Meatballs, fika and four points: Detroit Red Wings ready to embrace trip to Sweden

The European Detroit Red Wings see it as an awesome opportunity to play an NHL game in front of friends, family and a passionate fan base; some of the North American ones, more as a challenge.

Suitcases started piling up in the locker room as early as last Friday, as the team prepared for a Saturday red-eye from Detroit to Stockholm, Sweden, where they will spend nearly a week to play two Atlantic Division games. The Wings play what will count as an "away" game against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, followed by a "home" game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday.

"I'm excited for my family to see me playing live and in our home country," Swede Lucas Raymond said. "It's going to be fun. I think it will be a great trip for us to really get close and keep growing as a team."

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When the Wings played a pair of games in Stockholm at the start of the 2009-10 season, there were six Swedes in the lineup: Jonathan Ericsson, Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmström, Nicklas Lidström, Niklas Kronwall and Henrik Zetterberg. Barring a last-minute addition, Raymond will be the Wings' only Swede, but it's a thrill for the other Europeans on the team.

"I think it's awesome," said Olli Määttä, a Finn. "For Swedish guys, this is something special. I’d be excited to play in Helsinki, for sure. People are excited for this. For hockey fans to see NHL games, it’s a lifetime opportunity, so it’s going to be awesome for fans. I think it’s a great opportunity for the NHL"

Jet setters

The Wings were scheduled to go wheels up at 10 p.m. in an Airbus A321 that had been retrofitted to accommodate 76 fully reclinable seats (the NHL pays for the travel). In an effort to offset the six-hour time change and jet lag, the plan was to engage in a light skate upon landing, because that is what the team's sports science department recommended. Monday will be a day off, followed by practices Tuesday and Wednesday. "All the science says go there, get a light skate immediate," coach Derek Lalonde said. "It helps with your clock."

Lalonde detailed just how closely he followed the advice of the team's sports science people in preparation for the travel. "My wife was laughing at me," Lalonde said after Saturday's 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. "Our sports nutritionist has already given us a to-do list, and I was following it to the minute. Like, you had to be outside at sunrise, 7:14. I was outside at 7:14, staring at the sun. Last night, to be in bed at 10 — my whole family was laughing at me, 9:59, I walked right upstairs."

What to see, what to eat

Raymond hails from Gothenburg, a city on the west coast of Sweden roughly a five-hour drive from Stockholm, which is on the eastern side.

"I've been to Stockholm quite a bit," Raymond said. "I think in Sweden in general, you want to try the food and you want to see the culture. There are a lot of old buildings that have been preserved well."

Goaltender Ville Husso, who hails from neighboring Finland, is looking forward to seeing Stockholm again.

"In the summer of 2022, we took a cruise over from Helsinki, walked around in old Stockholm and took the same cruise ship back," he said. "Walking around old Stockholm is beautiful.

"I think this is going to be exciting for us. I have probably over 10 people coming over for the games. It’s going to be nice playing in Europe, an NHL game. It doesn’t happen too often, so I’m excited for going in there and seeing what Lucas has to do for us."

Justin Holl is looking forward to having "an open-style shrimp sandwich," and to the whole experience in general. "I've never been to Stockholm," he said. "I think it will be fun to see a new country. I have Swedish heritage on my mom’s side — they’re from Gothenburg, so to be in the area will be fun."

Robby Fabbri said, "the main thing is the meatballs. I've been to Stockholm before, it's a great city, so I'm excited to go back."

For those used to getting coffee at a drive-thru, there's one Swedish concept that may seem odd, but it's necessary, Raymond said: "You've got to try fika. You can have fikas everywhere, but it's a little special with doing it in Sweden. It's coffee and a pastry, very popular everywhere."

The experience

Joe Veleno, who played in Sweden during the coronavirus pandemic, still has fond memories of what an incredible atmosphere there is at games. "It’s kind of a different noise," he said. "You have people playing the drums, different instruments, and people singing throughout the game. There’s a lot of that going on. I’m really looking forward to playing in that building."

Goalie James Reimer is an NHL Global Series veteran: "I played in Helsinki with Florida and last year went to Prague with the Sharks. It’s a lot of fun. I think that the time change is tough, and it’s something you need to be mindful of. But besides that, it’s a lot of fun and a great atmosphere, and you get to see a different culture and fanbase.

"There’s more of a life to it, that’s constant. In North America, it’s kind of cause and effect. There it’s just a constant roar. It’s a constant energy."

The timing

Wings captain Dylan Larkin was ambivalent about the trip. "I think we pay the price for it with our schedule after," he said. "We have two big games there, that's the really the focus for me going over there. It will be cool to see the country but we have two big games and we are going to pay the price for it after. I guess we have to enjoy it while we can, but we have to be smart and be ready."

The Wings are scheduled to spend the night in Stockholm after Friday's game and then fly home Saturday. Per league rules, players are then to have two days off. The Wings' next game at Little Caesars Arena is Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving Eve). "I think it's great," Lalonde said. "It's just two games in eight days to travel. I think it's perfect timing."

Lalonde went to Stockholm in November 2019 while with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts used the trip to bond ahead of winning the Stanley Cup, amid pandemic restrictions, in 2020. "For me, Stockholm is very special to me. It’s literally on my Stanley Cup ring," he said. "It's on us to have a good experience. We'd love guys to experience Stockholm and everything around this event, and also be focused on the task at hand."

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings looking forward to two games in Stockholm, Sweden