|
Wings' medical staff took a look at Z's
back to rule out disc problems
By George James Malik, Mlive.com, January 31,
2009
The Detroit News's Ted Kulfan pointed out that the
Detroit Red Wings' medical staff made absolutely sure that forward
Henrik Zetterberg's back issues consist of nothing more than muscle
spasms:
January 31, Detroit News: Henrik Zetterberg (back) won't play but said he
feels better. He skated after practice Friday and hopes to play
early next week.
Zetterberg had an MRI taken which showed nothing wrong
with the disc that troubled him two seasons ago.
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Scholarships
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(Click here for more
information)
Red Wing for Life! 12 YEARS,
$73,000,000.00
By
Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, January 28,
2009
73 Million Dollar
Man
The deal is done! Henrik Zetterberg is a Detroit Red
Wing for life. The 28 year-old Swedish superstar has always stated
that he wanted to stay with the Wings for his entire career, and
yesterday he proved his commitment once again, by signing a 12 year,
73 million dollar contract with the club.
Rumors had the Wing’s star center working out a 10
years 70 million dollar deal, but by adding two seasons at a million
dollars per year, the team was able to lower the salary cap hit to 6
million a year vice more than 7 million a season. Hank will make 7.4
million next season with his salary declining over the course of the
12 years.
Zetterberg commented, "I'm real happy I don't have to
do it again. I'm going to be here for the rest of my career and I'm
looking forward to spending 12 more years
here.”
You can’t give enough credit to Henrik for staying
loyal to the team, easily taking about 3 million less per season
than he could have made had he tested the free-agent market on July
1st. The same can be said for the Red Wings, locking up a franchise
player and team leader for the rest of his career. #40 is under
contract until the end of the 2020-21 season when he will be 40
years old.
This deal shows Zetterberg’s worth to the franchise.
It is the longest and largest contract ever awarded in team history.
General Manager Ken Holland has gone on record stating that the Red
Wings plan on making Zetterberg the team captain in the future when
Niklas Lidstrom retires.
"Henrik wanted to be a Red Wing for life and we wanted
to keep him a Red Wing for life. We worked hard to find a number
that made both sides very happy,'' said Holland.
Zetterberg has played six seasons for Detroit. Last
night was his 400th career game. He has scored 169 goals and added
206 assists for 20th place on the Red Wings all-time scoring leaders
list with 375 total points. He is one
of the greatest two-way players in the game, was a Selke Trophy
finalist last season, and won the Conn Smyth trophy as playoff MVP
this past summer.
Zetterberg is also active with charity in the
Detroit area. He meets annually
with representatives from local fire departments and governmental
fire agencies to collect smoke detectors in an effort to raise
awareness of the importance of having working smoke detectors and
decrease the number of household fires
He
recently announced the creation of The Henrik Zetterberg
Michigan High School Hockey Scholarship. Every spring, $1,500.00
will be awarded to two Senior student-athletes in the State of
Michigan.
Bad Timing
Despite all the achievements and accolades, even
before a deal was announced, many fans have seriously questioned the
length of the term due to Henrik’s history of back problems. It’s a
valid concern.
It
started in February 2007 when Zetterberg missed the final 19 games
of the season with an inflamed disc. The following year Henrik
missed 7 games and the All-star game between December 2007 and
January 2008. It has been more than a year since he has missed time
with an aggravation, until yesterday after the new contract was
signed.
Zetterberg left last night’s game at Columbus in the
1st period due to back spasms. He had this to say afterwards, “I
went to the corner, they came from behind, kind of pushed me in. I
went back to the bench, felt kind of stiff, and it kind of stiffened
up on me. I just decided to be safe, take the rest of the night
off."
Zetterberg also said he doesn’t think it is a
reoccurring problem, "I don't think it's anything to do with what
happened years before. It just got tweaked kind of funny. I feel
pretty good right now, so we'll see how it feels, if we're going to
take some time or not."
Zetterberg did not practice this morning and he will
be kept out of the lineup on Thursday against Dallas in a
move the team calling it a “precautionary measure”. They said he is
not receiving any x-rays or other tests on his back, just resting
it.
Head coach Mike Babcock expressed his concern, “When
he gets bumped in the back, we’re probably over cautious. We just
felt that a couple of years ago when we didn’t do it that way, that
it came back to bite us in the butt a little bit, so we’re going to
get it looked after. He’ll miss tomorrow’s game for
sure.”
