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<p><em>Hockey is a small world and players often cross paths with each other at some point. But what about current Penguins crossing paths with former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton players? </em></p><p><em>It&#8217;s happened at virtually every level, and each week we&#8217;ll highlight six degrees of separation that connects current Penguins to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton players of the past.</em></p><p><strong>Tim Erixon &#8212; Pavel Skrbek, Tomas Surovy</strong></p><p>When Tim Erixon was just 18 years old and beginning his pro hockey career in his native Sweden, he had a teammate who began his pro career more than 10 years earlier in the Pittsburgh organization.</p><p>In 2009-10, Erixon was a promising blueliner on the Skelleftea team in the Swedish Elite League.</p><p>The team had several veteran defensemen as well, including Pavel Skrbek, who was a member of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton&#8217;s inaugural team in 1999. Skrbek was traded midway through the 1999-00 season to the Nashville organization and spent parts of two more seasons in North America before heading back overseas to play.</p><p>As teammates in Sweden, Erixon posted 13 points in 45 games while Skrbek was the team leader in scoring by a defenseman with 21 points in 50 games.</p><p>The 2009-10 Skelleftea team also paired Erixon with another former Penguin - Tomas Surovy, who played with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from 2002 to 2006.</p><p>While Erixon is in his second season with the Penguins, both Skrbek and Surovy are continuing their careers in Europe.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Erixon</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Erixon.jpg</photo0><caption0>Erixon</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Skrbek.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Skrbek</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Skrbek.jpg</photo1><caption1>Skrbek</caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_surovy.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Surovy</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_surovy.jpg</photo2><caption2>Surovy</caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ 6 Degrees