Wild star Kirill Kaprizov wishes he could again enjoy the thrill of Olympics

The golden goal scorer in men’s hockey at the 2018 Olympics wasn’t sure if he would even be at the tournament.

“I was young,” Kirill Kaprizov said. “I don’t know if I go or not go. But when I make team, it was pretty fun to make team.”

Ditto for his accomplishment.

A 20-year-old Kaprizov one-timed in the game-winner in overtime against Germany to secure a goal medal for the Olympic Athletes of Russia at the Pyeongchang Winter Games.

“It was an unbelievable emotion,” Kaprizov recalled. “Take helmets off. Take gear off. It’s fun.”

Whether or not he would crack an Olympic roster is no longer a question.

The Wild superstar is a top-10 scorer in the NHL and the league’s reigning first star of the week after Kaprizov had multiple points in all four games the Wild played, including a three-point effort in the Jan. 22 victory over Detroit that saw the winger add another OT goal to his résumé.

“Yeah, I would love to go and play for your country, for your team,” Kaprizov said, “and so many guys would love to do this, too.”

Growing up in Russia, playing in the Olympics was as much an ambition as making it to the NHL for Wild forward Yakov Trenin.

“For athletes in Russia, I think Olympic Games, it’s even bigger — biggest achievement in sports in any sport,” Trenin said. “Even bigger than the Cup. Everyone [is] dreaming to become an Olympic champion one day.”

When Kaprizov competed in 2018, the tournament was a “big level” for him.

He had already been drafted by the Wild three years earlier but was still playing in Russia’s top league, the KHL, and teamed up with veterans such as Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk. It was actually Datsyuk, the Hockey Hall of Famer and longtime Red Wings player, who told Kaprizov where to go before he scored his golden goal on the power play.

Kaprizov’s gold medal is at home in Russia, with the other memorabilia his mom has collected for Kaprizov and his brother since childhood.

Even with Russia excluded, which meant Vladimir Tarasenko also wouldn’t get a chance to go back to the Olympics after he played in 2014, the Wild will be well-represented at the Milan-Cortina Games.

Brock Faber, Matt Boldy and Quinn Hughes are on Team USA, while Joel Eriksson Ek, Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt are going for Sweden. Jonas Brodin was also selected for Sweden, but he will be sidelined the next five to seven weeks after having surgery for a lower-body injury. Nico Sturm (Germany) as well as prospects David Spacek (Czech Republic) and Samuel Hlavaj (Slovakia) were picked, too.

Wild coach John Hynes is an assistant for the United States, and President of Hockey Operations Bill Guerin is Team USA general manager.

Kaprizov’s advice is to enjoy the experience, including living in the Olympic Village and meeting athletes in other sports.

The Wild have five games to go before the NHL stops for the Olympics, a 21-day break for the team that includes a roster freeze Feb. 4-22.

Kaprizov leads the Wild in scoring with 64 points and is tied with Boldy for first in goals with 28 while appearing in all 53 games after signing the richest contract in NHL history last September, an eight-year, $136 million extension that kicks in next season.

He figures he will tune into the Olympics during the time off.