Babcock couldn’t help joking about the new contract as
well.
"I
think that's probably the problem with his back. He was taking all
of that money to the bank," said the coach.
WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE
Zetterberg Ecstatic about Record 12-year
Deal
By Helene
St. James, Free Press, January 28,
2009
Henrik Zetterberg put
it plainly when asked about his new 12-year, $73-million
deal.
“I’m very, very happy,” he
said today.
For Steve Yzerman, the
former captain and now a team vice president, Zetterberg's decision
has come to typify the sort of player the Wings are after - one who
is unselfish enough to realize he'll have to make sacrifices to
win.
"There’s more money
out there if you want to chase it," Yzerman said. "You can get more
money from a different organization, but you have to move and maybe
you’re not in as good a situation. If you want to stay with your
team and you want to remain a good team, everybody has to give in a
little bit. Our players recognize it. I think the majority of
players are willing to do anything they can to remain with the
club."
Zetterberg will make
$7.4 million next season, because he didn't want to make more than
captain Nicklas Lidstrom, who will make $7.45 million. Here is the
exact breakdown:
09-10 $7.4 Million
10-11 $7.75
Million
11-12 $7.75 Million
12-13 $7.75 Million
13-14 $7.5
Million
14-15 $7.5 Million
15-16 $7.5 Million
16-17 $7.5
Million
17-18 $7.0 Million
18-19 $3.35 Million
19-20 $1.0
Million
20-21 $1.0 Million
The important number,
though, is that this deal averages out to a $6.08-million-per-season
salary-cap hit. That makes it all the more possible to re-sign
someone like Marian Hossa, who also is after a long-term
deal.
Being able to sign
other good players was a big factor in Zetterberg's decision to
become a lifetime Wing.
"That’s one of the
reasons I decided to stay – I know that we’ve got good owners, that
we always have a good team on the ice," Zetterberg
said.
Zetterberg Signs 12-year Extension with
Red Wings
By Mike G. Morreale,
NHL.com, January 28, 2009
Was there ever any
question the Detroit Red Wings would find a way to get
Henrik Zetterberg, last season's Conn
Smythe Trophy winner, locked up for the long term before he reached
unrestricted free agency this summer?
Not
really.
Despite economic hardships and a rigid salary cap,
the Wings once again have worked their magic, signing Zetterberg to
a 12-year contract extension Wednesday morning that will allow him
to stay with the club through his 40th birthday and the 2020-21
season.
"I'm a very happy man, and I'm also happy I won't
have to go through this again," Zetterberg said. "I'm glad I'll be
spending the rest of my career here. Since the start, the Red Wings
have always taken good care of me. There are good players here and
they all want to win and that's a big reason why I wanted to
stay."
In his sixth season with the Wings, the 28-year-old
native of Njurunda, Sweden, has 17 goals and
43 points in 45 games. He also has 7 power-play goals, is plus-11
and has recorded 11 multi-point games.
He considers Detroit his
home away from home now.
"Michigan sort of reminds me of
Sweden, especially
today," Zetterberg said on a cloudy, 23-degree day. "I never had any
thoughts of moving and I wanted to stay here, and that's what I told
my agent (Marc Levine) from the start. I wanted to find a way to
make it forever and we did. I believe I still have 12 years left in
me, and I don't want to play anywhere else. I also wanted to make
sure these were the last negotiations taking place."
The
Wings are equally happy to have locked up Zetterberg for the long
term.
"He's a guy we want to build around and we feel that
between Henrik and Pavel (Datsyuk), we have two of the best two-way
forwards in the game," Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland said.
"He's in his prime, he's won a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe Trophy.
He plays at both ends of the rink and goes to all the hard areas. He
can play left wing and score and play the middle and be just as
effective. He gives us flexibility and is a leader, a guy who, when
Nick Lidstrom retires, is certainly someone we'll have to consider
as the next captain for the Red Wings."
"Obviously the
question that'll be asked is 'Was it the smartest thing to do given
our economy?'" Holland said. "In the end, we
structured a contract that we thought would ensure Henrik's security
while giving us a cap number that, no matter if the cap goes down or
holds, allows us to get other top players.
This move
certainly made Wings coach Mike Babcock happy.
