'Young and dumb' at the Olympics before, returning players bring valuable experience to Milan

MILAN (AP) — Sidney Crosby is 16 years removed from his first Olympics, when he scored the golden goal to give Canada a much needed title on home ice at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

“There’s some days that it feels like 12 years and other days where it feels like yesterday,” Crosby said.

Rasmus Dahlin was only 17 when he went to South Korea for his first for Sweden in 2018.

“I did not enjoy it one bit,” Dahlin said. “I was just young and dumb. I didn’t really realize I was at the Olympics.”

Crosby and Drew Doughty are at their third Olympics and first since 2014. Dahlin and Finland's Miro Heiskanen and Eeli Tolvanen played in 2018. U.S. defensemen Brock Faber and Jake Sanderson and Slovakia’s Juraj Slafkovsky are among those going back to back after being in the Beijing bubble at the 2022 Winter Games.

Now they are all together in Milan as part of the first full international men’s hockey tournament with the world’s best talent in a decade, dating to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Ten of the 12 teams involved in Milan have at least one player with Olympic experience, with just a handful bridging the dozen-year gap between NHL appearances.

“That was 12 years ago, which is wild to think,” Sweden captain Gabriel Landeskog said Monday. “You realize those opportunities don’t come around very often, and now here in 2026, we feel very fortunate to get this opportunity again and are very excited about the opportunity.”

There are only four left from Vancouver: Crosby, Doughty, Latvia's Kaspars Daugavins and Czechia's Roman Cervenka. Canada won each of the past two tournaments with NHL players and is looking to make it three in a row.

The Russian team won gold in 2018, and Finland followed in 2022.

“A lot of things are different, but the same goal is in mind and that’s the gold medal,” Doughty said. “It means so much, and it’s been so long since the last one. That’s all you think about when you come here.”

Daugavins, 37, is here for the fourth time. Cervenka, 40, is the only five-time Olympian in the field.

Sweden is tied for the most players back from the 2014 Sochi Olympics with four: Landeskog, Erik Karlsson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and injury replacement Marcus Johansson. Landeskog and Karlsson were talking Monday about their experience back then and don't remember as much as they would have liked.

“It’s an experience that some of us have that is very valuable,” Karlsson said. “It’s always something that, when you’re in those moments, it gives you a sense of comfort that you’ve been here before."

While Canada has two in Crosby and Doughty, the U.S. has no one back from 2014. Czechia and Switzerland have three apiece and Finland two.

Latvia has Daugavins, Zemgus Girgensons, Ralfs Freibergs and Kristers Gudlevskis back. Gudlevskis memorably made 55 saves on 57 shots to almost knock off Canada in the quarterfinals in Sochi, and his next game at the Olympics is Thursday against the heavily favored Americans.

“I feel like every next time I’m coming to the Olympic Games, I appreciate it more and more,” Gudlevskis said. "I just feel more appreciative for the opportunity to be here and be a part of this whole thing."

A rookie in 2014 and not close to making Canada's roster then, Nathan MacKinnon didn't remember why the league didn't go to the 2018 Olympics and lamented the missed opportunity of not going to Pyeongchang. A variety of factors from the time differential and South Korea not being a hockey market to the disruption of the season factored in.

Heiskanen, now an elite No. 1 defenseman with Dallas, and Tolvanen, now 400 NHL games in, only made Finland — and the same for Dahlin with Sweden — because federations could not take players from the best league in the world.

“We were kind of the kids around that everybody else was babysitting,” said Tolvanen, who made the all-tournament team.

Unlike Dahlin, who was much younger than the rest of his teammates and sulked about it, Tolvanen and Heiskanen enjoyed their first Olympics.

“To get to play there at 18 years old, it was a pretty cool moment and something for sure I remember the rest of my life,” Heiskanen said. "It probably helps a little bit to know how all the things work here and know a little bit what to expect.”

The post-pandemic plan was for players to return to the Olympics in Beijing, but scheduling issues caused the league to pull out just before the drop-dead date to decide. USA Hockey and Hockey Canada went with more young prospects than four years earlier, and Slafkovsky showcased himself by scoring seven goals at age 17 to earn MVP honors as he led Slovakia to the bronze medal.

