Detroit Red Wings: Injury forces Henrik Zetterberg’s retirement

The Detroit Red Wings announced on Friday that captain Henrik Zetterberg has been forced to retire from playing professional hockey due to his ailing back issues.

What has long been feared by both Detroit Red Wings fans and the organization alike, has finally come to fruition. As announced by Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland on Friday morning – due to his lingering back issues, Detroit’s captain Henrik Zetterberg has been forced to retire from playing in the National Hockey League.

Holland would address the press at Red Wings training camp, regarding the health of his team’s leader.

"“He’s not prepared to take the risk to play professional hockey anymore. [Zetterberg has] a degenerative condition in his back. Part of the degenerative condition is significant arthritis … No more time off is going to have any positive impact … And if he does get a bad hit or something, then he’s risking a significant back surgery.”"

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The 37-year old Njurunda, Sweden native would express his hurricane of emotions when having to make the decision every professional athlete is forced to make, at some point in their career. A career that spanned fifteen seasons with only one club, which is a rarity in today’s sports era.

Zetterberg spoke to the media at Centre I.C.E during the Wings first official day of training camp.

"“Obviously, it is emotional…It’s been 15 years here. Even though I knew I was on my last couple years, I wish that I could have played a little bit longer.”"

In those fifteen NHL seasons, all of which with the Detroit Red Wings, Zetterberg has cemented himself as one the franchises greatest assets. He finishes his career with 1,082 regular season games played, 337 goals, 623 assists, totaling 960 points with a plus-minus rating of +160.  This puts him in the top-six all-time in Detroit Red Wings history for each of those categories.

He was the 2007-08 Conn Smythe award winner after winning the Stanley Cup in the same year. Zetterberg also took home the King Clancy award after the 2014-15 season for being the NHL player who “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community”.

Numbers and accolades aside, Zetterberg is highly respected among his National Hockey League colleagues, both on and off the ice. Some of the best players the league has ever seen have nothing but positive quips to say regarding the hard-working Swede.

Chicago Blackhawks superstar center Jonathan Toews would be quoted by The Athletic‘s Craig Custance.

"“Nothing about Henrik Zetterberg jumped out at you as being – he wasn’t super fast or powerful or big but he was smart, he was just smooth, he always made the right decision…The plays he ended up making half the time, it was ‘How did he do that?’ He wasn’t turning on dimes and still sometimes he would undress guys, kind of like Datsyuk, but he did it in a different way.”"

Current Minnesota Wild defenseman, Ryan Suter, would also sing the praises of the ever-consummate professional:

"“He was a classy guy on the ice. You’d have conversations with him. He seemed like a genuinely good guy. On the ice, he was good, could skate, make plays. A couple times, he’d come down on his backhand and put it up short-side and you’d just – he was a good player. A really good player.”"

With the loss of both the locker room leader and a good portion of on-ice offensive production, questions will continue to linger regarding how the Wings plan on competing this year.

This situation certainly puts increased pressure on the newly extended Dylan Larkin, to step-up his production and be the dominant player he shows flashes of becoming. Being shuffled between forward positions throughout his three-years with the big club, he’ll more than likely be asked to anchor that first-line as it’s full-time center.

The likelihood of a player like Filip Zadina making the team after training camp, has also perhaps just increased. The 2018 NHL 6th-overall draft pick, has impressed many within the organization, by showing off his hard shot and knack for the net during rookie camp.

When one playing-career door closes, many more open up for the hungry youngsters. There is no single replacement for a player like Henrik Zetterberg, and what he brings to a franchise.

Red Wings fans can only hope that the players that Henrik has led, will somehow continue to exemplify his spirit and hard work ethic. This is certainly going to be an interesting year to keep an eye on Hockeytown.