"The thing you
notice about Hank is his determination and will," he said. "I've
always believed that when you line him up against a guy in a series,
he'll wear him out and to me, that's leadership. I think Nicklas Lidstrom and the contract he signed
set a bar for our team and basically allowed us to surround
ourselves with good players. Now that's what 'Z' is doing. I'm proud
to be his coach. He's made me a better coach and he's made his
teammates better as well."
Last season, Zetterberg led the
Wings to the Stanley Cup by posting career highs of 43 goals, 49
assists and 92 points. He followed that with 13 goals in 22 Stanley
Cup Playoff games, including the game-winning goal in the
Cup-clinching Game 6 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He tied for the lead
among all playoff performers in goals and points (27), and his
plus-16 was tops among all players.
"I'm a very happy man
today," Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch said. "I was so proud of Henrik
during the Stanley Cup Final and how he went toe-to-toe with Sidney Crosby and showed the grit and the
toughness of the European player that wasn't supposed to win a
Stanley Cup, but did."
In 400 NHL games, Zetterberg has 169
goals and 375 points. He has 28 goals and 52 points in 62 playoff
games.
"Obviously we wanted to keep him and he wanted to
stay, but that doesn't necessarily mean you won't run the risk that
things could fall apart," Holland said. "Discussions with
Marc Levine started at the 2008 Draft. As you're negotiating, both
sides look at other contracts around the League that play into the
thought process, but we stuck with it and both sides were
creative."
Holland was creative with the
length of the deal, while Zetterberg and Levine were creative on
accepting a fair cap number that allowed him to remain a Red
Wing.
"Over the last 2-3 weeks, we started to settle in on
10, 11 and 12 years, and finally decided to put a contract together
that would take him from 28 years old to 40,'' Holland said.
Yzerman Happy Zetterberg is
Staying
By Mike G. Morreale, NHL.com, January 28,
2009
Steve Yzerman,
who has spent the last 26 seasons as part of the Detroit Red Wings organization, knows a
little something about character and leadership. He remains the
longest serving captain in Red Wings history.
He considered it an
honor to play with the Wings over a career that spanned 22 years and
is thrilled whenever he hears of former teammates doing the same. As
such, Yzerman was on hand during Wednesday's press conference to
offer his thoughts on Henrik Zetterberg's new 12-year contract
extension to remain in Hockeytown.
"I had the good fortune to
play with Henrik, and from Day 1 we've had a chance to watch him
play and watch him develop, really got to know him as a person,"
Yzerman said. "Being in the locker room and playing alongside him,
watching his work ethic and seeing his character, I knew he had what
it took to be a good hockey player and a player you'd want to
structure your team around."
Yzerman, now in his third season as
a Wings Vice-President, considered it very important that Zetterberg
remained a Red Wing.
"He's the type of person that we want
representing our organization," Yzerman said. "Our goal has always
been to keep our best players and it's very important to Henrik, who
wanted to remain a Red Wing for life. That's a great reflection on
our organization and our city that a player of his stature wants to
remain here. We're so pleased he's going to be a Wing for the rest
of his life."
More on Yzerman’s Role
in Re-signing Zetterberg
from The Windsor
Star
Zetterberg credited
Wings vice-president Steve Yzerman with spurring talks along with a
lengthy discussion they had a few weeks ago.
"It's easier to talk
to him because he's been on both sides," Zetterberg said. "The last
couple of years (of Yzerman's career) I sat next to him in the
locker-room and I learned a lot from him. I really respect him.
"It was a nice talk
and after that moved things a lot faster."
Yzerman was just one
of Holland's closers as he also had
Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom chat with
Zetterberg.
"What I wanted to
stress to him, and Niklas (Lidstrom) has gone through it as well, is
that they've had great success," Yzerman said. "They've won the
Stanley Cup. They've won Olympic gold medals. I thought it was
important to him, he's got that stature, that he should play for
only two organizations his entire career. The Swedish national team
and the Detroit Red Wing are the two jerseys you'll see Henrik play
in now. It's special for your career. Its creates an incredible
legacy for him."
From USAToday
Zetterberg easily
would have drawn offers upwards of $8 million a season from other
teams had he become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but then
he'd have been giving up being a Wing. That was at the heart of what
Yzerman, a former teammate and now a team vice president, told
Zetterberg when the two talked.
