STOCKHOLM -- Filip Forsberg has already done the prescout.
Forsberg, who is representing Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Stockholm, has studied the city in eager anticipation of his return with the Nashville Predators in the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal.
"That should be awesome," said the forward, who led Nashville in scoring with 76 points (31 goals, 45 assists) in 82 games this season and also represented Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-off in February. "This is a great tournament to get used to the city a little bit and see where the great seats are for family and friends. There's a lot of that. It's going to be a good one for sure.
"We have a couple other Swedes that will do a little bit of the heavy lifting, but there's certainly a little bit of scouting being done here of the city while I'm here."
The games between the Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins will take place at Avicii Arena on Nov. 14 and 16, and mark the third time the Predators have played overseas.
They swept the San Jose 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.
"This would be one of the great spots to hold the game," said Nashville goalie Juuse Saros, who is playing with Finland at the World Championship. "I'm sure we'll get a lot of recommendations from [Forsberg] when we come here."
Nashville forward Ryan O'Reilly believes the 2025 Global Series will hold special significance for Forsberg, who was born 80 miles north of Stockholm in Ostervala, as well as fellow Swedish teammates defensemen Adam Wilsby and Andreas Englund.
"It's nice we've got Forsberg and a couple Swedes that kind of know their way around the town," said O'Reilly, who was representing Canada at the Worlds. "Him being one of the superstars of the League and faces of the League, to come to his home country and his home place to play a game is fun for him, but fun for everyone, too. It's cool to have the NHL over here and play.
"I think it's going to be awesome. This arena is amazing, the city's awesome, the restaurants and food everywhere has been great, the hospitality has been awesome. I'm excited for it. I think it'll be a great thing. I think the League has always done a good job with it, and especially here ... it's a hockey town and people love hockey here."
It's not just Predators players that are excited.
Count Penguins captain Sidney Crosby in that category, too.
The 2025 Global Series will serve as Crosby's second NHL trip to Stockholm after playing against the Ottawa Senators as part of the 2008 NHL Premiere Series.
It'll also be his second trip to the city in six months after playing with Canada at Worlds.
"I think the coolest part of those games is just seeing those guys return to their hometowns and for them to be able to play at home," said Crosby, who has three Swedish teammates in forwards Rickard Rakell and Emil Bemstrom, and defenseman Erik Karlsson. "I've been fortunate enough to be here a couple of times now. I know it's a great city and I'm sure people will be really excited to see some of their local guys here up close playing for their NHL teams."
The trip marks the 15th NHL season to include regular-season games outside North America. Since 1997, the NHL has played 46 regular-season games at venues off the continent, with the 2025 NHL Global Series being the 47th and 48th regular-season games played overseas.
Stockholm has hosted the most, with 18 regular-season games, including the upcoming Global Series.
"For sure it's special," Saros said. "Stockholm is a great city and obviously it's close to home. I think there will be a lot of Finnish people coming to watch it, too. We were able to start our season a couple years ago in Prague with the Global Series, and I thought it was really cool.
"It's cool to be a part of it again."
