rosters were announced in December, a Swedish newspaper reported that Eklund would be selected to play for the team, but that didn’t happen.
It might have taken Eklund a while to get past the disappointment, but he added, “It motivated me to get better.
“Obviously, it was just miscommunication there, and stuff happened. I’m not going to get into that. We know what happened. But of course, it (disappointed) me, and I’m using that as motivation to make the (Olympic) team and be a better version of myself.”