Team Italy hoping to ‘surprise some people’ at Olympics

Italy has no players on its roster who have ever played in the NHL.

Each of Sweden’s 25 rostered players plays in the NHL.

Regardless, these Italians are united in bringing glory, in whatever form it takes, to Team Italy.

“We are very excited, we understand the responsibility we have not only ourselves, but all the hockey players in Italy,” Larkin said. “They’ve dreamed of this chance. We are excited to get going and to show Italian hockey to the world and carry our colors with pride.”

The journey to this point has been a thrill ride for Larkin.

He left Italy at 14 to join Phillps-Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, where he blossomed and caught the eye of NHL scouts. He was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fifth round (No. 137) of the 2009 NHL Draft, the first Italian-trained player to be taken in the draft, but never played in the NHL.

Larkin played four seasons at Colgate University. Two seasons in the American Hockey League with Springfield followed.

Then, it was two seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League before joining the Duetsche Elite League, where he has played for the past nine seasons, including the past three as captain of Schwenninger.

Through it all, it was hard to believe Larkin would ever reach a pinnacle like the one he is experiencing during the Olympics.

He said he was deeply emotional during the Opening Ceremony on Friday at San Siro Stadium, which he called, “as close to a cathedral as you can have for the non-religious if you are from here.”

The event was emotional and exhausting.

“I woke up in the village after the ceremony and felt like I had already played a game or two,” he said. “You wake up after an event like that and you didn’t play a game, but you feel like you got put through the wringer. It’s good we got those emotions out of the way.”

Sunday was just as surreal for Larkin.

He showed up at the dining hall in the Olympic Village and found NHL stars in line with him. He made some small talk but said he was gobsmacked by the company he was keeping.