The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Uffe Bodin on the NHL Global Series and Swedish Hockey

Episode Date: November 12, 2025

Uffe Bodin joins from Sweden to preview the NHL Global Series between the Predators and Penguins, talk about Swedish hockey’s new wave of stars, and share insight on Elias Pettersson, Mika Zibanejad, and the future of international hockey.SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼Bauer: https://www.bauer.com/👍🏼Uber Eats: https://www.ubereats.com/ca👍🏼Prime Video: https://primevideo-row.pxf.io/c/5560083/3303015/20020Reach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us!If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@FNBarnBurner🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our next guest is a long-time colleague and a long-time friend, and I see the smile on your face because you know I'm going to say his name. Ufei Bodine, who works with a better collective, the parent company of Haki's Farage. Ufei, how are... What time is it in Sweden right now? Oh, not too late. 7.30.

Oh, okay. You're fine, then. Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I have two kids screaming in the background, but, you know, I know you guys understand. So we do. We do. Okay, I want to get to Global Series with you in a couple of seconds.

I do want to ask you about Leo Carlson as well and a lot more questions about Swedish hockey. But we are just defending and debating rather throwing around your kichucks and your Brindamores, et cetera. One of my favorite players is Kent Nilsson. My favorite players of all time. And this is the Hockey Hall of Fame, not the NHL Hall of Fame, despite the fact that Kent Nilsen was outstanding in the NHL as well. If it were up to you,

would Kent Nilsson be in the hockey Hall of Fame, not just for NHL exploits, but internationally as well. And let me throw in one more thing. Although we all call it the Foresburg, that move was done by

Kent Nilsson against John Van Biesbrock against Team USA at the World Championships in 1989. Ufei, the floor is yours. Yeah, I mean, for that goal alone, I think it deserves a place, to be honest.

It's like, I mean, I was born in the early 80s and like one of my first memories of hockey on TV was actually seeing that goal against John Van Biesbrook. Actually, it was the arena in downtown Stockholm was called the Globe. It's now called Avich Arena. And that's where they're playing the global series this weekend. And so that was the tournament. The world championships in 1989 was when they actually opened up that arena. And, I mean, I think, of course, the Forsberg, you know, winning the first Olympic gold medal in ice hockey in 94 in Lillehammer Norway, that's, you know, that's, I think every Swede that was born before that day, you know, keeps us as a cherished memory. and I would say nothing that Peter Forsberg did in the NHL was actually, you know.

Hang on, here's the Kent Nielsen goal if you're watching on YouTube. So that was, that was, and I remember I asked. Check out the mullet. It's a great, it's a beautiful crown of glory on Kent there. The thing, the thing about, I remember asking Forsberg about the move and he said, oh, yeah, I saw Kent Nelson do this in 1989. So, like, that's a complete aping of Kent Nelson. if we want to get all hipster here no post yeah so you have really i mean without the post should

stamp it really doesn't matter does it no exactly Greg uh I mean that that's two uh biggest goals I would say probably um the Mika Sibaniate overtime goal at the world juniors for sure but I mean these two are most iconic Swedish goals through all time I would say all right let's let's come out of this bullpen throwing throw in one 10 let's let's let's start off with a heater. Is there a world in which Elias Pedersen doesn't make Team Sweden in the Olympics? Oh, that was actually we were discussing this today about Mika Zabaniad. Is he a shooting for the Olympic team?

I mean, I think that's a discussion to have as well. But I joke today when we talked about Alias Pedersen, like he looks like a grinding two-way defensive centerman so i mean he's perfect spotted for yeah he's perfectly slotted for the yeah he's perfectly slotted for the furteline or the third line center so no i i mean

the coach uh the swedish coach sam hallam he had uh elias when he had his breakthrough season in the swish elite league and uh i think you know they go way back so i have a hard time imagine he would not be on the team but uh i think sabaniad is an interesting discussion at this point i mean like they've put him in a position to succeed in new york what playing on the wing with with j t miller they put perot on that line uh last night the numbers just aren't there

and everybody else on the rangers is starting to score a little bit like lafranier and yeah coolly and some of the guys merrick that we talked about recently but sabanad this is now like two straight seasons where it's it's just not come together for him offensively so you might be right i mean he might be more on the bubble than any of us expected he would have been maybe like two years ago. Yeah, yeah. And like he went home to the world championships that was played here in Stockholm this spring. And he put up some numbers, but he was not very visible, to be honest. So it's an interesting question to have at this point. So then, let me follow it up with this, is Leo Carlson Sweden's first line center? Yeah. I mean, if you look at what he's done in the past

few weeks it's it's uh it's hard to to say no to that question because he is right now uh you know it's he's like turning it's hockey fever in sweden thanks to leo carlson like we finally see him pulled through like this and because in all honesty like uh if you look at the past few years i mean we have a lot of good players but you know we haven't had like that superstar player for a while now i thought that rasm and saline would be that guy by now but it obviously Obviously, he has other things in his life that he needs to deal with right now, sadly. Yep. So getting Leo on a heater this early in the season, I mean, that's just what Swedish hockey needs.