"I had some
understanding of what he was going through and what his feelings
were," Yzerman said. "What I just wanted to stress with him was that
I thought was important for him – he's that type of player and has
that stature — that he should play for one organization his entire
career. Actually there were two that I mentioned, the Detroit Red
Wings and the Swedish national team. Those are the two jerseys
you'll see Henrik play in now. It really creates an incredible
legacy for him."
After that meeting,
the negotiations steamrolled.
Zetterberg Gets New
Deal
By Eric Duhatschek, Globe and Mail, January 28,
2009
On Wednesday, the Red
Wings locked up centre Henrik Zetterberg, at 28, the reigning
playoff most valuable player and a player just entering his prime,
to a front-loaded 12-year deal worth $73-million (all currency
U.S.) contract, according
to sources, that will carry a salary-cap charge of $6.08-million for
the duration of the deal.
The contract kicks in
next season at $7.4-million, followed by three years at
$7.75-million, four years at $7.5-million, one year at $7-million
and one year at $3.35-million. Zetterberg will be paid $1-million in
each of the final two seasons of the deal.
The Zetterberg signing
is significant on a number of levels, beginning with the fact that
his is the first extended long-term deal handed out since the global
economy tanked. Just about everyone this side of Alan Greenspan
figures the worst is yet to come — and nowhere is it worse than in
Detroit given the uncertainty in the auto industry. Accordingly,
negotiating a contract against that background of uncertainty sets
the bar for future deals and also demonstrates that Red Wings
general manager Ken Holland is not afraid to step up and make a bold
and precedent-setting deal.
Zetterberg may not be
in the Alexander Ovechkin-Sidney Crosby stratosphere of marketable
NHL players, but he did finish sixth in the league in scoring last
season, has averaged better than point-a-game in each of the past
three seasons, and is considered one of the most responsible two-way
forwards in the game.
That the Red Wings
signed him to a deal that leaves a few dollars on the table for the
rest of his teammates means that Holland may indeed be able to sign
some, but not all, of his upcoming free agents — Marian Hossa, Johan
Franzen and Mikael Samuelsson, who will all be unrestricted, and
Jiri Hudler, who will be restricted.
If the salary cap for
the 2008-09 season stays in the $56-million range, Holland has
about $7-million left to play with, leaving him room to sign one
more of his big-name players.
"Ultimately, one of
the things Henrik wanted to do in this contract was, he wanted to
know he was going to be here his entire career, but he also wanted
to know that the organization, our team, had the ability to surround
him and keep as many players as we can on our team because our team
is in its prime," said Holland. "The cap number gives us
flexibility.
"We're not going to be
able to keep everybody. We're going to lose some players. We're
slowly going through it. Henrik is a guy we decided early on, going
back to last summer and even before, we wanted Hank to stay here as
long as possible.
"This gives us the
opportunity to keep an extra player somewhere down the
road."
In the end, the only
number that really mattered to the Red Wings is Zetterberg's
salary-cap figure. Currently, there are 32 NHLers who cost more than
$6-million per season, in terms of their salary-cap
charge.
Ovechkin is No. 1 at
$9.533-million, followed by Crosby
at $8.7-million, Mats Sundin at $8.6-million and Brad Richards at
$7.8-million. Eleven others fall between the $7-million and
$7.5-million range, including Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom and
Hossa, both at $7.45-million.
On that basis,
Zetterberg's contract represents — not a bargain exactly, because
it's still a lot of money, but good value nevertheless, considering
all he does for the team. The real bargain was actually Zetterberg's
last contract — three years, for an annual salary-cap charge of
$2.65-million, which is 244th on the overall NHL player salary list
for this season.
Currently, Zetterberg
is only ninth on his own team in salary and earns less than a
staggering list of lesser players, including — to name just one —
Kyle Calder, a Red Wings castoff, who ranks just above him on the
compensation list at $3-million.
So for next year,
Holland now has $26.15-million tied
up in four players — Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Brian
Rafalski. He might get Hossa for something comparable to the
$7.45-million he gave him on a one-year contract last summer and
Samuelsson may fall in the $1.2-million range again, but Hudler
($1.15-million) and Franzen ($1.15-million) both figure to get
substantial raises, based on their contributions of
late.
Even if the nature of
the contract allows them to buy out Zetterberg's final two years, he
thinks he can play until the age of 40, which is when the deal
expires. Lidstrom is 38 and still playing at a high
level.
