Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins return to Stockholm to face the Nashville Predators in the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal.
The games will take place at Avicii Arena on Nov. 14 and Nov. 16.
Crosby, in his 20th NHL season, has played overseas once in his illustrious career, with the Penguins against the Ottawa Senators as part of the 2008 NHL Premiere Series in Stockholm. He had two assists in two games, a 4-3 overtime win and a 3-1 loss.
Pittsburgh has three Sweden-born players on its roster: defenseman Erik Karlsson and forwards Rickard Rakell and Emil Bemstrom. Karlsson and Rakell represented Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off last month.
"I think it becomes a big thing for us,” said Rakell, a native of Sundbyberg, Sweden. “I think [it’s special] just to have a chance to play in your home country or play in front of, like, your youth team or old coaches that you had growing up. For you to have a chance to have family or friends come and see you and your teammates play, I think it's a pretty special thing."
Karlsson, 34, is legendary in Sweden. He was named the best defenseman in the 2014 Sochi Olympics when Sweden took home the silver medal. He also became the second Sweden-born player to win the Norris Trophy when he was voted best defenseman in the NHL for the first of three times in 2011-12 while with the Senators. He also won in 2014-15 (Senators) and 2022-23 (San Jose Sharks).
"It's obviously a great experience," Karlsson told the Penguins website. "Everyone that hasn't been there before, they played with a lot of guys that are from there. You hear a lot of things about a lot of various foods and different things. So, it's fun for everyone to experience. Obviously, for us, it's nice because you have a lot of friends and family there, and at the same time, it's nice to be able to show your teammates your home country, and maybe put a picture to some of the things you talk about a lot and they're asking you about."
Rakell is in his third full season with the Penguins after he was acquired in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on March 21, 2022. He leads them in goals (31) and is second to Crosby in points with 59 this season. Rakell played for AIK in Stockholm before coming to North America for the 2010-11 season.
Predators forward Filip Forsberg and defensemen Adam Wilsby and Andreas Englund are Sweden natives. Forsberg, 30, leads Nashville this season with 59 points (25 goals, 34 assists) in 66 games, played at the 4 Nations Face-Off and has scored at least 40 goals in two of the past four seasons. Englund was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 10.
"Obviously it's going to be a great time, a great opportunity for me," Forsberg said. "I have a lot of people that might not be able to travel here to watch that get their chance to watch me play in the NHL at home. It's pretty special. I mean second to my hometown (Leksand), it's the best place in the world. Stockholm is beautiful. It's a great city. November shouldn't be too bad weather-wise either. Watching the best players in the world in Avicii Arena? Can't beat that."
The Predators will be making their first trip to Stockholm and third overseas. They swept the Sharks in the 2022 Global Series at O2 Arena in Prague, winning 4-1 and 3-2, and split two games with the Penguins at the GAME One Japan series in 2000, each team winning 3-1 at Saitama Super Arena.
