Zetterberg joined the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and watched Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom finish magnificent careers before assuming the mantle they once held, going from a 22-year-old brimming with potential to an elite player.
Five seasons in the Timra IK system, the last two in the Swedish Elite League, prepared Zetterberg for what awaited him in North America. More than 200 players were selected ahead of Zetterberg before the Red Wings selected him in the seventh round (No. 210) in the 1999 NHL Draft.
Zetterberg joined the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and watched Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom finish magnificent careers before assuming the mantle they once held, going from a 22-year-old brimming with potential to an elite player.
Five seasons in the Timra IK system, the last two in the Swedish Elite League, prepared Zetterberg for what awaited him in North America. More than 200 players were selected ahead of Zetterberg before the Red Wings selected him in the seventh round (No. 210) in the 1999 NHL Draft.
Zetterberg scored 44 points in 2002-03 and finished second in voting for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Two seasons later, he scored 39 goals and finished with 85 points.
Zetterberg was part of a rare international double in 2006, winning a gold medal playing for Sweden at the Torino Olympics and the IIHF World Championship. In 2007-08, he scored 92 points (43 goals, 49 assists), tied for sixth in the NHL, and helped the Red Wings finish with 115 points and win the Presidents' Trophy as the top team of the regular season.
Zetterberg opened the 2007-08 season with a 17-game point streak, breaking the Red Wings record of 14 by Norm Ullman in 1960-61. He ended the season by squeezing the puck between the pads of Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury at 7:36 of the third period in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final for a 3-2 victory, giving the Red Wings their 11th championship.
With 27 points, Zetterberg tied Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the League lead and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Zetterberg signed a 12-year contract with the Red Wings on Jan. 28, 2009 and was named team captain after Lidstrom retired in 2012. He played his 1,000th NHL game on April 9, 2017, scoring one goal and assisting on another in the final game played at Joe Louis Arena.
Back problems forced Zetterberg to retire after the 2017-18 season. He finished his NHL career with 960 points (337 goals, 623 assists) in 1,082 games, all with Detroit, as well as 120 points (57 goals, 63 assists) in 137 playoff games.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Swedish Elite League Rookie of the Year (2001)
- NHL All-Rookie Team (2003)
- NHL Second All-Star Team (2008)
- Signed as a free agent by Timra (Sweden), September 20, 2004.
- Signed as a free agent by Zug (Swiss), October 8, 2012.
