After a long flight, the Swedish NHL stars arrived in Italy on Sunday morning and conducted their first ice session at the training facility near the newly built Santagiulia Arena later that day. National team coach Sam Hallam described it as a "settling-in day," where they aimed for a light skating session to help the players recover from their travels before a more rigorous training routine starting the next day.

All players took to the ice, transitioning from a packed NHL schedule to a brief national tournament that, if successful, is expected to run until the finals on February 22. Mika Zibanejad, one of the players realizing his Olympic dream in Milan, acknowledged that while the switch from the intense NHL schedule was significant, it was something they had prepared for, thus minimizing any difficulties in adapting.

Zibanejad also expressed the magnitude of representing Sweden at the Olympics, highlighting it as a childhood dream to participate in everything that comes with the experience, from the Olympic village to the training rink and more. This tournament presents an opportunity for players to showcase their abilities in front of a global audience and to bond further as a team ahead of the prestigious Olympic Games.