"I believe I have 12
years in me," said Zetterberg.
Zetterberg Leaves Game Against Columbus
with Back Spasms
By George James Malik,
Mlive.com, January 27, 2009
Henrik Zetterberg left
the Detroit Red Wings' game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the
14:05 mark of the first period and didn't
return for the second period. WXYT's Ken Kal reports that Zetterberg
left the game with back spasms. Fox Sports Detroit's Ken Daniels
confirms that he left with back spasms, and he says that the
decision was made as a, "Precautionary measure."
Zetterberg Says Players Might be a Little
Rusty
By Dave Dye, Detroit News, January 27,
2009
The Red Wings might be
a little rusty tonight when they play the Blue Jackets in Columbus, but
they should be re-energized.
The Wings practiced
Monday for only the second time in 16 days because of games (five
during a Western trip), off-days and the All-Star break.
"Being off the ice for
four or five days, you get a little rusty," center Henrik Zetterberg
said. "It's the same for every team. But you get fired up again to
go to practice."
"It's a nice break to
have. Especially your mind gets a re-boost. You know it's closer and
closer to the playoffs. Now the fun part of the year starts."
Zetterberg is expected
to sign a long-term contract in the $7.5 million-per-year range
sometime in the near future, barring any late breakdowns in
negotiations.
"We took a little
break (from negotiations) during the (All-Star) break," Zetterberg
said. "We're getting closer. Hopefully, we can find a way for both
of us that it will work."
Zetterberg didn't have
the first half of the season that was expected of him offensively.
He's third on the team in scoring with 42 points (17 goals) in 44
games, but he remains one of the league's top two-way players.
Red Wings' Ken Holland Hopes to Sign
Henrik Zetterberg to Extension
Soon
By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, January 23,
2009
Detroit Red Wings
general manager Ken Holland hopes to wrap up contract negotiations
with Henrik Zetterberg's agent soon and get the 28-year-old center
signed to a long-term extension.
Holland and agent Marc Levine
have spoken a few times this week and will talk again this weekend
during the All-Star break.
"We've really picked
it up in the last month. We're cautiously optimistic,'' Holland said.
"We're making progress. I can't give a time frame. We'll talk more
because we've gotten into an area where both parties are prepared to
do something. Let's see if we can finish it.''
Holland declined to reveal
details about the deal, but a person familiar with the talks said
last week that Zetterberg will sign a 10-year contract worth more
than $70 million. Zetterberg's Swedish agent, Gunnar Svensson, told
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that his client might sign a 10-year
pact worth slightly more than $7.1 million a
season.
That would be the
longest and most lucrative contract (in total value) in franchise
history, surpassing the seven-year, $46.9 million deal Pavel Datsyuk
signed in April 2007.
Zetterberg, who is in
the final year of a contract that averages $2.65 million a season,
is getting a longer term in exchange for a lower annual salary. He
undoubtedly could get more on the free-agent market July 1. But like
many of his teammates, he is willing to take less to remain in a
comfortable environment, surrounded by talented
players.
"We've been able to
negotiate contracts the player and the club can both feel good
about,'' Holland said. "A lot of players
want to stay in Detroit. In most cases, anyone who
signs before July 1 is signing a hometown discount. A player can
always get the most when he (tests the market). There's a lot of
hometown discounts around the league. He's not going to leave
megamillions on the table.''
Wings Kick-start Zetterberg
Talks
By Dave Waddell, Windsor Star, January 23,
2009
Detroit Red Wings
general manager Ken Holland plans to talk with Henrik Zetterberg's
agent Marc Levine during the All-Star break in an attempt to bring
negotiations for a new long-term contract to a
conclusion.
After negotiating on
and off since the NHL draft last June, Holland senses
the finish line might finally be in sight.
"We've talked two or
three times this week," Holland said
Thursday from the Wings' amateur scouting meetings in Phoenix.
"We've really picked
it up in the last month. We're cautiously optimistic. We're making
progress.
"I can't give a time
frame. We'll talk more because we've got into an area where both
parties are prepared to do something.
"Right now, we're
talking long term. Let's see if we can finish
it."
The 28-year-old
Zetterberg is reportedly in line for a 10-year deal worth at least
US$70-million. That would exceed Pavel Datsyuk's seven-year,
$46.9-million contract to become the longest and most lucrative in
franchise history.
