When you think of what the Red Wings have long been built on, it’s the “every-dayer” as former head coach Mike Babcock coined. When you think of what the model Red Wings style of play is, it’s always been about playing both ways... And when you think of who filled that mold seamlessly, it has long been Henrik Zetterberg. It’s absurd that Henrik Zetterberg never won a Selke Trophy, and then when you really think about it, it’s even more absurd that Pavel Datsyuk won it three years in a row in Hank’s prime years. That’s how sickeningly good this team was. They had two of the best two-way players in the game, and to top it all off, the best defenseman the NHL has ever seen (Lidstrom>Orr - we will not have this discussion). But really, what defined Henrik Zetterberg was his freakish stamina, his strength, and, last but certainly not least, the way his vision always had him one step in front of everyone else. Really, though, if you could encapsulate Henrik Zetterberg’s career in one highlight reel, a short bit of video that shows just how special he was, it’s this: The Conn Smythe Shift. pic.twitter.com/VPofaMXTmu — Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 14, 2018 Henrik Zetterberg’s time in Detroit came at a turning point for the Red Wings — he was a ‘franchise player” who was behind multiple other ‘franchise players.’ He was the captain who followed legendary talents in Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom. Hank essentially spent years playing with the best team in history to wind up leading a team stocked with aging veterans, and depth players. Zetterberg learned for a duo of “quiet leaders” before him, which molded him into the leader that he is/was. 40 should go down as one of the most underrated Red Wings of the modern era. Without him, there was no ‘euro-twins,’ there was no 2008 title, and there sure as hell was no Ken Holland. The dude was freakin’ drafted in the 7th round — marking the best of the class alongside the Sedin Twins. It wasn’t until his later years that I truly fell in love with the way Henrik Zetterberg played. He had that silent swagger, that seemingly creative control over the game... He was the type of player that teams wished they had. If you’re a Red Wings fan, you’ve likely read through most of this saying to yourself “yeah, no kidding,” and that should tell you, those of you who didn’t spend 15 years watching Henrik Zetterberg night-in and night-out, just what kind of a player he was. But hold on, let’s look outside the player. The Zetterberg family (Henrik and Emma) believed in humanitarianism. For years, the Zetterberg Foundation promoted human welfare, whether it be in the classroom, providing healthcare, or just simply being there to make you smile when there seemed to be no reason to smile. The Zetterberg Foundation was established in 2013 by Emma and Henrik Zetterberg in order to increase and expand their efforts in giving back to the city of Detroit, and the charitable causes they believe in globally; involving children, education, and healthcare. The Zetterbergs realized what an enormous impact their personal involvement has had on the individuals and communities they’ve helped over the years, so they decided to take their support to another level by establishing the foundation. This will enable others to join the Zetterbergs in helping those that don’t have the resources and means to help themselves. Point is, Henrik Zetterberg is more than just an athlete. Yes, he has inspired dozens of players in the NHL, but the Zetterberg name has left an everlasting impact on hundreds of lives not only in the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan, but around the world. The Motor City is losing an unsung icon in Hank, he will be truly missed.. Not only by fans, but his teammates, too.<doc-sep>Mitch Albom Detroit Free Press That was no accident Friday. Hank Zetterberg said goodbye to an amazing hockey career exactly where he wanted to do it: Where it began. “Having a little media scrum in the corner, in a practice rink, in Traverse City, during training camp,” he admitted Saturday via telephone, in typical understated humility, “that was a perfect ending for me.” Off sails the captain, off sails the ship. Zetterberg’s retirement is more than just the end of a star career under a particular Red Wing banner. It’s the end of that banner. By the time the Wings hoist another Stanley Cup, they will look nothing like the team Zetterberg began on, and possibly nothing like the one he’s retiring from. Think about this. The man they call “Z” birthed his Detroit legacy by skating beside the following players, who had all hoisted a Stanley Cup a few months earlier: Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Brendan Shanahan, Brett Hull, Igor Larionov, Darren McCarty, even Luc Robitaille. Luc Robitaille? Does Zetterberg go back that far? “Looking back at that roster,” he said Saturday, almost in awe, “I really didn’t think I was going to be able to crack it.” He cracked it all right. And for 15 seasons, he skated through rosters as deftly as he skated through defenses, surfing the changes with