Henrik Zetterberg

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Zetterberg’s journey began in Njurunda before he joined Timrå IK at age 15. He caught the eye of Detroit scouts Håkan Andersson and Jim Nill during a tournament in Finland; while Andersson focused on Mattias Weinhandl, Nill noticed 'this little Zetterberg guy who always seemed to have the puck.' Drafted 210th overall in 1999, he signed his entry-level contract in May 2002. After leading the Elitserien with 50 points in 50 games during the 2004–05 lockout, he returned to Detroit as an alternate captain. His leadership evolved when Nicklas Lidström succeeded Steve Yzerman as captain in 2006–07; Zetterberg was named an alternate that season and eventually took over the 'C' on 15 January 2013 after Lidström retired, serving until his career ended due to a degenerative back condition.

In Their Own Story

In Game 6 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Zetterberg scored the winning goal and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy by commissioner Gary Bettman. That postseason, he tied teammate Johan Franzén with 13 playoff goals, a Red Wings record for most in a single series. His career also featured dramatic individual moments: on 17 February 2007, against the Phoenix Coyotes, he recorded his first hat-trick—all power-play goals—plus an assist on an empty-netter by Jason Williams in a four-point game. Earlier that season, Coyotes head coach Wayne Gretzky declared him 'probably the most underrated player in the league' after Zetterberg scored his 100th career goal. Despite chronic back issues that required surgery before the 2014 Olympics and forced an early retirement announcement on 14 September 2018, he reached milestones like his 300th goal on 6 November 2015 against James Reimer of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Reader's Guide

Zetterberg’s statistical peaks include a career-high 92 points (43 goals, 49 assists) in 75 games during the Stanley Cup-winning 2007–08 season. He recorded 85 points in 77 games in 2005–06 as part of the famed 'Swedish Five' alongside Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmström, Mikael Samuelsson, and Nicklas Lidström, a unit that also won Olympic gold together. In his rookie year (2002–03), he led all first-year players with 44 points in 79 games. He finished as a runner-up for the Frank J. Selke Trophy to Datsyuk after the 2008 season and was selected for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, though back problems kept him from playing. His final active game was his 1,000th on 9 April 2017 at Joe Louis Arena, where he became the seventh franchise player to reach that mark.

Did You Know?

• Zetterberg was drafted 210th overall in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, a pick Detroit had acquired after trading away many of its earlier selections.
• He won gold at both the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2006 Ice Hockey World Championships, making Sweden the first nation to win both tournaments in the same calendar year.
• During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Zetterberg returned to Sweden and led the Elitserien in scoring with 50 points in 50 games for Timrå IK.
• On 29 March 2018, he recorded his 954th career point, tying Sergei Fedorov for fifth all-time in total points in Red Wings franchise history.