DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings have a rare opportunity to play regular season games in Sweden, which their lone Swede, Lucas Raymond, is cherishing, and other Europeans appreciate, being close to home.

Balancing business with pleasure amid the distractions and hoopla will be important with games against Atlantic Division rivals Ottawa and Toronto (Thursday and Friday at 2 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Detroit) at Avicii Arena in Stockholm.

“We got two big games there. That’s really the focus for me going over there,” Dylan Larkin said. “It’ll be cool to see the country, but we got two big games and we’ll pay the price for it after (with a compressed schedule). I guess we got to enjoy it while we can, but we have to be smart and be ready for those two.”

The Red Wings made the trans-Atlantic flight Saturday night, shortly after beating Columbus, and skated after landing, as recommended by their sports science staff to get acclimated to the time change.

“The league has done a very good job of how they’ve laid it out, schedule-wise,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “You got the two games in the 7-8 day span. You can have a little (fun) on the front end and still get two practices over there and then get your games. It’s on us to approach it properly. We’d love guys to experience Stockholm and everything around this event but also be focused on the task at hand.”

Away from the rink, Lalonde looks forward to vising the ICEBAR, the world’s first permanent bar made of ice, which he passed on when there as an assistant coach with the Lightning in 2019.

“I guess it was a pretty neat experience,” he said. “The Stockholm experience was an unbelievable experience for me. Just excited to be with the group over there.”

Moritz Seider returns to the country where he played and further developed his game during the pandemic. He was named the Swedish Hockey League’s defenseman of the year for Rogle BK in 2021, prior to his rookie season with the Red Wings.

“I’m really excited just to soak in the whole atmosphere and getting to know Stockholm a little bit better,” Seider said.

“After all that excitement, it’s going to come down to winning hockey games against really good teams in our division. I got to just dial it in but obviously it’s a big honor for the whole organization to represent the team and all the Swedes that played here.”

Seider said of the atmosphere at games in Sweden: “It’s just a lot more cheering, a lot more singing. It’s just a lot louder than people have experienced here. I think it will be a cool opportunity for a lot of the guys to experience something new.”

He recommends Swedish cinnamon rolls for friends and family flying in from Germany for the games.

James Reimer played in Finland with Florida in 2018 and the Czech Republic with San Jose last year. This is his first trip to Sweden.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Reimer said. “Different atmosphere, different culture, different fan bases.”

He said of games in Europe: “It’s like a constant roar. There’s an ebb and flow of when things are happening, but it’s like a constant energy.”

Joe Veleno enjoyed his six-month stay in Sweden during the pandemic, when he played for Malmo in the Swedish League.

“I really like their Swedish meatballs,” Veleno said. “Their breakfast is a little bit different. It’s more cheese, bread, cold cuts kind of thing. I really liked it when I was over there. Always after practice we’d go grab a fika (traditional Swedish coffee and pastry break) and just kind of chill a little bit.”

Ville Husso, from neighboring Finland, will have about 10 friends and family members at the games.

“I’ve walked around old Stockholm and its beautiful buildings,” Husso said. “I bet it’s going to be a fun time for all of us. Excited for going in there and seeing what Lucas has got to do for us.”