Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg has announced that his ongoing struggles with his back is going to prevent him from playing professional hockey any further. He will leave the game with over 300 goals scored in 1,082 games played.
His finest season in the NHL was arguably the Stanley Cup winning season of 2007-08. Scoring 43 goals along with 49 assists, he began the season on a tear with a 16 game point streak and cemented his position as an elite player.
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Of course, he was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs following Detroit’s 11th Stanley Cup victory. His 13th goal of the playoffs turned out to be the Cup winner – albeit in unusual fashion.
BONUS CONTENT: HENRIK ZETTERBERG CALLS IT A CAREER
The career of Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg has come to an end.
Ken Holland announced that after consulting with Doctors, Henrik Zetterberg is no longer healthy enough to play professional hockey.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 14, 2018
After years of battling a back ailment and despite holding out hope that he’d be able to come back, Zetterberg determined he’d be unable to do so following an examination by a doctor in New York. He still managed to play in all 82 games last season, racking up 56 points.
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However, he wasn’t able to train and practice properly, and wasn’t able to train at all this offseason due to the symptoms of his back ailment, which included nerve pain in his legs and disk-related issues. He underwent surgery on his back in 2014.
“Obviously, it is emotional,” he said while addressing media members at Centre I.C.E. in Traverse City during the first day of training camp. “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.”
He will be placed on long-term injured reserve, which will allow the team to work with more salary cap space. He has three years remaining on his contract, with an annual cap hit of $6.083 million.
