GOTHENBURG, Sweden -- Even professional hockey players get excited about playing their first game of the season.
For Team Sweden goalie Henrik Lundqvist, when he laces up his skates against Team Finland in a World Cup of Hockey pre-tournament game on Saturday at Scandinavium (noon ET, ESPN3), it's an opportunity to play at his hometown rink. More importantly, he considers it a chance to begin his season strong.
"Yeah, I'm excited," Lundqvist said. "It's a very special place for me to play here. Growing up, five years old, this is the first place I watched a real hockey game.