As the Colorado Avalanche currently sit on pace for their worst season in franchise history, news of a possible two-game series in Sweden against the Senators will spark a lot of interest in hockey fans around the globe.
As first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Senators and Avalanche will “likely” see the game finalized once the NHLPA approves.
Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche likely to play 2 game reg season series in Nov in Sweden. NHLPA must sign off before finalized.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) January 31, 2017
Captain’s Erik Karlsson and Gabriel Landeskog are both natives of Sweden, adding extra incentive for Swedish hockey fans thinking of going to the game which would take place next November, according to Dreger. Carl Soderberg of the Avs and Fredrik Claesson of the Sens also call Sweden home.
It will be interesting to see what city, or cities, the NHL decides to play the two games in, but it would be surprising if any of the games were played in a city other than Stockholm, Malmo, or Gothenburg. All three cities have arenas that seat over 12,000 people, and the smaller arenas would create a unique atmosphere that you wouldn’t normally see in the NHL. Regardless, it will be an exciting event that will have Swedish hockey fans licking their lips at the opportunity to see some of their favourite players in person.
Sweden reportedly has 67,747 players registered in hockey in the country, or 0.75% of their total population. This percentage by population is third only to the Czech Republic (0.82%) and Canada (1.64%). The fact that they have one of the biggest lists, in regards to registration and popularity, plays a major role in the decision to host these NHL games in Sweden.
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