STOCKHOLM – Erik Karlsson is ready for the spotlight in his home country and, he hopes, the Olympic stage.

Karlsson, a three-time Norris Trophy winner as the League’s top defenseman, will be one of the marquee attractions in the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal when his Pittsburgh Penguins (9-5-3) take on the Nashville Predators (5-9-4) at Avicii Arena on Friday (2 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SN-PIT, NHLN, SN) and Sunday (9 a.m. ET; FDSNSO, SN-PIT, NHLN, SN).

The 35-year-old Landsbro native also has his eye on a spot on Sweden’s roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Karlsson, who represented Sweden the last time NHL players participated in the Olympics in Sochi, Russia in 2014 when he was 23, said it would mean, “obviously a lot,” to get another chance to do

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