Andersson says Olympic opportunity with Sweden would 'mean the world to me'

STOCKHOLM -- When Rasmus Andersson played for Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off, he got his first taste of representing his country on the world stage.

Now he wants more.

The Calgary Flames defenseman, who was captain for Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Stockholm, has his sights set on wearing his nation's colors at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

"That's probably one of the biggest goals, to get a spot," Andersson told NHL.com on Wednesday. "I have to control what I can, my own game, my attitude, and try to start the season in the best possible way. Show that I really want to be on the Olympic roster."

The 28-year-old has been a regular for the Flames since the 2018-19 season, but last season was the first time he played for Sweden at the senior level.

After making the 4 Nations Face-Off roster, the Sweden coaching staff seems to have full trust in him. In fact, he was one of about 30 payers to participate in an informational Olympic meeting Wednesday arranged by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association and the Swedish Olympic Committee.

"It was fun meeting everybody again," Andersson said. "There is a few you know and a few you don't know. That's what's fun with these meetings. It's not just us more experienced players, it's a lot of younger players from other teams too, guys you never met. You get to know everyone and meet the staff again."

Andersson, who had 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 81 games with the Flames last season, was one of seven defensemen picked to play for Sweden at 4 Nations Face-Off, the first international best-on-best tournament with NHL players since the World Cup of Hockey 2016.


"First and foremost, 4 Nations was your own little Olympics once you got there," Andersson said. "It wasn't the Olympics, but something similar that you had as a goal before the season. You wanted to be a part of that team. I got the call and was extremely proud and happy. Just to hang out with everybody. I didn't really know anybody except the ones I played with because I hadn't been on any national team before."

When the Flames season ended in April, Andersson accepted the invitation to play for Sweden at the Worlds, which were played in Stockholm and Herning, Denmark. Andersson was selected to be captain, and had six points (two goals, four assists) and averaged 18:31 of ice time in 10 games to help Sweden win the bronze medal.

"To go home and play at home, in Avicii Arena, it's hard to put your finger on how big that was in the moment," Andersson said. "You look back on it with joy and pride."

Just because he didn't have the chance to create his own national team memories until last season doesn't mean the national team hasn't meant a lot to Andersson. Growing up, he often was inspired by his father, Peter, who played for Sweden at the 1992 Albertville Olympics and four times at the World Championship.

"I remember he came home from a World Championship with some sticks," Andersson said. "Tommy Salo's and a couple more. They are still at our house. I remember that, and that we picked him up at the train station."

A fresher memory comes to his mind when asked about his favorite national team moment. Just like for a lot of other Sweden-born players in his generation, Sweden winning gold at the 2006 Torino Olympics is on top of the list.

"That's probably the memory our generation grew up with," he said. "That's when you started to dream the dream of playing for the national team, in the Olympics, and to win with Sweden."

Now that Andersson has played for the national team at two major events, and with the trust from the staff, there now is a realistic chance for him to fulfill the dream of playing in the Olympics in February.

"It would mean the world to me," Andersson said. "That's what you have dreamt of your whole life. I'm somewhat in an in-between generation. I think the iPhone was invented when I was in seventh or eighth grade. Social media came a couple of years after that. Up until then it was only the national team. You didn't have the same access to the NHL as kids nowadays. Everything up until then was that you wanted to play for the national team."