It’s never easy to replace a legend. The captaincy of the Detroit Red Wings is an exclusive club that includes names like Sid Abel, Ted Lindsay, Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Marcel Dionne, Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom.
Henrik Zetterberg inherited the “C” as the natural choice after Lidstrom’s 2012 retirement. The Swedish forward succeeded his countryman with a style similar to Lidstrom and the man who led the team when Zetterberg broke into the NHL, Steve Yzerman.
As a seventh round draft pick in 1999 (210 overall), Zetterberg played several seasons in his native land before joining Detroit for the 2002-03 season.
Detroit was coming off of it’s third Stanley Cup in six years and was chock full of veteran players, particularly of Swedish descent.
His rookie campaign garnered him a Calder Trophy nomination for rookie of the year, a title he was given by The Sporting News in 2003.
His next six NHL seasons catapulted Zetterberg into elite status as he averaged over a point per game (511 points in 506 games).
Consecutive All Star Game appearances in 2007-08 a Stanley Cup (2008) and Conn Smythe (2008) cemented Henrik Zetterberg’s status as one of the top players in the world.
Playing alongside Russian teammate Pavel Datsyuk, Zetterberg has helped lead the Detroit Red Wings into the next generation without missing a beat.
Lidstrom, Kirk Maltby and Tomas Holmstrom were the last of the veterans that helped turn Detroit into “Hockeytown”. With the Wings five years removed from their last Stanley Cup, Zetterberg will have to show that he has the fortitude and leadership to continue the winning tradition.
A playoff streak that nearly ended last year was not an ideal start, but Zetterberg helped spark Detroit to a first round upset over the second-seeded Anaheim Ducks.
The Red Wings pushed the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks to seven games, before bowing out in the second round.
Though Detroit missed three opportunities to close out the series, it was a promising glimpse into the Zetterberg era in Detroit.
The 2013-14 campaign has been a showcase so far of what the 33-year old captain is capable of.
With a statistical arc that indicates that the Swedish center/left wing may be entering his prime, Zetterberg is among the league leaders in points (30 points in 28 games).
Erratic team play and an injury to his “Eurotwin” Datsyuk have Detroit among the dark horse contenders in the Eastern Conference early this year. However, with plenty of hockey left to play and Detroit’s captain leading the way, it would be a mistake to count the Red Wings out.