When his Nashville Predators face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Stockholm this week, it will feel just like home for defenceman Adam Wilsby.
The pair of games, part of the 2025 NHL Global Series in Sweden, will be played at Avicii Arena on Nov. 14 and 16 – dates the Stockholm-born Wilsby has had circled on his calendar for months.
This marks the first trip to Stockholm for the Predators and their third time overseas for NHL competition. They swept the San Jose Sharks at the 2022 NHL Global Series at O2 Arena in Prague and split two games with the Penguins at GAME ONe Japan 2000 series, each team winning by a 3-1 count at Saitama Super Arena.
“Obviously, to have this special opportunity to play in front of friends and family is going to be an amazing experience,” said Wilsby, one of two Swedish-born players on the Predators, alongside Filip Forsberg.
“You never dream that you will get to play NHL games in your hometown. Other than that, it will be nice to show Stockholm to my teammates and hopefully, they will enjoy their time there – not just the games, but seeing what the city is all about, too.”
The 25-year-old blueliner, selected 101st overall by Nashville in the 2020 NHL Draft, will also take on an unofficial role during the NHL Global Series.
“Guys have already asked a lot of questions, so I am ready to take on that responsibility of tour guide. Filip isn’t from Stockholm, so the role of tour guide goes to me – and I don’t mind that at all.”
Beyond fielding questions and recommending his favourite local spots in the country’s capital, Wilsby is excited for the chance to face some of hockey’s biggest names – including one of his childhood idols, Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson.
Karlsson, 35, is a revered figure in Sweden. Crowned best defenceman at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi after Sweden earned a silver medal, he also became the second Sweden-born player to win the Norris Trophy when he was voted best defenceman in the NHL in 2011-12 – for the first of three times.
“To play against Erik Karlsson, that’s going to be amazing,” said Wilsby. “I played against him last year for the first time – he was obviously a guy I looked up to – so it was a great experience. He’s an amazing player, but from what I hear, he is also an amazing person, too.”
It’s not just Karlsson who Wilsby is eager to match up against.
“Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin – it’s a pretty cool thing to play against those guys. I didn’t go to any of the Global Series games growing up, but they were great games. I know everyone in Stockholm was so excited to see the NHL players in our city and now I get this amazing chance to actually play in it.”
The opportunity opened a flood of memories for Wilsby, who was playing pro hockey with Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League when he signed two-year, entry-level contract with Nashville in April 2022.
Hockey, not surprisingly, was a cornerstone of his youth – and not just on ice.
“We had a very close-knit group of friends growing up, everyone was super-competitive. We played in different tournaments and were able to win a lot. We also spent the whole summer playing rollerblade hockey. We had a lot of battles at those games. You would have lot of stick marks on your legs, maybe a few slashes and guys crying if they would lose the game. We just loved hockey growing up and I still love it so much now.”
Support from the stands, including some of those same friends, won’t be in short supply for Wilsby.
The blueliner, who signed a new two-year contract with Nashville on Feb. 9, 2025, will have plenty of familiar faces cheering him on in the crowd.
“Probably around 20 to 25 people,” noted Wilsby. “Being able to do this, to see all my family and friends who have supported me along the way, it brings back a lot of memories of that support, how important it was and how it helped me chase my hockey dreams. It will be so special to share this with all of them.”
And all Swedish hockey fans, for that matter.
Sweden remains one of the NHL’s strongest international markets, producing more players than any other country outside North America with 72 Swedish-born players on opening day NHL rosters in 2025-26.
“Every now and again, I get so focused on playing here in North America, where I need to remind myself just how great our fans are in Sweden,” said Wilsby. “It is a huge fan base for the Swedish players and the NHL.”
A fanbase Wilsby is excited to get re-acquainted with.
Feature photo courtesy of Getty Images