Two NHL games were played in Stockholm between Pittsburgh and Nashville. On Friday, in a close and perhaps slightly boring game, Nashville won in overtime 2-1. On Saturday, open practices were held and there was a large crowd in attendance. On Sunday, the teams met for the second time, and Pittsburgh won that game in dominant fashion with a score of 0-4.
For the past week, the NHL was visible in Stockholm. The teams arrived early in Stockholm and did various local things together. For example, Rickard Rakell, who was born and lives in Stockholm, acted as a tourist guide. I, too, managed to try the restaurants Rickard recommended.
The NHL players stayed downtown at the Grand Hôtel, a five-star luxury hotel. Security measures were tight in front of the hotel, but many ice hockey card collectors eagerly waited for players’ autographs. Legend players, such as Glenn Healy and Joe Reekie, had more time. They stopped to chat with us 90s NHL fans.
Right next to the Grand Hôtel was the NHL Global Fan Tour event area, where free events were held throughout the weekend. The Stanley Cup was also on display at certain times. Very few dared to touch the trophy, even when taking a picture. Neither did I.
In terms of play, the weekend did not offer its best. Sunday’s game was much more intense than Friday’s game, but Pittsburgh’s dominance took the best feeling away from the game. However, it was great to see live how hard the players passed or shot the puck! Every pass was accurate and left the stick really quickly. During the practices, it was also clear how well every player can shoot and is able to redirect the puck into the net even from the air.
On Friday, Predators fans cheered loudly and kept the energy up, but on Sunday, Pittsburgh was the crowd favorite. Of course, the game was influenced by Pittsburgh quickly taking a 3-0 lead.
During the week and the weekend, many legends were also seen in Stockholm. Among current players, Filip Forsberg and Erik Karlsson represented their country fantastically. Many Finnish legends had also arrived in Stockholm, such as Esa Tikkanen, Jari Kurri, and Pekka Rinne. Among the Swedes, I saw at least Nicklas Lidström, Nicklas Bäckström, and Niklas Kronwall. Patric Hörnqvist and Carl Hagelin were also present.
After the Sunday game, Peter Forsberg also received a lot of visibility. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin both paid tribute to their own idol, and Crosby exchanged his stick with Forsberg. It was clear to everyone that Peter Forsberg was a big role model for them.
As a marketer and entrepreneur, it was great to see how the NHL business works. The teams have great resources and a lot of different staff working. The media and their various journalists also actively followed the teams’ journey. I really liked both teams' timely content, and all the press releases and content came out on time!
Ultimately, it really doesn't matter if the games are played in Helsinki or Stockholm. Finland and Sweden are brother nations, and it's equally enjoyable to hold the #NHLGlobalSeries event in either city.
