Peter Forsberg is an Olympic hero in Sweden.
His goal in a penalty shootout at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer brought home the gold medal and put him on a Swedish postage stamp. In the 2006 Olympic finals, he set up the last goal to secure a 3-2 victory over Finland.
The former Avalanche star has been foiled by injuries in an attempt to return to the NHL, but he will have the opportunity for an encore Olympic performance.
The Associated Press reported Sunday that Forsberg was named to Sweden’s team for the Vancouver Games. Forsberg plays for Swedish team Modo but has dealt with ankle and foot problems for several years.
He was selected for the 23-man team by coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson, who isn’t worried about Forsberg’s history of injuries.
“I have been in contact with ‘Foppa,’ and there shouldn’t be any problems with the injury,” he told the Swedish daily Aftonbladet.
Forsberg won two Stanley Cups with the Avalanche and was named the NHL’s MVP in 2003.
He began his career with the Quebec Nordiques and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 1995 before the team moved to Denver. He also played with the Philadelpia Flyers and Nashville Predators before returning to the Avs and playing nine games during the 2007-08 season.
