The 2025-26 NHL Global Series is finally here, and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators are gearing up for their two-game set at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
Pittsburgh’s last trip to Stockholm in 2008 ended up turning out pretty well for them, as they later went on to beat the Detroit Red Wings in the 2009 Stanley Cup Final for the franchise’s third championship. And – according to NHL.com writer Amalie Benjamin – that’s something that isn’t unique to the Penguins.
In fact, starting with the Penguins’ trip to Stockholm in 2008, there have been 10 NHL trips outside of North America. Six teams participating in those contests went on to win the Stanley Cup in the same respective year as their trip.
In other words, these trips actually tend to mean a lot in the grand scheme of things, whether that’s due to the team bonding experiences or a break from the normalcy of the NHL schedule. And there are added stakes since these games will count toward the regular season.
Here is what you need to know about this year’s Global Series between the Pens and Preds:
– Including this season, the NHL debuted the Global Series in 2017 when the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche squared off, and it had been six years since the league played an international regular season game overseas – as the NHL Premiere series ended in 2011. This is the seventh season the NHL has done the Global Series, as there was a recess in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Penguins Five-Day Break Before Sweden Games Comes At Perfect Time
The Pittsburgh Penguins have five days off before their next game, and it couldn’t come at a better time.
– Both games will take place at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, and it will be an international home-and-home series. The two-game set begins Friday at 2:00 p.m. EDT, and it concludes on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. EDT.
– The games can be viewed on Sportsnet and Sportsnet Pittsburgh for regional coverage and on NHL Network for national/international coverage.
– The Penguins enter the Global Series third in the Metropolitan Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with 21 points and a record of 9-5-3. They have lost four out of their last five games and have blown leads in three of them.
– The Predators enter the Global Series at 5-9-4 with 14 points, which is second from the bottom of the league standings. The Calgary Flames are the only team with a lower points percentage (.278) than the Preds (.389). They are on a three-game losing streak.
– The Penguins are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games against Nashville.
– The Penguins’ active roster features two Swedes in defenseman Erik Karlsson and goaltender Filip Larsson – who was named the team’s third-string goaltender for the trip. They also have two inactive Swedish players on their roster in forwards Rickard Rakell and Filip Hallander, who are both on injured reserve. Rakell made the trip, while Hallander did not. The Predators feature forward Filip Forsberg and defenseman Adam Wilsby.
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