Because, like, we discussed this, I think last year, Jeff, you know, when he was about to be the four nations. And, you know, the center depth, as we talked about with Mika and Elias, it's not really there anymore. like yole erics and eck could very well be your second best center after uh after leo at this point so um it's i mean leo's uh his uh i mean his play of laid that means everything to to team sweden i think so we talked about peter forsburg before and it got me thinking there's always been one guy that you look at and say that's the most famous we hockey player playing right now that's the most beloved guy back home it was forsburg then it was lungquist right maybe zetterberg gets in there for a little bit too who is the man when it comes

to swedish hockey whose posters on every uh corner of the streets of stockholm who is the player that is the god of hockey right now when it comes to sweden and the n hl i think we'd have to answer Mr. YouTube himself, Billy Lindelander at this point because, you know, just by way of his personality and how laid back is. And I think people here

tend to have this love-hate relationship with him. And I think it might be the same in Toronto, to be honest. You should visit Toronto. You might want to visit Toronto there too, Fitz. What are we describing here? Stockholm or Toronto. same same right no but i think just his personality and and you know uh obviously flamboyant

both when it comes to fashion and the way he plays the game so um i think he's he's the poster boy if we have anyone right now but uh i would assume if leo keeps this up he's gonna give uh william a run for his money give us a little let me let me pause on that and first of all it seemed very much like when you know the the maple leaves and the wings and the wild and the senators were involved in the global series like that and i think a lot of it was the way that everybody in sweden embraced nielander around that that week that took his fame his his stardom to a completely different level like that was a jumping off point i think for a lot of people um give us some some background for those that may not be aware of of leo carlson now i know

specifically people in the East, like Anaheim's a 10 o'clock Eastern start. Like, that's tough. I get it. But for those that may not know, Leo Carlson, he's drafted second overall for a reason. I remember the Anaheim docks and no one likes the term, you know, load management, but they brought him in gradually. Like they just didn't jump him right in, throw him in the deep end and say sink or swim. Like he would be brought in, he'd be, you know, sat down for a couple of games, he'd have been another game. And like, it was a very deliberate process that Anaheim went through.

What does Anaheim have now? Give us some background on Leo Carlson. I mean, I think to have a guy who can probably in a few years be like the full package, like your Anshay Kopitar of Orange County, basically. Because I really feel like he has, he's not there yet. Let's just be honest about that. But I think he can be like a really big two-way player in the future. But I think what you have there is a guy who,

like i wouldn't say he came out of nowhere but but uh he just kind of exploded on the scene within the shl made his debut quite early and there were other players that were much more talked about in his uh in his year group but he i think he surpassed everyone in the end and uh you know he he had his had his battles growing up i mean he's uh he had his stuttering problem and i know he was bullied for that growing up and it just seemed to made him so much stronger because he's so laid back he's so happy go lucky in a positive sense and you know just the easiest most easy going guy to deal with like this summer i went to to this sponsor event in gothemberg where he and alias peterson did his thing together and elias peterson he can be he can be you know in his shell and he can be

hard to talk to but just him spending time with leo in the same room it just it just made him bloom you know and he started talking too so i mean leo he has this aura about him, you know, he enters a room and he gets everyone comfortable and laughing. And, yeah, I really see, like, the sky is the limit for that kid. Global Series. What does it mean to have Sidney Crosby come over and play these games this late in his career? I mean, we only have a short amount of time left with this guy. To have Sid there for this global series, I imagine, is a pretty big deal for the country.

Yeah, I mean, we were lucky enough he came here to play the world championships in Stockholm this spring as well. So there was a lot of attention on him done. But yeah, I remember actually 2008 was the first, it was like the inaugural, at least in Sweden. I think they did one in London the year 2007 when the Ducks had won the Cup. I think they started the season in London. But the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators in 2008 were like the first teams that came to Stockholm to play, you know, real regular season games. And, you know, Sid, at the time, he was, they were just coming off the loss to the Red Wings. And, you know, you were thinking basically, okay, can he, can he do this?

