The Swedish Ice Hockey Association has announced that defensemen Erik Karlsson and Marcus Pettersson will be representing Team Sweden at the 2024 IIHF World Championship. The championship will be held in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia from May 10-26.
Karlsson, who is 33 years old, has previously played for Sweden at the 2010 and 2012 World Championships, winning bronze in 2010. He was recently traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Penguins in August 2023, where he currently leads all Penguins defensemen in goals, assists, and points. Throughout his impressive career, Karlsson has accumulated a total of 817 points (189G-628A) in just over a thousand NHL games.
Pettersson, who is only 27 years old, had an outstanding season this year by setting career highs in various offensive categories. He played in every single game and scored 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.
Both Karlsson and Pettersson are eager to make significant contributions to their home country’s team during the World Championship competition. The preliminary round schedule for Team Sweden has been announced but broadcast information will be provided at a later date.