Filip Forsberg had a surprise supporter in the stands during the 4 Nations Face-Off, as San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle cheered for him and Sweden. Kittle attended the Sweden-Finland game on Saturday at Bell Centre, joining the crowd as a fan. The two athletes have developed a friendship over the years through their wives, Clair and Erin Alvey, who are best friends and organized the trip to Montreal.
Kittle explained during the first intermission, “They’re like, ‘Hey, we have a little opening in our schedule, why wouldn’t you want to go to Montreal, Canada, in February?’” He expressed his excitement about being at the game, saying, “Super happy that I’m here. What an amazing atmosphere.”
Kittle showed his support for Forsberg by wearing Sweden’s yellow jersey, which featured Forsberg’s name and No. 9, as well as a hat with the Swedish flag and fake yellow and blue hair.
Kittle shared that Forsberg played a big role in his outfit choice, saying, “Fil brought everything. Filip brought this for me and he goes, ‘You have to wear this.’ I said, ‘All right, I will do that.’”
Claire Kittle mentioned that her husband fully embraced the experience, even sporting the Sweden-colored hair as part of the fun. While the couple also had tickets for the highly anticipated U.S.-Canada game later that evening, George remained fully committed to supporting Forsberg and Sweden throughout the event.
Kittle expressed how meaningful it was to support Forsberg and represent his country, saying, “When you get to perform for your country, I think it’s a big deal, and the chance to do it so close to where I can actually go see him is very special.” He added, “It’s my first time ever doing something like this. I’ve never been to an Olympics or anything like that. It’s a unique experience, and you can really feel how the love of hockey resonates with everyone.”
Since becoming friends with Forsberg, Kittle has developed a greater interest in hockey, having grown up playing EA Sports’ NHL video games and briefly trying out goaltending.
“My cousins would pepper me with shots,” Kittle recalled, “but I couldn’t skate though.”
Forsberg, who didn’t know much about American football growing up in Sweden, has developed a strong passion for the NFL. In 2023, he shared that he spent 50 hours preparing for his first fantasy football draft and even made it to the finals in his debut season. “I love it,” Forsberg said. “I watch Red Zone on Sundays. I’m all in. Through George, I’ve met a bunch of NFL players. I know at least half the tight ends in the league because they have a tight end event in Nashville, so I got to meet many of them.”
Forsberg tries to draft Kittle in fantasy football, but he often misses out because he doesn’t want to pick a tight end too early. “They know I’m coming for him, so they draft him early. But I’ve got to have a team,” Forsberg explained. “I can’t take George in the third round. You’ve got to pick him where he’s supposed to go.”
The 4 Nations event also caught the attention of recently retired NFL pass rusher J.J. Watt, who expressed his admiration for the tournament on social media, writing: “4 Nations is the best idea hockey has had in a long time. Only thing missing is Doc Emrick on the call.”