Henrik Zetterberg

Infobox Ice Hockey Player

---

image_size=220px
team=Detroit Red Wings
former_teams =
league = NHL
position = Centre
shoots = Left
height_ft = 5
height_in = 11
weight_lb = 195
nationality = SWE
birth_date = Birth date and age|1980|10|9
birth_place = Njurunda, Sweden
draft = 210th overall
draft_year = 1999
draft_team = Detroit Red Wings
career_start = 2000
website = [http://www.henrikzetterberg.com/ henrikzetterberg.com]

Henrik Zetterberg (born October 9, 1980, in Njurunda, Sweden) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player. He plays centre and serves as alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

Pre-NHL career

Zetterberg played his youth league games for the Njurunda Sports Club, as did Fredrik Modin. [http://www.nsk.nu/ Njurunda Sports Club] has now renamed their arena to Modin&Zetterberg-hallen, after everything Fredrik Modin and Henrik Zetterberg has done for their youth-club. He caught the attention of Wings Assistant General Manager Jim Nill and Director of European Scouting Håkan Andersson during a tournament in Finland, where, while Andersson was trying to point out Mattias Weinhandl, Nill could not help noticing "this little Zetterberg guy who always seemed to have the puck." [cite web | author=Wigge, Larry | title=Zetterberg has grown into an NHL superstar | publisher=NHL.com | url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=363926 | date=2008-05-22 | accessdate=2008-05-25] [cite web | title=Drake/Holland conference call transcript | publisher=mlive.com | url=http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2008/05/drakeholland_conference_call_t.html | date=2008-05-22 | accessdate=2008-05-25]

His ability to hold on to the puck fitting perfectly into Detroit's puck possession style of play, Zetterberg was selected by the Detroit Red Wings 210th overall in the seventh round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Detroit was under criticism at the time for "mortgaging its future," trading away many of its earlier picks in the 1999 draft. After playing for Timrå IK of the Swedish Elitserien for the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons, Zetterberg came to Detroit to play in the NHL for the 2002–03 season.

NHL career

Zetterberg, a highly touted rookie, did not disappoint. He made his debut against the San Jose Sharks on October 10, 2002 in Detroit, Michigan. He played in 79 games his rookie season, scoring 22 goals & 22 assists for 44 points, leading all rookies. Zetterberg finished the season as runner-up for the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year).

In his sophomore season, Zetterberg nearly matched his rookie stats despite missing 21 games due to a broken leg suffered against the Vancouver Canucks in an early-season game.

For the 2004–05 season, Zetterberg returned to Sweden to play for Timrå IK because of the owners' lockout. He led the SEL in scoring with 50 points in 50 games.Cite web|url=http://stats.swehockey.se/0405/pdf/Elitserien/Statistics.pdf|title=Svenska Ishockeyförbundet - Official Statistics|accessdate=2007-10-01|publisher=Swedish Ice Hockey Association|year=2005] During the 2005–06 season, Zetterberg wore the alternate Captain's "A" on his jersey in the absence of team captain Steve Yzerman. The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet speculated that Zetterberg might take over the captaincy for the Red Wings when Yzerman retired, [sv icon cite web | title=Yzermans arvtagare | work=Aftonbladet.se | url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/sport/story/0,2789,821575,00.html | accessmonthday=August 11 | accessyear=2006] but Nicklas Lidström was named captain and Zetterberg was named an alternate on the day of the Red Wings' 2006–07 season opener. He enjoyed his second best statistical season in 2005–06, setting career highs in goals, assists, and points, while finishing with a plus/minus of +29. His 17 power play goals led the team, and his 85 points were second to Pavel Datsyuk's 87.

Zetterberg was selected for the 2007 NHL All-Star Game, but withdrew to rest an injured wrist.Cite web|url=http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070120/SPORTS0103/701200413/1128/rss16|title=No All-Star for Zetterberg|accessdate=2007-02-09|publisher=The Detroit News|year=2007|author=Niyo, John]

After Zetterberg scored his 100th career goal against the Phoenix Coyotes on February 8, 2007, Coyotes head coach Wayne Gretzky said Zetterberg is "probably the most underrated player in the league."Cite web|url=http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070208/SPORTS0103/702080414/1004/SPORTS|title=Zetterberg puts on show for Great One|accessdate=2007-02-09|publisher=The Detroit News|year=2007|author=Kulfan, Ted] Nine days later, in a game against the Coyotes, Zetterberg picked up his first career hat-trick and added an assist on an empty-net goal by Jason Williams.

