Sharks center saw his idols win Olympic gold 20 years ago. Can he do the same?

"Sweden has its own indelible Olympic hockey memory, and even though it was 20 years ago, San Jose Sharks center Alex Wennberg remembers it by heart. The goal (Nicklas) Lindstrom scores with the drop passes from (Peter) Forsberg and (Mats) Sundin, that's three of the biggest icons we have in Sweden who connect on a goal, Wennberg said, describing the moment that helped lift Sweden to a 3-2 win over the Finland in the 2006 Gold Medal game in Turin, Italy."

"Two decades later, and now in Milan, the Stockholm-born Wennberg is getting his first opportunity to represent his country at the Winter Games, and at 31, he knows this is probably his last chance to win Olympic gold. That's why it has a special meaning, Wennberg said last month. Wennberg, who has been the Sharks' second-line center for most of the season, is having a bounce-back offensive year with 37 points, already two more than last season, in 55 games."

"But similar to his role on a young Sharks team that features Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, Wennberg is not necessarily being asked to be the main offensive driver on Sweden's skilled roster. Instead, he made the Swedish team for his ability to contribute in other ways: killing penalties, winning faceoffs, and occasionally matching up against other countries' top lines. He's just a 200-foot player, Sharks defenseman John Klingberg said of Wennberg. Good off the puck, with the puck, really poised, always in the right spot. If he wanted to, I feel like he could put up a lot more points. I just think he makes whoever he plays with better. In Sweden's tournament-opening 5-2 win over Italy on Wednesday, Wennberg centered the fourth line with Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pontus Holmberg on the wings."

Alex Wennberg vividly remembers Sweden's 2006 Olympic gold-goal sequence involving Lindstrom, Forsberg and Sundin. At 31 and competing in Milan, he is making his first Winter Games appearance and views it as a likely final opportunity to win Olympic gold. Wennberg has produced a rebound offensive season for the San Jose Sharks with 37 points in 55 games while serving primarily as a second-line center. Sweden selected him for defensive versatility: penalty killing, faceoff strength, and matchup ability rather than primary scoring. Teammates praise his all-around positioning and poise. He centered the fourth line in Sweden's opening win over Italy.

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