The NHL announced Tuesday that the Nashville Predators will participate in the 2025 Global Series presented by Fastenal in Stockholm, Sweden. 

The Predators will play two regular-season games against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. CT (8 p.m. CET) and on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 8 a.m. CT (3 p.m. CET).

The @NHL, @NHLPA and Live Nation announced the 2025 #NHLGlobalSeries Sweden presented by Fastenal, a pair of regular-season games featuring the @PredsNHL and @Penguins in Stockholm, Sweden on Nov. 14 and Nov. 16.

For more: https://t.co/qQJZorUSf8pic.twitter.com/PnCCBSKlWv

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) March 18, 2025

Filip Forsberg, a native of Ostervala, Sweden, and the Predators' all-time leading goal scorer, spoke Tuesday morning at Bridgestone Arena about the opportunity to play NHL games in his native country for the first time.

"It's going to be a great time," Forsberg said. "[It's] a great opportunity, obviously, for me. I have a lot of people that might not be able to travel here to watch and now get the chance to watch me play in the NHL at home. It's pretty special."

Forsberg played junior hockey in Sweden for Leksands IF, about 160 miles northwest of Stockholm, before being drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2012.

"I don't know if I have any fans in Stockholm," he chuckled. "But I do know the Leksands proud will travel well and hopefully be well represented [at the Global Series games]."

Forsberg leads Nashville this season with 59 points (25 goals, 34 assists) in 66 games, played at the 4 Nations Face-Off and has scored at least 40 goals in two of the past four seasons. He is joined on the Predators' by fellow countrymen Adam Wilsby and Andreas Englund, both of whom are from Stockholm.

The NHL and Live Nation will offer ticket presales for the Global Series on Tuesday, March 25 at 4 a.m. CT; tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, March 26 at 4 a.m. CT at LiveNation.se. The first opportunity to purchase tickets to both games will be available to fans in attendance at the first-ever Hockey Day in Sweden celebration, hosted this year by the city of Linköping on March 21-22.

March 16th, 2002, started just like any other day. That night, the Columbus Blue Jackets were playing the Calgary Flames at Nationwide Arena, and I would be there. Little did we know how bad the day would turn out for one family though.  

The Jackets would beat the Flames 3-1 that night. Geoff Sanderson scored, Cole Sillinger's dad Mike would score, and Ray Whitney would put on a show, scoring a goal and getting two assists. 

The game also had some legends playing. Players like Bob Boughner, Jarome Iginla, Marc Savard, Craig Conroy, and Craig Berube were playing for the Flames. The Jackets had Jody Shelley, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, Kevin Dineen, Mike Sillinger, and Rusty Klesla playing. It was the O.G. days of CBJ hockey for sure. 

That night I sat in section 219, staring down at the attack twice net for the Flames. Midway through the second period, Norwegian forward Espen Knutsen took a harmless shot that was deflected way up into the stands behind Columbus goalie Ron Rugnutt. That happened a lot, with pucks flying into the stands. You can usually see the ushers walking down to where the puck landed and giving a thumbs-up if everyone is okay. 

1st Annual Gaudreau Family 5K Run/Walk & Family Day Set For May 31st In New JerseyOn May 31st, the 1st annual Gaudreau Family 5K Run/Walk & Family Day will occur in Washington Lake Park, Sewell, NJ. If you’re in Columbus, Calgary, or anywhere else in North America and would like to participate, you’ll be able to do just that by completing a virtual 5k.

But on this one, someone was hurt. A few minutes later, you could see what looked to be a teenage girl walking with a coat pressed to her head, and leaving. Usually, that means the puck drew blood and that they were going to get patched up. The game continued, the Jackets won, and fans went home happy. 

Little did we know though, that the young girl who was struck, suffered a skull fracture and had been taken by ambulance to Children's Hospital in downtown Columbus. Reports say that she suffered a seizure and was kept for observation. She seemed to be doing fine according to reports, even still holding the puck that hit her while sitting in her hospital bed. 

The hospital performed a CT Scan on Brittanie but failed to see that she had a torn vertebral artery, which resulted in severe clotting, causing her brain to swell. On March 18, 2002, young Brittanie Cecil passed away at 5:15 PM after developing a high fever and losing consciousness. She was just 13 years old. She died two days before her 14th birthday. 

When the local news and newspapers reported Brittanie's passing, fans in Columbus and around the league were shocked. How could this happen? What could be done to prevent this? 

Jackets forward Espen Knutsen said about the incident, "I think about it all the time. It was a terrible accident, and I cannot get it off my mind." Knutsen was given the option of sitting out the next game but chose to play. Reports say that Knutsen was sobbing in the Columbus locker room after he heard of Cecil's passing. 

"I'm not sure what being haunted by something really means, but if it means feeling the pain of what happened to that little girl all these years, feeling so bad for her family, wanting to tell them how sorry I am, then I guess that's what this is for me," Knutsen told the Columbus Dispatch in 2010. Former CBJ head coach Dave King said, "That incident ended his career. Espen was a wonderful person, and he had talent. But he was never the same player after that." King also said, "He was beyond consoling, and that was for weeks and weeks."