Zetterberg has skated as a member of the "Swedish Five", a line the Red Wings have featured that is similar in concept to the famed Russian Five. During the 2005–06 season, head coach Mike Babcock assembled a starting lineup of five players that hail from Sweden: Zetterberg, Tomas Holmström, Mikael Samuelsson, Nicklas Lidström, and Niklas Kronwall (or Andreas Lilja). This was the first NHL line assembled with all Swedish players. The line also skated together at the 2006 Winter Olympics, in which Sweden won the gold medal.At the start of the 2007–08 season, Zetterberg recorded at least one point in each of the Red Wings first 16 games, breaking the record of 14 games set by former Red Wing Norm Ullman in 1960. He was voted to start for the Western Conference in the 2008 NHL All-Star Game alongside teammates Chris Osgood (who was named a starter after Roberto Luongo declined), Nicklas Lidstrom, and Pavel Datsyuk, but again did not play in the game due to back problems.

On April 25, 2008, Zetterberg was announced as a finalist for the 2007–08 Frank J. Selke Trophy, along with his teammate Pavel Datsyuk. [http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=361647&page=NewsPage&service=page]

On May 24, Zetterberg tied teammate Johan Franzén for the most Red Wing playoff goals in a single postseason with his 12th.

On June 4, Zetterberg scored the Stanley Cup winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals to bring Detroit its 11th Stanley Cup in franchise history. He also was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

International play

*Played for Sweden in:
*2001 World Championships (bronze medal)
*2002 Winter Olympics
*2002 World Championships (bronze medal)
*2003 World Championships (silver medal)
*2004 World Cup of Hockey
*2005 World Championships
*2006 Winter Olympics (gold medal)
*2006 World Championships (gold medal)

Zetterberg has been a consistent part of the Swedish National Team, Tre Kronor, since 2001. He has enjoyed a fair amount of success in the IIHF World Championships, winning a medal in four of the five years he has appeared in that tournament. He was one of just two non-NHLers named to the Swedish squad for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He won a gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics and then again in the 2006 World Championship in Riga, playing a part in the international sweep (both Olympic and World Champion the same year). Zetterberg is one of only eight players to capture this sweep.

With the 2008 Stanley Cup championship, Zetterberg became a member of the Triple Gold Club. The term is used for an exclusive group of ice hockey players who have won Olympic gold, World Championship gold, and the Stanley Cup. Zetterberg is one of 22 members of this exclusive club, which is formally recognized by the International Ice Hockey Federation.

Personal life

Zetterberg goes by the nicknames of "Zäta" (pronounced "Zaeta", which means "Z" in Swedish); and "Hank", an anglicized shortening of Henrik that is used by his Red Wings teammates. He and his fellow linemate Pavel Datsyuk have been nicknamed by commentators and the Detroit media as the "Euro Twins" and "The Pav and Hank Show". He also carries the nickname "Sasha", which he was given by Tomas Holmström to match "Pasha" Datsyuk.

His father, Göran Zetterberg, is coach of the hockey team in Njurunda, and his mom Ulla is an office supervisor.

Zetterberg is an avid soccer player while off the ice.In the summer of 2008 he became engaged to Emma Andersson, a Swedish model and TV host.Cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880605022|title=Wings make Game 6 a family affair|accessdate=2008-06-05|author=St. James, Helene]

Career statistics

NHL

Nominations

*Named "Detroit Red Wings Rookie of the Year" in 2003 by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters' Association for his play during the 2002-03 season.
*Awarded the Sporting News "Rookie of the Year" (voted on by NHL players) in 2003.
*Named to the NHL Western Conference All-Star Team in 2007.
*Viking Award in 2007 and 2008, awarded to the "Best Swede" playing in North America
*Holds a Red Wings record for having at least one point in 17 consecutive games to start a season.
*Holds the Red Wings franchise record for goals (13 - tied w/ Johan Franzén) and points (27) in a single playoff season.
*Named the first recipient of the 'TSN NHL Player Of The Year' in 2008 by a panel of 30 people around the NHL. [http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=240587&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_main]

References

External links

* [http://henrikzetterberg.com/index.php Official Site]
*hockeydb|45090
*nhlprofile|8468083
*eurohockey|10101
*Espn nhl|2503