Release from 11.02.2026

Host Italy begins its Olympic adventure

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On Wednesday at 21:10, host nation Italy will begin its Olympic Winter Games campaign in Milan/Cortina. In their opening match, the Azzurri will face ice hockey powerhouse Sweden, a team stacked with NHL superstars. The other group opponents, Finland and Slovakia, are also formidable challenges. Italy’s roster includes as many as 15 players from the win2day ICE Hockey League.

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Among them is Luca Frigo of HCB Südtirol Alperia. His goal: give everything and enjoy the experience. “Our goal in this tournament is obviously to give our best and not hold back. We want to play the way we can – maybe even a little better. Have fun and enjoy every moment and every minute of the tournament. I told myself that this opportunity probably comes only once in a lifetime. I want to go there with a clear mind, enjoy it as much as possible, have the most fun I can and maybe even score a goal.”

Tommy Purdeller of HC Falkensteiner Pustertal is also optimistic: “We know that we are in a group with absolute top nations and that we are considered underdogs. Nevertheless, we go into the tournament with the goal of playing bravely in every game, giving everything and presenting ourselves in the best possible way. If we perform as a united team and stick to our game plan, we can cause some surprises.”
The Olympic Games on home soil also represent an opportunity to further develop the sport in Italy. HCB Südtirol Alperia goaltender Gianluca Vallini is well aware of this: “I hope that the coming years with the Olympic Games at home and Italy playing these games will help the big cities to build something for ice hockey. Maybe something sustainable can grow from this, which will support our youth and help develop young players.”

The last time Italy had the chance to compete in front of a home crowd under the Olympic rings was exactly 20 years ago in Turin. At that time, young star Tommy Purdeller was not even two years old. Now he will represent his country practically on his doorstep: “When I found out in 2019 that the 2026 Olympic Games would be held in Milan, I first thought that it would be an incredibly great event for Italian ice hockey. Since then, it has naturally been a dream to take part myself. I have always trained hard and worked toward fulfilling this dream.”

After the opening game against Sweden on Wednesday (21:10), Group B continues with matches against Slovakia on Friday (12:10) and Finland on Saturday (16:40). The group winner qualifies directly for the quarterfinals, as does the best second-place team from the three groups. All remaining teams advance to the round of 16. This means Italy is guaranteed at least four games.

win2day ICE Hockey League players on Italy’s roster:
HCB Südtirol Alperia: Gianluca Vallini, Dylan Di Perna, Jason Seed, Matt Bradley, Cristiano DiGiacinto, Luca Frigo, Dustin Gazley, Daniel Mantenuto
HC Falkensteiner Pustertal: Gregory Di Tomaso, Daniel Glira, Luca Zanatta, Mikael Frycklund, Tommy Purdeller, Nick Saracino
Olimpija Ljubljana: Alexander Petan