Knutsen, who had two stellar seasons for the expansion Jackets, scoring 22 goals and totaling 95 points, was never the same. In the next two seasons, he played just 45 games, mainly due to injury. He would retire in 2005 after playing just 211 NHL games. 

Flames defenseman Derek Morris said,  "You try to say, 'It happens all the time,' but you can't. I don't know how many times pucks get deflected over the glass, but it doesn't make it any better. You can always say, 'It's not my fault,' but you always feel like it is, a little." Morris would go on to play 1107 NHL games over 16 seasons. 

In the aftermath of Cecil's death, the NHL implemented certain safety measures to prevent something like this from happening ever again. Gary Bettman ordered that glass be a standardized height in all arenas, and also protective netting be added to prevent high-speed pucks from going into the stands. Nowadays, most fans don't even notice the netting, as it has just become part of the experience. 

Cecil's family would set up The Brittanie Nichole Cecil Memorial Scholarship Fund. Per their website -  "The Fund will award scholarships to graduating seniors of Hilliard Darby and Twin Valley South High Schools who wish to become the best person they can be."

On this date, March 18th, we remember young Blue Jackets fan Brittanie Cecil, who would be 37 years old on March 20th.

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Blue Jackets Stop Scoring Drought At 183 Minutes, But Drop Fourth Straight GameWell, it finally happened. After approximately 183 minutes, the Columbus Blue Jackets scored an NHL goal. In a strange twist, Mathieu Olivier is the one who scored the last goal against the Devils last Tuesday and scored the lone goal against the Devils on Monday. It is his 16th goal of the season.  Blue Jackets Weekly Injury Report: Week 22The NHL season is winding down, but injuries are piling up across the league. For the Columbus Blue Jackets, they have 16 games left in the season, but unlike most teams, they’re getting players back from injury.

Jake Allen may not be a member of the Montreal Canadiens anymore, but last night, the netminder gave his former team a hand when he backstopped the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is no small feat since the Devils are without Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, and the Ohio outfit is desperate to book its ticket to the playoffs.

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Allen stopped 45 of the 46 shots sent his way and was named the game's first star. Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt scored for the Devils, while Mathieu Olivier was the sole goal scorer for the Jackets.

The loss leaves Columbus in 11th place in the East with 70 points in 67 games. Dean Evason’s team still trails the Canadiens by one point, but Martin St-Louis’ men now have a game in hand.

The Buffalo Sabres, who are dead last in the East, also gave Montreal a hand by beating the Boston Bruins 3-2 in overtime thanks to an Alex Tuch goal. Even if the Bruins collected a point, they now have 69 points in 69 games and have played more than all the other teams involved in the playoff race.

The Canadiens are still only one point behind the New York Rangers, but the Habs have two games in hand. The Blueshirts will battle it out with the Calgary Flames, who are also involved in a tight race to the finish in the Western Conference. The Alberta team is two points out of the last wild card spot after a defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs and should be playing with a desperation that will match the Rangers’.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings, trailing the Canadiens by one point, will take on the Washington Capitals, just two points out of the top spot in the league. Detroit has also played one more game than Montreal.

The Canadiens are the masters of their destiny but wins by the Flames and the Capitals and a triumph over the Ottawa Senators would put them in an even better position—the second wild-card spot in the East.

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New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin is set to start his 51st game of the 2024-25 season against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In doing so, Sorokin will be the first goalie to appear in at least 51 games four times in Islanders history.

This milestone will come two days after the netminder became the first goalie in team history to win at least 25 games in four straight seasons, per Eric Hornick’s The Skinny. 

Sorokin Sets Islanders Franchise Record After Win Against FloridaIlya Sorokin earned the win in net for the New York Islanders over the Florida Panthers on Sunday and made some unique history in the process. 

Sorokin's play this season has kept the Islanders in the playoff race, as the netminder holds a 25-20-5 record, a 2.73 GAA, a .907 SV%, and 14.7 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.

In his career, Sorokin is 120-85-35 in 242 career games with a .917 SV%, 2.58 GAA, and 21 shutouts.

With over seven seasons remaining on his eight-year, $66 million contract, the 30-year-old can continue re-writing the record books.

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The Buffalo Sabres have re-assigned forward Isak Rosen to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans.

It has been a busy few days for Rosen, as the Sabres first re-assigned him to Rochester back on March 13 and then called him back up to the NHL roster on March 16. Now, he is again heading back to Rochester after not appearing in a game during his latest brief call-up with the Sabres. 

Rosen, 22, has appeared in three games this season with the Sabres, where he has zero points and a minus-2 rating. He is in the middle of an impressive season with Rochester, however, posting new AHL career-highs with 27 goals and 51 points in 52 games.

The Sabres selected Rosen with the 14th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. In 10 career NHL games over two seasons, he has zero points, two hits, and 10 shots on goal. 

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All good things come to an end.

