(Photo credit: REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw)

MILAN, Italy -- The NHL's biggest stars began their long-awaited return to the Olympic stage on Friday, as players battled exhaustion to join their national teams at the Milan Cortina Games five days before their competition begins.

The National Hockey League began its Olympic break on Friday, freeing up dozens of players to fly into Milan as it allows its athletes to compete at the Games for the first time in 12 years.

'Of course, I'm jet lagged,' said Czech goalie Lukas Dostal, who was the first NHL player to practice at Santagiulia Arena after arriving in Milan on Thursday night.

'I didn't have much time to see around because I got here last night so I just went to my room, got some dinner, slept, and just got here,' said the Anaheim Ducks goaltender, who got a head-start after his team played its final game on Tuesday night.

A representative for the Swiss team said six of its players were arriving on Friday, including three from the New Jersey Devils who played on Thursday night.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (Czech Republic), Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (Germany) and Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter (Switzerland) each served as flag-bearers for their respective countries during Friday's opening ceremony.

Dostal said he had planned to skip the opening ceremony in favor of rest but had a change of heart.

'I woke up and I'm like, 'Hey, it's one-of-a-kind experience',' he told reporters.

'DIFFERENT LEVEL'

Other players will have more of a buffer between the bruising NHL schedule and their Olympic campaign. The United States team, which is comprised entirely of NHL players, will wait to host its first practice in Milan on Sunday.

Canada, meanwhile, have already felt the wear-and-tear of the NHL season, having replaced two injured players in their roster this week.

The roughly 150 NHL players expected to compete in Milan will bring a megawatt spotlight to their sport and promise a true 'best-on-best' tournament, after two Olympic cycles with players from outside the top-flight North American league.

'It's good that I know how it is to play against them,' said Czech winger Dominik Kubalik, an NHL alum who competed in 2018 and plays in the Swiss National League. 'It's going to be a different level.'

One glaring omission from the world's best is the NHL's top Russian stars, such as all-time goal-scoring leader Alex Ovechkin, who are banned from competing at Milano Cortina as part of sanctions imposed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

--Reuters, special to Field Level Media