a silent grace that made you think he was older than he was, until you thought he was younger than he was. Zetterberg, soon to be 38, had 44 points that rookie year, and nearly 1,000 points for his career. But he was more hardnosed than people recognized, more determined, more defensive, and the years took their toll, especially on his back. He played through constant pain. When the doctors told him there were no real options left, and that continued damage might not only end his hockey playing, but endanger his quality of life, the future crystallized. “I had the feeling that it was going to be over. I tried everything this summer.” He sighed. “It’s time.” Off sails the captain. More on the Red Wings: St. James: Zetterberg's Red Wings career defined by poise, skill Wings on Zetterberg: Great player, greater person Last of the era Now understand, this really is about the injury, which has been a struggle since having back surgery four years ago. “Yeah, otherwise, I would be playing,” Zetterberg said. “I think we have a very interesting team of young kids coming in, a brand new arena. If I could play, I would play. “But ever since the surgery, it wasn’t getting better. It can only go one way. If you look, since last year, I didn’t practice. I only played games. You can’t play at this level and not practice. You have to be prepared, especially at my age, when things are slowing down. You have to be 100 percent or you can’t be out there.” So Zetterberg, who, amazingly, played in all 82 games the last two seasons, which says something about his perseverance, announced his goodbye in Traverse City, where he said the people have always been so amazing, and the Red Wing spirit was on display from his first exposure. He remembered, in 2002, when the bus pulled up, and there was already a mob of fans waiting. He’d never pictured anything like that for a training camp. Back then, Zetterberg was a late-round draft pick, and few beyond the scouts had any idea what he might become. So he showed us. Zetterberg won one Stanley Cup, was a playoff MVP, has an Olympic Gold, a World Championship, and, perhaps most importantly, at least in Detroit, a special letter on his sweater that places you in the most elite of company. The captain’s ‘C’. Yzerman wore it during the early years of the Wings four-Cup run, Lidstrom took it from him. And Zetterberg took it from him. Three captains in 31 seasons. With Zetterberg’s departure, that lineage is officially broken. Only Nick Kronwall remains from the 2002-03 season, and he has hinted at retirement after this year. Off sails the ship. More:Thanks for Hank: The numbers that define Henrik Zetterberg's career An amazing voyage Do you know how Zetterberg spent the first morning of his retirement? He watched practice. He hung by the ice and saw the younger players zipping past. He watched the scrimmage drills. It wasn’t torture. It was what he wanted to do. “I spent some time with the trainers here, and with the guys, and seeing the people in Traverse City that have been taking care of us and me for 15 years. This is an unbelievable spot for us. “It was a bit different today,” he admitted. “Because of everyone that reached out yesterday. It’s been amazing. You never knew that you had that many former teammates and coaches and fans. It’s been very emotional, but still, it’s been good. It was good to be here today, to watch the guys scrimmage.” And that is that. No press conference. No video package. No parading out the family or the friends. We forget how lucky we have been in Detroit to have three straight Red Wings captains who are the embodiment of low-key, no-ego, hardworking and grateful men. By the time Zetterberg was effacing those traits, we’d grown so totally used to them, thanks to Yzerman and Lidstrom, we expected them. But that only speaks to how special Zetterberg was. To start a humble trend is to get noticed. To continue it is to live up to a legacy that, by definition, leaves you out of the biggest spotlights. So be it. There may not be a zillion people who will blink twice at the news that Henrik Zetterberg, Red Wings forward, No. 40, has retired. Doesn’t matter. We know. We blinked. We recalled the nights of speed and dazzle, the defensive plays forwards often don’t want to make, the teaming with Pavel Datsyuk, the lap with the Stanley Cup, the thick head of hair that was enough for two men, the beard that suggested of a Swedish lumberjack. We remember how well he played, but just as importantly, how well he led. He led by example. He led by hard work. And he led by one other thing. Legacy. Two years ago, Zetterberg and I sat together in the Joe Louis locker room, and he kept nodding left and right whenever he spoke about Yzerman or Lidstrom. “You do know they’re gone?” I joked. “Yeah.” “But you’re nodding at their old lockers as if they’re still here.” “Well,” he said, eyes twinkling, “they are still here.” And he will be, too. In the locker room, in the banners, every time someone talks about the glory era, or the Euro Twins, or the Mike Babcock regime, or 2008, or the captain’s table of one name excellence, Stevie, Nick and Hank. Off sails the captain, off sails the ship. What a long and amazing voyage it was. Contact Mitch Albom: malbom@freepress.com. Check out the latest updates with his charities, books and events at MitchAlbom.com. Download “The Sports Reporters” podcast each Monday and Friday on-demand through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and more. Follow him on Twitter @mitchalbom.