Of roughly-translated Henrik Zetterberg-related note this morning:
1. Henrik Zetterberg’s agent, Gunnar Svensson, spoke with SVT.se’s Tobias Dahlberg this morning, stating that his client still wants to play hockey, and that Zetterberg hasn’t made his final decision yet:
Agent’s response: “There is no final message”
Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill announced today that Henrik Zetterberg’s career is probably over.
But his agent, Gunnar Svensson, says that his ambition is still to play.
“Of course, that’s what he wants. There is no answer to the question,” he says to SVT Sport.
To MLive, Blashill said that he doesn’t think Zetterberg will play next season.
“I doubt he will play. I don’t know how he’ll play an NHL season when he’s not even able to work out. I think it’s almost impossible. Right now it seems that it will be very difficult for Henrik to play.
Gunnar Svensson admits that the situation is not easy, but there is absolutely no decision, and “Zata” is leaving for Detroit today to join training camp and the preseason, which will start on September 14th.
“A Decision Will Emerge”
“I see in front of me that there are a lot of checks and surveys in Detroit. Based on this, a decision is due to emerge in September. I can’t interpret it any other way.”
He only played in games during the second half of last season, and now he hasn’t been able to train all summer. Can he really play this fall?
“You’re looking for a reply, but I don’t have it, and I don’t think Henrik has it, either,” says Svensson.
Zetterberg underwent an operation after the 2014 Olympics in Sochi and since then the problems have been significant and many.
“He’s received offers from 15-20 physical therapists, all of which are God’s gift to humanity. I understand that profession, but it would be almost pathetic,” says Svensson.
In September, the preseason camp starts in September and on October 4th, Detroit meets Columbus in the NHL premiere.
Niklas Kronwall then spoke with Expressen’s Magnus Nystrom…
“If people only knew–it’s physically impossible”
It’s still unclear whether Henrik Zetterberg will play in the NHL this upcoming hockey season.
An awkward back injury can force the superstar to stop.
“If only people knew what Henrik Zetterberg had been through. One might think it’s physically impossible,” reveals teammate Niklas Kronwall.
Even the Detroit team doesn’t know whether captain Henrik Zetterberg can come and play this fall. The almost 38-year-old (his birthday is during the NHL premiere in October) was supposed to play in his 16th season with Detroit in the NHL, and clearly stated that Detroit is his only option for continuing to play.
But his back can put an end to one of ice hockey’s most impressive careers.
As SPORT Expressen’s Gunnar Nordstrom previously reported, Henrik Zetterberg will test his back in Detroit at the end of this month.
“It shows what a warrior he is”
The teammates in Detroit can only hope, and they have suffered with Zetterberg in recent years, when he’s battled his back problems.
“If people only knew what Henrik Zetterberg had been through, one might think it was physically impossible,” says teammate Niklas Kronwall.
“Everybody knows he’s been cheating with his back, but he’s played all his games in recent years. It shows what a warrior he is. The back is far from 100%,” Kronwall continues, emphasizing that he doesn’t want to comment on what Zetterberg thinks about the future: “It’s not my place to speak for him.”
“But it’s clear that we’re suffering with him. Then it’s a bit selfish, too. We suffer as a team because he means so much for the organization. He’s incredibly important in the locker room. For the young players coming in, he shows how to behave like a full-blooded pro,” says Niklas.
Historic player on a historic team
“How the coming season develops for Detroit will depend on whether Zetterberg can continue playing,” says Niklas Kronwall.
“If he can’t, it looks a bit darker. But it would also be an opportunity for young players to get new roles and take control themselves.”
Detroit’s general manager, Ken Holland, has said that he expects Zetterberg at training camp in early September, and that the decision will be made whether he continues to play.
Zetterberg is a historic player on a historic team.
He has won a Stanley Cup and in the same year he won the Finals’ most valuable player. He’s played in over 1,000 games for the Red Wings and posted 960 points.
In 2006, he won both Olympic and World Championship gold with the Tre Kronor, but he missed the Olympic games in Sochi because of his back injury, and the World Cup in Toronto two years ago due to knee problems.
“The Fans Deserved it”
Despite his injury problems, he didn’t miss a single game last year, and posted 56 points in 82 games, second-best on Detroit.
Unfortunately, the Red Wings missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year. After going to the playoffs for 25 years in a row.
“No playoffs for Detroit–it feels really wrong,” says Niklas Kronwall, who continues:
“We lost many one-goal games with the team last year. But there’s no excuse to lose. We weren’t better. Maybe we thought we deserved more. It’s a giant sin that we didn’t give the fans a playoff series in the first season of a new arena, which the fans deserved,” said Kronwall, who had injury problems himself. But the 33-year-old is happy with his summer training, and is ready for a new season.
“There are a lot of positives on the team. Many young players improved last year. Like Dylan Larkin, who took an amazing climb. We’ve got more players knocking on the door this year, and we will take care of them.”
What are your feelings ahead of the season?
“We’ll see. Much depends on whether Zata can play.”
Your thoughts on your own play?
“I’m still craving to play. I think that it’s crazy that I’m still hanging on, and will till they kick me out,” says Niklas Kronwall.
