Sweden has announced that defensemen Erik Karlsson and Marcus Pettersson will represent their country at the 2024 IIHF World Championship. The championship will be held from May 10-26 in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia.
Karlsson, who is 33 years old, has previously represented Sweden at the 2010 and 2012 World Championships, where they won bronze in 2010. This season, he was traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Penguins in August 2023 and has been leading all Penguins defensemen in goals, assists, and points. With an impressive career that includes 817 points (189G-628A) in 1002 career NHL games, Karlsson is a valuable asset to Team Sweden.
Pettersson, who is just 27 years old, had a standout season this year by setting career highs in various offensive categories. He played in all 82 games and recorded four goals, 26 assists, and 30 points. Additionally, he achieved his first career game-winning goal against Montreal on January 27 and led Pittsburgh with a plus-28 rating, finishing eighth among all NHL defensemen. Pettersson’s strong performance this season makes him a valuable addition to Team Sweden as well.
The preliminary round schedule for Team Sweden at the World Championship has been announced but broadcast information will be provided at a later date. Both Karlsson and Pettersson are looking forward to representing their home country and making significant contributions to the team during the competition.