<doc-sep>Traverse City — Even with an aching back and not being able to practice, Henrik Zetterberg was often the Red Wings’ best player the last two seasons. His leadership in the locker room, his ability on the ice, it’s all going to be missed, as Zetterberg announced the end of his playing career Friday due to that troublesome back. How much will Zetterberg be missed? The Red Wings will determine that in the weeks and months ahead by how they play. But it’s not going to be easy. “There’s potential to feel that loss,” said coach Jeff Blashill, who called Zetterberg one of the best “warriors’ he’s been around, and one of the best players. “How much you feel it totally depends on how ready the other guys are to fill those roles.” More:Wings teammates recall Zetterberg's leadership, ability More:Wings will showcase kid line of Rasmussen, Veleno, Zadina More:Libor Sulak a wild card in fight for spot on Red Wings' defense Not having Zetterberg means this team belongs that much more to the likes of Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi, and all those youngsters coming up this season (Michael Rasmussen, Filip Zadina) and, in the not too distant future (Dennis Cholowski, Filip Hronek, Evgeny Svechnikov, Joe Veleno, Givani Smith, or so many others). There are opportunities for the young players to take this team upward. “It’s an opportunity for someone else to step up and grab those minutes,” defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. “We need younger guys to push for those minutes.” It’s an old sports axiom that when a player gets hurt, all it means is it’s an opportunity for another player, usually much younger, and probably very hungry. The Red Wings are hoping that occurs in this situation. Still, losing Zetterberg, and all he did for this roster, is going to be a monumental loss. “Whether you needed a goal or shut it down, he was on the ice and he made it happen,” Kronwall said. “That’s what stands out among the great players. Steve (Yzerman) was the same way, Nick (Lidstrom) was the same way. When it mattered, they were on top of the game.” Here are several ways the loss of Zetterberg will affect the Red Wings: ■ Who will replace Zetterberg as captain? Blashill and Holland both said that will be determined before Opening Night on Oct. 4. “It’s something we’ll keep discussing internally,” Blashill said. “By Game 1 we’ll have that decision made. But it’s not something I want to comment on. We’ll discuss it internally and decide what is the best avenue for us.” It wouldn’t be surprising to see another assistant captain named alongside Kronwall and Justin Abdelkader. A steady, low-key veteran such as Frans Nielsen would appear to be a good possibility to wear an ‘A,’ or maybe Dylan Larkin, who just signed a contract extension and is destined to someway be the Wings’ captain. But probably just not yet. Larkin is only 22 and it might be too much pressure to wear the "C" at this point. Larkin took on a larger role last season on and off the ice, and intends to do even more this season. “I don’t think you need to wear a letter to be a leader and I tried last year to take a step forward in my third season,” Larkin said. “I thought it was time to be a leader, be an impact player on this team. I have the same mentality for this year. Is wearing a letter everything? No. It’s doing the right things, contributing to the team and winning games. “We’re going to need solid leadership and I want to provide that.” For his part, Zetterberg believes the leadership is fine on this roster. “The leadership group we have is strong,” Zetterberg said. “The assistant captains (Abdelkader, Kronwall), we have some young guys that have been here for a while. One player has the ‘C’ on his jersey, but we have a lot of leaders.” ■ How will the salary cap be affected? Zetterberg has three years remaining on his contract at a hit of $6.083 million on the salary cap. The Wings will pace Zetterberg on long-term injured reserve when the regular season begins. How much salary cap relief the Wings receive will depend on who makes the Opening Night roster (and how close to the ceiling of the cap they are). Regardless, general manager Ken Holland has said on several occasions the Wings will not go looking for a replacement to Zetterberg in the lineup from outside the organization. “There are a lot of options,” said Holland, noting Larkin, Nielsen, Athanasiou, Darren Helm and Luke Glendening, along with the likes of Rasmussen and Dominic Turgeon, all play center. “It’s an opportunity for other players to show what they can do.” ■ How will minutes and roles in the lineup be affected? Larkin, obviously, moves into the role of No. 1 center, something that was likely to happen