Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators to play NHL Global Series games in Stockholm in November

MANALAPAN, Fla. (AP) — The Country Music Association Awards ceremony kicks the Nashville Predators out of their arena for a long stretch every November. This year, they'll use that absence to travel to Sweden.

The NHL announced Tuesday the Predators are facing the Pittsburgh Penguins in regular-season games in Stockholm on Nov. 14 and 16 as part of the league's Global Series.

“I think it’ll be a good event for us,” Predators general manager Barry Trotz told The Associated Press. “We’re either going on a long trip out West or we can go to Europe.”

The games at newly renovated Avicii Arena are set to be the 47th and 48th games the league has held in Sweden and make it the 15th season with regular-season action outside North America.

The visit is perhaps one last chance for aging Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby and Swedish defenseman Erik Karlsson to play in Scandinavia. The Predators have a prominent Swede in top-line winger Filip Forsberg, with starting goaltender Juuse Saros hailing from neighboring Finland.

“It's going to be really fitting for us,” Trotz said after a session at the NHL GMs meeting in South Florida. “Not only we have some Swedish players — a guy like a Filip and a couple others that are really proud that they will go back and showcase their country, and I think Filip’s going to try to showcase his hometown. I think for our players, there’s not a better learning environment than travel and going to another country to learn more about the culture and understanding of that.”

The Penguins have not played in Europe since 2008, fresh off winning the third Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. They have since won it twice more, in 2016 and '17.

For Trotz, it will be a return overseas a quarter-century after he coached Nashville against Pittsburgh for two-season opening games in Saitama, Japan, in 2000. He wants his players to look forward to and enjoy the trip while also appreciating they will be meaningful games.

“You’ll have the excitement of the start of the season and then you get into November and it starts to get into a little bit of the grind,” Trotz said. “It might be a really good thing for us just to focus on that. But we’ve got to focus on it’s not a vacation.”

The NHL is returning to Sweden for the first time since 2023 after staging games in Finland and Czechia this season. Stockholm has hosted more NHL games than any other European city.

Predators CEO Sean Henry said being selected to participate in a marquee event like this is a testament to the organization’s support at home and abroad.

“This event will be particularly special for Filip Forsberg, who adores his home country, and the other Sweden natives on our team and in our organization,” Henry said in a statement. “We had such an incredible time with our fans at the 2022 Global Series in Bern and Prague, and we can’t wait for them to bring even more energy and enthusiasm in November.”

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FILE - Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros, right, makes a save in front of Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens announced Monday they are releasing kicker Justin Tucker, months after reports that he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists.

The Baltimore Banner has reported that over a dozen massage therapists have accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior. The NFL said it would investigate, and the Ravens drafted kicker Tyler Loop late last month. On Sunday, coach John Harbaugh suggested a decision on Tucker might come before the NFL completed its inquiry.

“Every decision we make has to be based on football,” Harbaugh said. "You’ve got a rookie kicker in here. You took him in the sixth round, early in the sixth round. He’s a talented guy. Just from a football standpoint — salary cap, all the different things that you just take into consideration — whatever we decide to do over the next few weeks will be based on football.”

Tucker has maintained he did not act inappropriately while receiving professional treatment.

“Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement issued by the club. “Considering our current roster, we have made the tough decision to release Justin Tucker.”

A five-time All-Pro, the 35-year-old Tucker is considered one of the best kickers in NFL history. He holds the record for the longest kick at 66 yards, and his success rate of 89.1% on field goals is the best all-time among players with at least 100 attempts. He’s played 13 seasons, all with Ravens.

However, last season was his worst as a pro. He missed a career-high eight field goal attempts, although he rebounded a bit down the stretch.

Then came the Banner's report in January that left his future in doubt.

“Justin created many significant and unforgettable moments in Ravens history,” DeCosta said. “His reliability, focus, drive, resilience and extraordinary talent made him one of the league's best kickers for over a decade. We are grateful for Justin's many contributions while playing for the Ravens. We sincerely wish him and his family the very best in this next chapter of their lives.”

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Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh talks to the media after an NFL football rookie camp, Sunday, May 4, 2025, in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)