Returning across the pond with fond memories of Stockholm
Both teams now head back across the Atlantic to North America tonight, with the Penguins returning to Pittsburgh for consecutive games on Friday against the Minnesota Wild and Saturday against the Seattle Kraken.
The Preds, meanwhile, are back in Nashville on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche.
While both teams have the week to recover from this trip and the ensuing jet lag, the memories from Stockholm will remain for everyone.
“It’s pretty fantastic to be able to have this opportunity,” said Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson, named the game’s second star. “I’ve been in the league for 17 years and played four games over here [in Sweden].
“The NHL obviously is predominantly in North America, but we have a lot of players from different countries that grow up now watching that, so to be here and give people the opportunity to watch it live is something that if I look back to when I was an eight-year-old boy, I would jump at that.”
The Predators’ Forsberg concurred, despite the loss.
“It’s been so much fun,” he said. “I’ve had both of my grandparents here… I’ve had family that you only see a week or two in the summer that have been watching their first NHL games.
“Eaten more meatballs than anyone in this team has ever thought they would eat, and I don’t think we’ll see another meatball for a while, but it’s been unbelievable.”
Crosby, who as he found out this week in Sweden is celebrated and mobbed everywhere he goes, said of the back-to-back sellouts at Avicii Arena: “Obviously, to see the turnout shows you how excited people are just to see games here.
“As players, it’s been 17 years since we (the Penguins) have been here, I’m sure that’s going to become something that’s more of a common thing.
“And when you get an atmosphere like that, when you get guys who get to come home and play, you’re talking about growing the game, it doesn’t really get any better than opportunities like this.”