with or without Zetterberg. “Playing with him my first year on a line, I spent a lot of time with him and learned a lot every day,” Larkin said. “Just watching him, the good times and the bad. Every day there was a new lesson I learned from him.” Nielsen and Athanasiou (or maybe Helm) will become the second- or third-line centers, with Glendening, likely the fourth center. There’s also Zetterberg’s spot on the power play, which Nielsen could claim (he was on the New York Islanders’ power play and saw brief time on it with the Wings last season). Zetterberg’s absence also creates more of a chance for Rasmussen and Zadina to make the roster and see quality ice time this season. “There’s opportunity in terms of ice time and hopefully some young players are going to take full advantage,” Holland said. ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com twitter.com/tkulfan<doc-sep>
He stayed as long as he could, and would’ve liked to stay even longer. But Henrik Zetterberg knew for a while this day was coming, and when the Red Wings opened training camp Friday, he did something rare for him. He finally stopped pushing. His degenerative back condition started aching again in January, so he couldn’t practice anymore. But even as the Wings struggled through a rough rebuild, Zetterberg pushed on, playing all 82 games — remarkably, all 82 games the past three seasons — as reality beckoned with every wince. When Steve Yzerman retired, we said there’d never be another leader like him. When Nicklas Lidstrom retired, we said there’d never be another leader like him. We say it again now, as Zetterberg, 37, retires, the last in a line, the end of yet another era. “I got to know my body pretty well the last couple years, and I know when it’s bad,” Zetterberg told reporters in Traverse City. “And I don’t have that many more solutions to do with my back. So it’s time.” Ultimately, it was an easy decision for Zetterberg, who couldn’t train all summer because of the pain. He went to New York last week for one more doctor’s opinion, and now will be placed on long-term injured reserve. It’s an outcome the Wings expected, and accepted, for a while. Even as Zetterberg spoke Friday and called his retirement “surreal,” the emotions remained bottled up. He said his only real regret was not getting to play in a playoff game at Little Caesars Arena. More: Loss of Zetterberg means major issues loom for Red Wings More: Wings teammates recall Zetterberg's leadership, ability 'Sad day for hockey' Of course, you can’t regret leaving when your body won’t let you stay. Zetterberg never touted his toughness or his leadership, he merely showed it, for 15 seasons here, the last six as captain. Like those before him, he was unexceptionally exceptional, soft-spoken in his Swedish accent, hard-driven in all the important areas on the ice. He long ago cemented his standing as one of the franchise’s all-time greats, finishing fifth on the Wings’ career list both in points (960) and goals (337). “I think it’s a sad day for hockey, for the NHL, for Detroit, for Detroit sports,” said Dylan Larkin, 22, who now must grow into a larger role. “We’re losing an icon, someone who’s given the fans a Stanley Cup. He’s played through a lot of injuries and pain, he’s put his heart and soul into the city, he’s someone I think is very deserving to be up in the rafters with the legends of the Red Wings.” When Zetterberg raised the Conn Smythe Trophy after the Wings won the Stanley Cup in 2008, fans in Detroit rejoiced, including one youngster growing up in Waterford. “That was my favorite moment, seeing how he humbly accepted it,” Larkin said. “I can’t remember even watching the Red Wings without Z out there. What makes him so good? His poise. I don’t think there’s many players like that left, with his vision. You don’t even have to call for the puck, he knows where you are at all times. He’s a field general. He’s not the fastest guy, but he controls the pace of the game.” He controlled the pace of the dressing room too, and left his imprint in a lot of places, not just on the Stanley Cup. With his nicknames, Zetterberg was far more workmanlike “Hank,” drafted in the seventh round in 1999, than flashy “Z.” Larkin observed for three years, admitted he was initially starstruck, and now says Zetterberg was the most impactful person in his young career. The Wings are deep into their rebuild, and there are hungry, talented players, from Larkin to Anthony Mantha to first-round pick Filip Zadina, eager to seize opportunities. Last year was especially tough for Zetterberg, trying to push young guys to be better while he could barely push himself to skate. Yet he was always there, second on the team in minutes among forwards, second in points to Larkin. He still played in crucial situations and assumed any role necessary. That effort can be lost in a losing season, but it wasn’t lost on those around him. Game after game, Jeff Blashill would talk about the process of learning and growing. Game after game, Zetterberg would stand in front of the cameras and calmly, sometimes sternly, explain what the youngsters needed to do.