Filip Forsberg remembers the bus rides, the games, sitting in the stands at Stockholm Globe Arena -- now Avicii Arena -- as a kid. He remembers what it meant to him, the pride he took in wearing his youth jersey, the way the Swedish hockey stars looked so big in his eyes.
It's why, when he learned the Nashville Predators were set to participate in the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal, his thoughts turned almost immediately to those kids.
"It was one of the first things that came to mind when this was happening, how can I involve Leksand and the kids there somehow," Forsberg said of his hometown, about three hours north of Stockholm. "First thought was just [to] get them up there.
"Sweden would play in 'The Globe' and we would take the bus there for like an end-of-the-year trip for the Euro Hockey Tour, those type of games when I was growing up. And that was so cool for us. You'd wear our youth hockey jerseys in the stands, and that was really special."
At that time, when Forsberg was growing up, the NHL didn't have as much of a presence in Sweden. The League's stars didn't go over there to play and there wasn't the same TV access to games, so for him, the stars were all Swedish.
He's since become a Swedish NHL star.
So, this week, a group of 100 people, kids and coaches and parents, will make that bus ride south from Leksand to join Forsberg and the Predators at their open practice Saturday, the day off between the two games the Pittsburgh Penguins (9-5-3) and Predators (5-9-4) will play at Avicii Arena in Stockholm on Friday (2 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SN-PIT, NHLN, SN) and Sunday (9 a.m. ET; FDSNSO, SN-PIT, NHLN, SN).
They will see not just him, but also Adam Wilsby, the other Swede on the Predators roster and a Stockholm native. Each is thrilled to get to play in their native country, in front of family and friends, and what they can do for the kids.
"I'm really excited to see all the kids there and kind of give them a taste of what our regular day is like," Forsberg said. "Driving three hours on the bus was a big adventure when you were that young, going to the big city in Stockholm. The bus ride was awesome, too, just getting on the bus with guys and you'd sit there and talk. Once you're at the game, you'd watch -- at that point, we thought it was the best players in the world because you didn't really understand what the NHL was, but you'd watch the players represent your country and you thought that was awesome. And you'd get back on the bus and probably all of us were asleep within the hour.
"That's my hope, to give some of that back."
For Wilsby, it was mind-blowing when he heard the Predators would be playing in Stockholm. He had made Nashville's roster the previous fall, with his debut coming Nov. 27, and so the news was both welcome and, to him, crazy.
"Obviously very, very excited," Wilsby said. "It's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience being able to play an NHL game in my hometown and not only for me, but to share it with people that I care about and have supported me.
"It was even more of a motivating factor for me this summer to earn my spot on the team so I can be part of it. … Obviously I was going to work hard either way, but this gave me another big reason to not skip any workouts or take it easy."
Wilsby, who grew up in a suburb just north of Stockhom and has an apartment downtown, is expecting to need between 20 and 25 tickets to accommodate all those who want to be there for him, including his older sister and brother who have yet to see him play in the NHL.
The 25-year-old defenseman has been largely put in charge of the Predators' itinerary while in Stockholm, with an assist from Forsberg, who has tailored their postgame menus to feature Swedish favorites. There are team dinners planned almost every night, with the chance to sample Swedish meatballs, pickled herring and more, along with places to go and things to do.
"It's going to be fun to show the guys where I live, and hopefully they'll have a good experience," Wilsby said. "I kind of turned into the trip leader, so I'm feeling a little bit of pressure to give them a good experience."
He will recommend that his teammates get out, go for walks, see the "beautiful buildings and architecture" of old town Stockholm, that they find a hole-in-the-wall bakery and have a fika, the daily coffee-and-pastry ritual that is prized by Swedes.
"Those are the things they can't miss," Wilsby said.
Part of what makes this trip extra meaningful is Forsberg thought it would never happen. After the Predators took part in the 2022 NHL Global Series in Bern, Switzerland, and Prague, Czechia, he figured that was it; the chances of getting to play NHL games in his native Sweden were over, understanding how rarely these opportunities arise.
Which was why his ears perked up when, last March, Predators equipment manager Pete Rogers gave him a heads-up they might be heading overseas again.
This time, to Stockholm. He was overjoyed.
Because while many of his family members were able to see him play in person in Prague, not all were. That includes the partner of his grandmother on his mother's side, the grandfather he has known all of his life.
"He hasn't been able to see me play since I played in Leksand," Forsberg said. "So, that will be really special too."