And they lost the games and he was really sour. And, you know, I tried to interview him. And he was like throwing water bottles. were like really pissed off with how the trip had gone because they lost both games but yeah and then turning the page to today and you see this

this just God I don't even know what to call him yeah yeah yeah so mature and like the calmness himself like he was such a treat to deal with in that sense so I mean it's it's amazing like when you look at the

like the way he's been scoring here to start the season. And of course, I would imagine that him alone would sell a bunch of tickets, just like Eric Carlson and Philip Forsberg would. But, yeah, just having him here and, you know, probably the last time he'll ever play a game in Stockholm, I would assume. So I think it's magnificent. And actually having, you know, Malk in here as well is pretty special too.

Absolutely. You know, the NHL officially opened their European office. Yeah. And I'm curious sort of how that is being received in Europe, specifically in Sweden, which already has a very, you know, robust professional loop. Thank you very much. You know, once upon a time it was, you know, the NHL would dip into Europe every now and then, you know, sell a couple of jerseys, promote a game, and then you wouldn't hear.

from them for a while. Now it seems as if now that there's a new CBA done with the players they can dedicate more time to extending their brand deeper into Europe. Just as an aside, too, I spoke to one person last year about like really doing something significant. And this person said to me, why doesn't the NHL just have like all 32 teams play opening night in different cities in Europe if you really want to do a

we're serious about the European market and curious both your thoughts on something like that but how is this being received because it does very much feel like the NHL is taking much more of a significant position in their presence in Europe

yeah I talked to some NHL people today and they were of the thought that, you know, they're doing this, you know, to, to sort of increase the footprint rather than, I mean, the conspiracy theory is that, you know, they, they want to, you know, get, you know, European team here, or maybe a few. I don't really see that as a possibility at this point because the fan culture and everything, it's so different from North America. So I'm of the opinion that I don't think it would work. But at the same time, they could, you know, increase. I mean,

just look at where the players come from these days i mean yeah exactly the game is growing and i think particularly germany is is a market that i think that they're really interested in you know uh getting even bigger footprint i mean you see the players that coming from there you know you have your dry sidel obviously moritz cider team stewsla j j j pritcherka there's a lot of really good players coming out from germany right now so i mean i think that's uh that's a huge market obviously with a lot of money and you know the NHL tends to follow the money around so uh i would assume that that is uh something that they're looking at because i think like obviously sweden and in Finland and probably check yeah as well that those are pretty stable markets for for the

nchel at this point but i think they can probably do more in both germany and switzerland where there's a lot of money laying around yeah if i had the guests more like they want a they want a a foothold in order to do kind of more like what the NFL does, which is to put as many games as possible in London and Berlin and places like that, which I agree. I think that you could do. When you mentioned the 32 teams thing, Merica,

I was going through my head. Well, I was trying to think about like 16 European cities and Asian cities where they could put games. And I kept on coming back to the same thing, which is like, could you do this without Russia? Like, would it be worth doing it without Russia? Like, you talk about where players come from.

They come from Russia, a lot of them. And so the fact that they are still persona nongrata in all of this makes that whole European cash cow thing pretty interesting. Although, who knows how much cash they have after the Ukrainians have kicked their ass all over Europe, says Greg Wischinsky, proud Ukrainian boy. Oofay, do you have a thought on that topic? You want to go into politics? No, no, we don't. No, no.

Although, I will say one thing. The most politically charged hockey games that have ever been played took place in Sweden, the 1969 World Championships. This is after the Soviet tanks marched down the cobblestone streets of Prague. It was Czechoslovakia versus the Soviet Union, the World Championships. And there was, you can. see these games on YouTube and it is like normally when you say oh yeah we want to kill them like we would rather die than lose there's only one time one team one time in history where a team has actually meant that and that was Czechoslovakia versus Soviet there was no way that though and

I even just there's there's been books written about this and I go back and I watch the videos all the time because that to me was the time where it's much like well 72 with Russia and Canada was politically charged nothing like that and it was it was in Stockholm at the world championships. That was the most politically charged that the sport has ever been. Ever been. I think you're forgetting a little tournament called Four Nations where there were like

tariffs that everybody was pan about. They were tariffs. I don't know to tell you. They booed the anthems. Yeah, I guess that's the same, Greg. Sure. Not even close. Anyhow.

Let me ask you about a couple of players. Well, one player specifically, as we're trying to figure out here, what's going to be next for the Nashville Predators. There's a lot of talk about, okay, they're going to look to move Steven Stamco's or UC Soros. Isn't perhaps the most obvious play here, Philip Forsberg, who if Nashville decides to go through a rebuild,

I don't know that Philip Forsberg at this place in his career, because I think you can ask a player to go through a rebuild once, but careers are so short, you can't ask a player to do it twice. Is not maybe the obvious one here, who still has a lot of cachet and a lot of, of skill. Isn't that the, isn't the obvious one here, Philip Foresburg, if they're going to go that route? I mean, in theory, yes, because I think you're pretty much laying out all the good arguments there. I still feel like he's, he's, he really likes it in Nashville and it's,

like, it's, it's become his home and, and everything. So I think it would be a huge decision for him. But, you know, if, if Nashville continues to, to sputter like this, I mean, that's that's going to be a question he has to ask himself like do i really want to live through this because i mean he's 31 now so uh i still feel like he has a few good years left in him so i think it probably at this point it's i mean it's more it's easier to to trade like an o'reilly or stamcos or even marshal so but uh if this continues uh for sure i think philip Forrestberg has some really hard questions to ask himself about the future and where it lies. Last one for me, this is from our Zach, Zachary 82 in the chat for the show.

