Forsberg enjoys Global Series 'special moment' with kids from hometown team

STOCKHOLM -- Filip Forsberg walked into the Stockholm Lounge at Avicii Arena on Saturday and saw his face looking back at him -- many, many times.

The Nashville Predators forward was there for a meet and greet with 63 players from his hometown club, Leksands IF Youth Hockey. Each of the youth players was wearing a T-shirt with Forsberg’s face on it, part of a group of 100 people who drove three hours from Leksands to watch the Predators’ open practice in preparation to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second game of the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal at Avicii Arena on Sunday (9 a.m. ET; FDSNSO, SN-PIT, NHLN, SN).

Forsberg was one of the heroes for Nashville when it defeated Pittsburgh 2-1 in overtime on Friday, scoring the tying goal with 1:10 remaining in regulation before forward Steven Stamkos scored in overtime.

“It was nice to meet him,” said Tim Blank Pettersson, a member of Leksand’s under-13 team. “Leksand is a small town with not a lot of people, and we have Filip Forsberg, so that’s pretty cool.”

Forsberg appreciated the opportunity to interact with the young players and give back to the program that helped him get his start in hockey. The NHL, NHL Players’ Association and Forsberg announced Friday they were donating ice and street hockey equipment to Leksands IF Youth Hockey.

The NHLPA Goals & Dreams and Forsberg contributed 20 full sets of ice hockey equipment, at a cost of $20,000, to the Sweden-based organization. The NHL will provide 120 sets of ball hockey equipment through its NHL Street Hockey initiative.

“Everything was tied in very well and, obviously, very thankful to the PA for making it all happen,” said Forsberg, who gave each youth player at the meet and greet an autographed photo. “But it means a lot to get the kids out here, especially I remember times we would go on like, season-ending trips to the national team games in this building, and it was one of the best trips of the year.

“And being able to give those guys a little bit of that and see what we do on a daily basis and meet the kids is a special moment, for sure.”

A fortunate 12 Leksands youth players were selected to stand alongside the Predators and Penguins starters during the singing of the U.S. and Swedish national anthems before the game Friday. An additional 16 players from Fritidsbanken Sweden, a past Goals & Dreams donation recipient, will participate in the on-ice pregame ceremony Sunday that will highlight NHLPA Goals & Dreams’ efforts to grow hockey at the grassroots level in Sweden.

“It’s important to -- and the League has programs as well -- it’s really important to support organizations, not just the players, but organizations to help expand hockey and create opportunities for young people to play hockey,” NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said Friday. “Those Goals & Dreams made today is equipment donations that kids might not otherwise, families might not be able to afford.

“So having more and more donations like that, and what the NHL’s doing as well with street hockey and other things, it’s really important to give as much access to the game of hockey as possible to our young people, for free.”

Getting to meet Forsberg and watch the Predators practice might also help inspire the next generation of Swedish players. It was part of an “unforgettable” experience for Amanda Larose Osterby, whose 10-year-old son Dexter was one of the 12 Leksands players on the ice before the game Friday.

“Once in a lifetime," Larose Osterby said. "Intense, yet incredibly rewarding. That’s the only way to describe this experience. And seeing my son out there on the ice -- while hearing from my parents back home in Canada who got to watch him skate alongside his hockey idols -- left me completely at a loss for words.

“As a mom to an aspiring player, this has meant the world to me and to our family.”

After the meet and greet with Forsberg, some of the Leksand youth players headed to the NHL Global Fan Tour presented by Mercedes at Kungstradgarden in downtown Stockholm.

Blank Pettersson enjoyed the mini sticks area and teammate Simon Haspring was impressed by the Sense Arena VR hockey booth, where players experience what it’s like to be a goalie trying to stop simulated shooters. Other activities at the NHL Globe Fan Tour, which is open through Sunday, include Hardest Shot, Accuracy Shooting, Stickhandling and Youth Fitness Zone, e-games, NHL Blast on Roblox, bubble hockey, air hockey and hockey cornhole games.

Unfortunately for Blank Pettersson and Haspring, they were not there during one of the select times when the Stanley Cup and Hart Trophy, which is presented each season to the NHL’s most valuable player, were on display.

Still, they enjoyed the day in Stockholm, particularly watching the Predators practice, before heading back to Leksands.

“It was cool to meet some of the players and see what they do,” Haspring said.