Pettersson Joining Team Sweden; Teammate Declines Offer

There will be a second Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman playing for Sweden during the IIHF world championships in Czechia next month.

Officials of the Swedish national team announced Wednesday that Marcus Pettersson has been added to the squad.

Erik Karlsson, who was paired with Pettersson for much of the past season, was named to his country’s team Tuesday.

Pettersson had four goals and 26 assists in 82 games during the just-concluded season and provided a defense-oriented presence to his pairing, whether it was with Karlsson or Kris Letang.

Reports out of Sweden say Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell turned down an offer to participate in the tournament because of a shoulder injury he sustained during the 2023-24 season.

The world championships are scheduled to run May 10-26.