Former Maple Leafs Forward Lands Critical Role With Sweden Ahead of 2026 Olympics
Photo credit: Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images
Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Alexander Steen has found himself with a critical role with Team Sweden as the team heads into the 2026 Winter Olympics.
With the 2026 Winter Olympics ready to kick off in February, the NHL is finally back in the swing of things after being left out of the 2022 games.
There's a ton of excitement and anticipation around teams like Team Canada and Team USA as their rivalry is bound to grow even bigger.
But one team who is just as dangerous is Team Sweden, who has always felt like the bridesmaid and never the bride when it comes to hockey powerhouses, but have quickly grown to become a real force in international hockey.
Team Sweden Adds Former Maple Leafs Star To Front Office
A lot of that has to do with their roster construction and with some of the best minds in the game given that role, there's a reason they have been so successful.
The trend keeps on coming this year, as it was announced that former Toronto Maple Leafs forward and Swedish standout Alexander Steen has taken a role as a Special Advisor to co-GM's Josef Boumedienne and Anders Lundberg.
This job is in addition to Steen's current position as Special Assistant to GM Doug Armstrong, so it's not like he is going to be in a strange world with the Swedish club.
Why Alex Steen Could Be Sweden's Secret Weapon at the Olympics
While he isn't a player for them anymore, his knowledge and experience is a huge asset for the Swedish side. You can guarantee you're going to see names like Erik Karlsson, William Nylander, Elias Pettersson, Adrian Kempe and Victor Hedman.
But you may also see some brand new standouts like Leo Carlsson and William Eklund joining the fray, as well as a rookie like Axel-Sandin Pellikka.
Adding someone with over 1,000 NHL games and 622 points is no small feat, and the Steen name carries a ton of significance and respect around Sweden thanks to his father Thomas as well; there's a lot to be excited for if you're a fan of the team.
Sweden's last performance in the Olympics wasn't as great as they had hoped, with the team finishing fourth and losing the bronze-medal game 4-0 to Slovakia.
But they will look to turn it around this season with a brand new roster of NHL superstars with Alex Steen having a heavy say in who makes the team come February and it could pay off with gold draped around their necks.
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