Swedish native Lucas Raymond excited to play in front of family and friends in his homeland!
The Detroit Red Wings have gone international for their upcoming games! Touching down in Sweden, they are gearing up for significant divisional matchups against the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs. These games hold special importance as they provide Swedish native Lucas Raymond with the opportunity to play in his homeland, and these two contests will carry a deeply personal significance.
The NHL chose the Red Wings for their Global Series
The National Hockey League has selected the Red Wings, along with the Senators, Maple Leafs, and Minnesota Wild, to participate in the Global Series for this season. This marks the second time the Red Wings have played in Sweden, the first being a pair of games against the St. Louis Blues in October 2009.
Lucas Raymond excited to be home
The Red Wings boast a storied tradition of Swedish excellence, with several players making significant contributions to their Stanley Cup championships. One standout example is Nicklas Lidstrom, widely regarded as one of the greatest defensemen in the history of the National Hockey League. Other notable Swedish players who have donned the Red Wings jersey include Niklas Kronwall, Tomas Holmstrom, Johan Franzen, Mikael Samuelsson, Gustav Nyquist, Jonathan Ericsson, Andreas Lilja, among others.
For Raymond, who is currently the only Swedish native on Detroit's roster, it presents an exciting opportunity to play in front of family and friends.
“It's going to be a good time,” Raymond said. “Sweden is a great country, I love Sweden. I'm excited to be here and get to show the guys some Swedish stuff.”
“I'm excited,” he continued. “We're here to play two big games, but at the same time, it's obviously a little bit more special for me, being able to have friends and family watch me live.”
The Red Wings know that it's a great opportunity to explore the sights and sounds of Sweden, but also know that they're on a business trip with four points in the standings on the line.
“We're here for two games,” captain Dylan Larkin said. “We have some time off, but the main objective is two divisional games, during the season. It's nice we're not here in the beginning and trying to figure it out. We're ready to play and it will be good for fans over here to see games like that, mid-season games.
“There are four big points available for us in our division.”
TL;DR (too long didn't read)
- The Detroit Red Wings are taking things international with the NHL Global Series in Sweden
- The Red Wings will be taking on a pair of divisional opponents with four crucial points up for grabs in the standings
- Swedish native Lucas Raymond excited to play in front of family and friends in his native homeland
Bottom Line: Welcome to Sweden
The Detroit Red Wings are taking the opportunity to get their bodies used to the jet lag and time difference, having immediately gathered for practice shortly after arrival in Sweden.
They'll take on the Senators on November 16, followed by the Maple Leafs the next day on November 17.
