Swedish website SportBladet.se has reported that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman and pending UFA Erik Karlsson has become part-owner of English third-tier soccer club Burton Albion FC. 

Mats Zuccarello of the Minnesota Wild was not mentioned in an interview with Karlsson by reporter Per Bjurman, but his name is shown along with Karlsson’s on the Burton Albion website in a long list of individuals who “have a ‘significant interest’ (as that term is defined within the EFL regulations) in the (c)lub.”

“Yes, I received a request from the ownership group Nordic Football Group about a year ago and this past weekend everything became clear,” Karlsson said via telephone from his summer home in Ottawa.

“It will be a lot of fun,” Karlsson continued. “I have a good grasp of sports in general, but I’m looking forward to learning about how it works in the football world and on the ownership side. There is a lot of excitement to work with in a club like this, not just in terms of men’s football.”

Karlsson said that he’s been a longtime supporter of Arsenal. “Now I hope to see Burton play against Arsenal at some point,” Karlsson said, although the two teams are two divisions apart – Arsenal plays in the Premier League and Burton Albion in League One.

Although Zuccarello's name isn't mentioned, the article does state that Karlsson's best friend Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning has been a part-owner of English second-tier Championship team Plymouth Argyle for a few years now.