Penguins Erik Karlsson named captain of National squad

Erik Karlsson had a solid first season in Pittsburgh, and now the veteran blue liner is set to captain his national team.

The NHL is full of incredible Swedish players, and when they all come together for the 2026 Winter Olympics, they are set to be a genuine and credible threat to the gold medal. First however is the 2024 IIHF World Championship, and while not every team is loaded with NHL talent given the timing of the tournament, there's certainly some exciting players on every team.

For team Sweden, they'll be led by veteran defenseman of the Pittsburgh Penguins Erik Karlsson, who finished yet another great season where he tallied 56 points in 82 games played.






Karlsson first represented Sweden at the World Juniors back in 2009, and like many, takes immense pride in representing his country. Since then, he's played in 27 games for Sweden, tallying 23 points over that time, and will now look to stamp his authority on another tournament as they chase a big time medal.

At 33-years of age, it's unclear how many more opportunities he'll get on the national stage, so look for Karlsson and the talented Swedish roster to have another fantastic performance this time around.