The Detroit Red Wings have had a lot of great players over the years. From Niklas Lidstrom to Henrik Zetterburg to Chris Osgood and Steve Yzerman.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Unfortunately, not every player who plays for the Red Wings can stay with the Red Wings.

This summer, the Red Wings have to decide on several players at multiple levels of competition within the organization. So, let’s look at every expiring contract in the Red Wings' books.

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The Restricted Free Agents

Elmer Soderblom

The towering Elmer Soderblom has risen through the ranks of the Red Wings depth chart since his recall. He started the year in the AHL and now finds himself deployed on the top line in Detroit. He has spent 39 minutes on a line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.

His combination of skill and size makes him a player that the Red Wings will want to keep around for a very long time.

Jonatan Berggren

Jonatan Berggren has been up and down so far this year. Unfortunately, the young forward has been a healthy scratch for the past two games. He will need to turn things around if he wants to stick around long-term.

Albert Johansson

One of the bright spots of the season has been the emergence of two young defenders; Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson. This is the young Swede’s first taste of NHL hockey. After 44 games, the results have been incredibly positive.

The 24-year-old has been paired with Edvinsson for 63 percent of his total ice time this season. The duo have done great, having fewer goals scored on them than they score, even if they have allowed more chances and shots than they have taken.

The Red Wings’ Minor League RFA’s

Antti Tuomisto might not be on a lot of Red Wings’ fans radars, but the right-handed defender has had a solid year. He has been the most productive player on the backend of the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The 6-foot-5 and 210 lb Finnish defender has 24 points in 55 games, which is the seventh-most points on the Griffins.

Cross Hanas hasn’t been as productive, with only 17 points in 54 games this year. The winger has picked up his production of late, with four points in his last six games.

Eemil Viro is 2020 draft class defender playing for the Griffins. He will need a new AHL contract, as he is not ready to make the jump to the NHL. However, it’s possible that the Red Wings move on come July 1st.

Gage Alexander is a 6-foot-6 goaltender playing in the ECHL. He’s only played five games for the Reading Royals, but he has a 4-1 record, 2.81 goals against average (GAA) and a .913 save percentage (SV%).

The Unrestricted Free Agents

Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane appeared to be slumbering through the first portion of the season. But, since Christmas he’s been one of the top offensive contributors on the Red Wings.

Unless Kane feels like shifting his priorities, he will likely sign another one-year deal with the Red Wings once July 1st comes up on the calendar.

Craig Smith

The newest Red Wings forward Craig Smith does a lot of things that coaches like. He might not set the scoreboard ablaze, but a veteran coach in Todd McLellan might really like having a player like him around. There’s a good chance the Red Wings find a way to sneak him in on a two-to-three year deal in the summer.

Tyler Motte

Depth forwards come and go, and Tyler Motte is no exception. If the Red Wings really like him and his character, I could see him coming back on a one-year contract. Otherwise, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Jeff Petry

File Jeff Petry under the category of most likely to not be re-signed by the Red Wings. The combination of injury history and decline of play make it unlikely that Petry gets offered another contract by the Red Wings. Tuomisto or Anton Johansson could be two internal candidates to replace him in the NHL next season.

William Lagesson

William Lagesson is another depth player who could find themselves looking for work with another team come July 1st. He’s spent time both in the AHL and NHL this season. He’s a solid third pairing 29-year-old defender who doesn’t bring anything to the table that the Red Wings don’t already have with prospects who are ready to make the jump to the AHL.

Alex Lyon

The Red Wings goaltending situation will be a top storyline to follow during the summer. Cam Talbot, Petr Mrazek, and Alex Lyon are all tending twine for the Red Wings for the remainder of the year. However, the fascinating development of acquiring Mrazek could signal the end of Lyon’s tenure with the team. Talbot and Mrazek are signed until the end of the 2025-26 season.

The Minor League UFA’s

The Red Wings have a mixed bag of minor-league UFA’s to make decisions on in the summer: Timothy Gettinger, Joe Snively, Brogan Rafferty, and Jack Campbell.

Snively leads the Griffins with 39 points in 60 games. He spent six years with the Hershey Bears before joining the Griffins. As long as he is happy with his situation, playing another year in the AHL seems like a safe bet.

Gettinger and Rafferty are depth players for the Griffins. Depending on their plans, them returning to the team next season seems like a coin toss.

Campbell is an interesting case for the Red Wings. He has had his struggles, as his admittance to the NHLPA Players Assistance program earlier this season suggests, but when he plays well, he can be lights out.

It’s tough to pinpoint what kind of goaltender Campbell is at this stage of his career. If the Red Wings are willing to keep him on board, being the veteran presence in net for the Griffins might be his best chance at playing.

The Prospects

I’ve written about these prospects before and how the Red Wings will need to decide whether or not to offer them contracts. Kyle Aucoin was also in this category, but the Red Wings traded his rights before the deadline as part of the Yanni Gourde deal.

Red Savage brings intangibles in addition to skill, while Liam Dower Nilsson has a lot of skill. Those two could have a contract offered to them. I’m less sure about Sam Stange.

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