Henrik Zetterberg - a famous hockey player, striker of the NHL club Detroit Red Wings and the national team of Sweden. Among his sporting achievements are Olympic gold medals and world championships, as well as the Stanley Cup.
Biographical data
Karl Henrik Zetterberg was born in October 1980 in the Swedish city of Nurund. Here he began to train at a local sports school. But the future Olympic champion passed truly professional training at the Academy of HC Timro.
Brilliant career in Sweden
In the 1997/1998 season, hockey player Henrik Zetterberg made his debut as a professional player. He managed to combine performances for “Timro” with games for the “youth team” of this team. Starting next season, Zetterberg became the main player in the club. In the regular season in 37 fights, he scored 28 (13 + 15) points and became one of the best in “Tamro”.
At the end of the season, Henrik got into the NHL draft, where he was chosen by the Detroit Red Wings club. But the debut of the Swedish striker in the strongest hockey league on the planet had to wait another four long years.
In the 1999/2000 season, Carl Henrik Zettenberg made every effort to bring his team to the Elite Swedish series. In the regular championship in 42 fights, he scored 20 goals and gave 14 assists, and his 14 (10 + 4) points in the playoff series helped the modest “Tamro” to break into the country's top division.
Zetterberg spent two more brilliant years in Sweden. In 95 games of the Elite series, he scored 25 goals and assisted teammates 53 times. According to the results of the 2001/2002 season, he was in the All-Star Team, and also won the Golden Puck prize.
Moving overseas
In 2002, Henrik Zetterberg's career continued in Detroit. He signed a three-year contract with the local Red Wings club. In the first season, the Swedish striker scored 22 goals in 22 matches of the regular season and gave 22 assists. With such indicators of Zetterberg, he was included in the national team of all newcomers to the NHL.
After another successful season in the “Wings” (43 (15 + 28) points in 61 games), Henrik again ended up in “Tamro” for a lockout in the NHL. Here he scored 50 points in 50 matches of the Elite series, became her top scorer and ended up in the All-Star Team.
Upon returning to the Detroit Red Wings, Zetterberg set his record for performance - 39 goals and 46 assists in 77 matches. In the 2006/2007 season, Henrik with 68 (33 + 35) points received the Viking World trophy - the prize for the best Scandinavian hockey player in the NHL.
But the finest hour for the Swedish striker came in 2008. He not only became the most productive player of “Wings” (43 abandoned goals and 49 exact assists), but also became the author of the goal that won for the Detroit team in the final of the playoff series. According to the results of the season, Henrik Zetterberg was included in the second NHL All-Star Team, and also won two prestigious awards - Viking Award and Conn Smyth Trophy as the best playoffs hockey player.
In 2012, during the next NHL lockout, the Swedish forward performed as part of the Swiss Zug club. According to the results of the season, he became the most valuable player of his team in the media plan.
After the lockout, Zetterberg returned to the Detroit Red Wings. In 2013, he again won the Viking Award, and in 2015, the King Clancy Trophy - a prize for a player worthy to follow both on and off the hockey arena.
International career
For the first time, Henrik Zetterberg tried on the form of the Swedish national team at the age of 18 when he was called up to the junior team. At the World Championship, “Tre Krunur” became the best. The striker played in all six fights, scored two goals and gave 1 assists.
Three years later, Zetterberg, already in the national team, became the bronze medalist of the world championship. On his personal account in that tournament - 4 (1 + 3) points. In 2002, he repeated his achievement, and in 2003 replenished his collection of silver medals in the World Cup.
The high point for Henrik Zeterberg and the Swedish team came in 2006. At the Turin Olympics, “Tre Kronur” became the winners of the Games. The forward participated in 8 fights, scored 3 goals and assisted teammates the same number of times.
In the same year, Sweden was the best at the World Cup in Riga. And again, Zettenberg’s magnificent game contributed to this - 5 (2 + 3) points in 8 fights. Thanks to this victory, Henrik entered the so-called Triple Gold Club. Non-American hockey players with the Stanley Cup, as well as those who won the Olympic Games and the world championship, fall into it.
After 8 years, the Swedes again made their way to the final of the Olympics in Sochi, where they lost to the Canadians and were satisfied only with silver awards. Zetterberg in this tournament went on the ice in only one game, but he still scored his puck.