Brady Skjei’s Olympic memories
Skjei was part of Team USA’s Olympic orientation camp in August, one of 44 players invited to Michigan for a team-building event.
While it doesn’t guarantee the Nashville Predators defenseman will make the final team, it does suggest he is on the selectors’ minds.
“It’s a huge honor,” he said of wearing the Team USA jersey. “I definitely don’t take it lightly when I get the opportunity. I’ve been lucky enough to wear it a few times in high school and then play at World Juniors and World Championships.
“It’s a huge honor and the Olympics would obviously be the culmination of that, so I’ll obviously do my best. It would be a dream of mine to be in that team, so we’ll see what happens.”
If he does go to Milano Cortina 2026, he will get the chance to experience some of his childhood memories in person.
‘I remember watching as a child Apollo Ohnthe skater, it was quite cool to watch him on the short track, very nice,” Skjei remembers of the short track skater who won eight medals from 2002 to 2010, including two golds.
As for ice hockey, the USA’s heartbreaking loss to host Canada in the 2010 final still sticks.
“I feel like I remember the one in Vancouver, I remember watching quite clearly. And then the one in Sochi with TJ Oshie (who was a firefight against Russia) obviously the movie ‘Miracle’ is a pretty special movie for American-born hockey players.”
As the National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Winter Olympic Games, athletes’ participation in Milano Cortina 2026 depends on the choice of their NOC to represent their delegation at the Games.
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