Penguins, Predators to play 2 games in Stockholm next season

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators will face each other in a pair of games in Sweden next season as part of the NHL's Global Series, the league announced Tuesday.

The games will take place Nov. 14 and 16 at Avicii Arena in Stockholm.

Pittsburgh's roster features two prominent Swedes in Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell, while Filip Forsberg is the headliner for Nashville. All three players donned the Tre Kronor at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

"I come from a small town, so I never got the chance to see any professional hockey until I was probably 16 or 17," Karlsson said. "I think it's a great thing that the NHL does right now.

"Obviously, we have a lot of fans back home in Sweden, lot of young kids who start playing hockey because of the NHL, and it's easier to follow now, too. I think a lot of people do, through the internet and all that. So, it's nice to be able to give them a chance to see it live."

Rakell is particularly excited about the chance to have his grandmother in attendance.

"It's very exciting, just the chance to play in my home country and play in front of family and friends and people growing up, different coaches that (don't) really have the chance to come and see me play over here," Rakell said. "And my grandma, just for her to have the chance to see me play, it'll be a lot of fun."

The 2024 Global Series featured contests in Finland, Czechia, and Germany. The NHL last played games in Sweden in 2023.

The Penguins last played overseas in 2008 in Sweden. The Predators went to Switzerland and Czechia in 2022.