Stralman on NHL's Olympic decision: 'They crushed a dream'

On Monday, following the NHL's announcement that the league won't send its players to the 2018 Winter Olympics, Henrik Lundqvist and Erik Karlsson both voiced their displeasure.

Related: Karlsson calls Olympic decision 'crap,' won't say if he'll defy NHL and play

The news means Lundqvist will lose the chance to play in his fourth games, while Karlsson will be kept away from his second. It's a tough pill to swallow for sure, but for fellow Swede and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman - who's yet to compete at the Olympics - the news cuts a little deeper.

"They crushed a dream," Stralman said, according to ESPN's Joe McDonald. "It's sad."

"Just billionaires trying to make a few extra bucks," he added.

Stralman's on-ice development may have taken a while, but he's become a very dependable defender. He earned a spot on Sweden's World Cup of Hockey roster in September, and it's safe to say he would have been included on Sweden's 2018 Olympic team.

However, with Stralman already 30 years old, and with the next potential opportunity not coming until 2022, there's a chance that Monday's announcement could very well have closed the door on his Olympic aspirations for good.