ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Joel Eriksson Ek is looking forward to the opportunity play in front of his extended family for the first time in a while when the Minnesota Wild participate in the 2023 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal.
However, the 26-year-old forward, who is from Karlstad, Sweden, is also aware of how important the two games will be for the Wild (5-8-2), who have lost three straight, including 8-3 to the Dallas Stars on Sunday.
Minnesota will first play the Ottawa Senators on Saturday (11 a.m. ET; RDS, TSN5, NHLN, BSN, BSWIX) before going up against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday (8 a.m. ET; BSWIX, BSN, NHLN, SNO). Each game will be played at Avicii Arena in Stockholm.
"Grandma and grandpa and all those people will be special to play in front of them," Eriksson Ek said. "It's going to be a fun experience, but at the same time, it's important points for us to go there and try to win those games."
Before those games are played, though, Eriksson Ek, along with forward Marcus Johansson (Landskrona), defenseman Jonas Brodin (Karlstad) and goalie Filip Gustavsson (Skelleftea), will perform the role of tour guides for the rest of their teammates in order to showcase some of the highlights of their native country.
"I'm excited to show everyone the culture of where we come from a little bit and eat some Swedish food," Gustavsson said. "A lot of guys have said they've never been there before, so it's going to be great just to show them around, especially since we have so many Swedes on this team.
"It's our time to shine."
Brodin agreed.
"Every restaurant has meatballs, mashed potatoes, gravy and then lingonberries, and it's my favorite," he said. "A lot of good restaurants, a lot of good food. I can't wait.
"I have about 25 tickets for family and friends. It's only about three hours away, so an easy drive. I think you always want to play well in front of your family. My family usually comes over about once a year except the COVID year (2020-21), but it will be nice to be there with them watching."
This will be the second international event for the Wild, who previously played two games against the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2010 Premiere Series in Helsinki, Finland.
Despite the rare opportunity, captain Jared Spurgeon said he's viewing the trip to Sweden as he would any other road trip, as a chance to correct their recent struggles.
"No matter where you're going, whether it's Sweden or another city, it's the same thing. You've got to work our way out of it," Spurgeon said. "No one is feeling sorry for us here. It's a long season and this group in here has got to be the ones that come together and get us out of it."