The U.S. lost in the quarterfinals in a shootout, just as it did in 2018, and gave Faber and Sanderson a valuable lesson about the perils of a single-elimination tournament. They just won't be espousing much about it to their elders.

“You kind of just soak it all in,” Sanderson said. "But I think Fabes and I being the two youngest on the team, I don’t think we’re holding court too much there.”

A big difference this time is the chance to roam freely around the city, rather than being confined to a bubble with COVID-19 precautions everywhere. While that's a world of difference, Faber was surprisingly comfortable arriving at his second Olympics.

“Pretty similar, though, honestly,” Faber said. “A lot more similar than I thought it would be.”

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Sweden's Gabriel Landeskog skates with the puck during men's ice hockey practice at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Finland's Mikko Lehtonen carries his country's flag during the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Canada's Sidney Crosby skates up the ice during men's ice hockey practice at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Canada's Drew Doughty arrives for men's ice hockey practice at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

ROME (AP) — AC Milan lost ground in the race for the Serie A title after a 1-0 defeat at Lazio on Sunday left it eight points behind leader Inter Milan.

Gustav Isaksen's first-half goal proved enough for Lazio as Massimiliano Allegri's Milan wasted a chance to cut the gap on its city rival, which was held at home by Atalanta on Saturday.

There are nine rounds of matches remaining.

Isaksen broke the deadlock in the 26th minute after connecting with a long ball, getting the better of defender Pervis Estupiñán before sending the ball past Milan 'keeper Mike Maignan with a composed finish.

Milan defender Zachary Athekame's goal from a corner was ruled out in the 75th minute for a handball.

Como came from behind to move into fourth place and a Champions League spot with a 2-1 win over 10-man Roma in the Italian league on Sunday.

Despite missing key players, Roma took an early lead from Donyell Malen's penalty after Stephan El Shaarawy was brought down. Both teams created chances after the interval and Como coach Cesc Fabregas' changes paid off as Tasos Douvikas beat the offside trap to equalize.

A turning point came soon after when Roma's Wesley was shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Assane Diao. Como made the most of its numerical advantage and Diego Carlos sealed the win with his first Serie A goal in the 79th minute.

Roma was in sixth place, three points behind Como.

Elsewhere, substitute Vitinha and Leo Ostigard scored in Genoa's 2-0 win at last-place Verona as Daniele De Rossi’s side moved even further away from the relegation zone.

Genoa is 13th with 33 points after 29 rounds, nine points above 18th-place Cremonese.

Inter Milan drew 1-1 with Atalanta at home on Saturday.

Vitinha scored right after coming on as a replacement for Caleb Ekuban with a powerful shot from long range around the hour mark. Ostigard made it 2-0 in the 86th minute with a header from a free kick.

Down to 10 men from the 37th minute after Rafiu Durosinmi kicked defender Yerry Mina, 19th-place Pisa claimed its second league win of the season.

Antonio Caracciolo scored a brace in the 3-1 win over Cagliari, which also finished with 10 men following Adam Obert's late dismissal for a second yellow card.

Bologna beat Sassuolo 1-0, with Thijs Dallinga scoring early in the game.

But Bologna lost several players through injuries ahead of the second leg of the Europa League round-of-16 tie at Roma on Thursday, with the first leg a 1-1 draw. Goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski was injured after an aerial challenge but was forced to play on because coach Vincenzo Italiano had already used all his substitutions.

Nikola Moro and Lorenzo De Silvestri also got injured Sunday.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Lazio's goalkeeper Edoardo Motta makes a save against AC Milan's Rafael Leao, centre, during a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Milan, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

AC Milan's Christopher Nkunku makes an attempt to score during a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Milan, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Lazio's Gustav Isaksen scores his side's opening goal past AC Milan's goalkeeper Mike Maignan during a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Milan, in Rome, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Como's Diego Carlos celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Serie A soccer match between Como and Roma in Como, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026 (Photo by Antonio Saia/LaPresse via AP)

Como's Diego Carlos celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Serie A soccer match between Como and Roma in Como, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026 (Photo by Antonio Saia/LaPresse via AP)

Genoa's Vitinha, front center, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between Hellas Verona and GFC Genoa 1893 in Verona, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Paola Garbuio/LaPresse via AP)