Two questions. Where does Simon Edvinson, does Simon Evanson have an outside chance with the Olympics and thoughts on? Who's our little, our little Swedish way? Gromberg. Yeah, yeah. Yanborg yeah yeah yeahenborg Eddie Yanborg who's the for those who don't know an 18 year old prospect over in Sweden well I think Edwinson has an outside chance he played the world championships didn't like I don't think he had that kind of tournament where he really positioned himself but you know there's a lot of old veterans grisly veterans that he's going to have to sort

of work his way through but I mean There are eight spots, so I wouldn't rule it out, but at this point, I think he's on the outside looking in. And as for Eddie Jenberg, like, he was a second round pick for the Red Wings last summer, and he has looked amazing. Like, he's this really intense player that is putting up a lot of points right now, and he can also be a bit of a prick. So I think he's got a future in the NHL, be sure. I mean, who doesn't like a break the scorch cold. Exactly. And it's been a good 15 seconds since Detroit had a good Swedish player.

So it's good to know that they've got some guys in the pipeline. Let me let me think. And I mentioned Ricard Gromberg there a second ago. I thought that's where the question was headed. There's a Finnish coach with the Kitchener Rangers by the name of UCA Hokas, who is in a lot of his big philosophies about coaching revolve around how the game is evolving towards being positionalists and positionless. And I was at the game against Sagina on Friday

watching the Rangers in action. And it's a really interesting style that they play based on how Ahokas coaches. I think he's destined for the NHL eventually. I think Kitchener's got him for one more year and then he's going to make the jump. Are there any Swedish coaches that you think we should be paying attention to

because it does seem as if now more so than ever the door is, if not open, at least opening to different coaches. from different areas of the world. Is there anyone in Sweden we should be paying attention to, Ufei? I mean, obviously there has been mentioned Richard Grunberg, and I know he's been interviewed

for like several jobs, but also he has his background in North America. That's sort of where he started out. He did his, played college over there. And I mean, just like Andrew Sorensen, who stepped into the Blackhawks last year and actually became the first suite to coach in the NHL. But I don't know, like it's a long road.

And what I feel about coaches in general is that if you want to coach in NHL, you have to go like the North American way. I don't think you can reach, you know, some kind of success on the international level or like helping a club team in Europe to, you know, win a bunch of championships. I think you really need to go the North American way. You probably need to do what UC Alhukas does, like work his way up. I mean, what's next for him?

Maybe coaching the HL or maybe get an assistant coaching job in the NHL. And I think that's the way you need to go to be able to reach that point. I don't think it's possible or it would be the out-of-the-box move of the year if anyone actually brought over a Swedish or Finnish coach who had success. in Europe because I am of the firm belief that you need to to deliver in North America to get that kind of opportunity. Interesting stuff as always. You're very generous with your time and I don't really have kids to tend to.

Ophi, thanks. It's always good to see your smiling face and listen to your observations. We really appreciate it here. Finally! Oh, my God. It found its way to Sweden, Greg. The first copy I've ever sold to Sweden. I think, maybe.

I'm sure there are a few. I'm sure there are a few. But I just want to thank you guys because just one last thing. I just want to thank you guys because I obviously was one of the lucky ones who, I don't know, 10, 15 years ago, there was this Merrick versus Wichinsky podcast that I didn't even even know what the hell a podcast was before I actually started listening to you guys. And really nice to see you guys together again. I never missed a second.

And yeah, it's just amazing that we were able to bring you together under this umbrella. So thank you guys. Oofé, that's awesome. Ufei, you read that just as I wrote it. Thank you so much.

I'll send an invoice. Yeah, it's right. There's no I-N-teen, but there's two eyes and invoice. I get it. That's how we work here in media. You're the man,

Ufei. Thanks, pal. Always good to catch up. Thank you. Take care, guys. Maybe the nicest person. in the world of the favor of you. I'm out against those methods but new.

It's me, myself, and how this is going to be fixing my mind. I don't want to back it. I turned on the music. I do want to beg her. I turn it on the music. We're sitting up, help, and I don't think you're sometimes losing. I've been on the days that we're wrong. In the dead dark night