It would also be the
biggest contract ever given to a Swedish
player.
Holland acknowledges that
Zetterberg could get more on the open market if he opted to test
free agency.
However, Zetterberg
appears willing to follow the recent trend of Wing players taking a
little less to play on a winning team.
"He likes Detroit," Holland said. "He likes his
teammates and the organization."
Zetterberg Agent: New Deal Could Be for
10 Years
By George James Malik, Mlive.com, January 22,
2009
January 22, Aftonbladet: Negotiating a
record contract
Zäta will receive 60
million [Swedish kronor] a year [or appoximately $7,113,221] - for
ten years
NHL star Henrik
Zetterberg [is in] final negotiatons with Detroit. The
new contract could be record-long--10 years.
"It could be 10 years,
but it can also swing downwards--if we agree," said Zetterberg's
agent Gunnar Svensson.
Since last summer
Henrik Zetterberg, 28, has talked with the reigning Stanley Cup
champions Detroit Red Wings about a contract
extension.
A series of variants
[as to] how the new contract should look have existed, but now [it]
seems that the parties have agreed that cooperation will continue
long - very long.
"A special
team"
"If Henrik played in
Tampa Bay or Nashville enough contract
negotiations would have already been finished. But Detroit is a
special team with many expensive players with expiring contracts.
Club management must put together a puzzle to keep all their stars,"
says Gunnar Svensson, Zetterberg's Swedish
agent.
Right now Detroit and
Henrik Zetterberg are closer than ever.
Everything indicates
that there is a long-term contract.
Possibly so long a
contract that no Swedish NHL player has had in the
past.
Daniel Alfredsson
signed a contract of eight years in 2004, which he then broke
[ground on] in the fall and negotiated.
But Zetterberg could
get ten years from Detroit. One way [for] Detroit
General Manager Ken Holland to show for the fans that Zetterberg is
a Red Wing forever.
60 million [kronor] a
year
"It could sway between
10 years and down to five years or less. But it will be a longer
contract, so is my feeling right now. It is a special contract and I
estimate that it took 30-40 effective negotiating hours between my
partner Marc Levine and Ken Holland to reach a solution," says
Gunnar Svensson.
According to a report in the Detroit Free
Press [it's beginning] to move closer to the closure of
the negotiations. The newspaper speculates that annual wages could
end up at $7 million dollars, or 60 million [Swedish
kronor].
Over ten years, that
would be 600 million [kronor] - the largest Swedish NHL contract
ever in that instance.
Ken Holland is
optimistic that Zetterberg will sign a contract extension
soon.
"We have made progress
over the last two weeks. There is a bit of work to do, but I am
optimistic," said Holland [to the Free Press's Helene
St. James].
Ken Holland Reports Progress in Henrik
Zetterberg Talks
By Matt Saler,
NHL.Fanhouse.com, January 19, 2009
Detroit Red Wings
general manager Ken Holland told the Detroit Free Press' Helene St.
James Sunday that progress has been made in the
contract extension talks with forward Henrik Zetterberg over the past two weeks.
Holland hopes to have
Zetterberg signed to a long-term contract by the March 4 trade
deadline. That would be a month earlier in the year than Pavel Datsyuk signed a seven-year extension
on April 6, 2007. Datsyuk makes $6.7 million a year, but is likely
to be underpaid relative to his Swedish friend. Most reports on the
Zetterberg talks have numbers in the $7-$7.5 million range.
St. James' report jives with one by Booth
Newspapers' Ansar Khan late last week. Khan's report
involved that most timed-honored source, the anonymous one, but
offered Wings fans some hope after an earlier comment by Elliotte Friedman.
The comment appeared as a "throwaway" in a blog post by Friedman on
long-term contracts and was later debunked by Zetterberg himself, but created quite a stir in Detroit
Thursday.
Wings fans are touchy about this particular topic and
ready to throw themselves over a cliff if things go sour. Bad
memories of Sergei Fedorov leaving are not dead in Detroit yet.
So, a positive discussion of the talks from Holland
himself is good to hear. However, if the trade deadline nears and
Zetterberg isn't signed, I'll start to get nervous.
The Wings
have said they will not trade him, so that's not the concern. The
concern is that Holland has said priorities will
shift to Johan Franzen and Marian Hossa after the deadline, at the
expense of the continuing talks with Zetterberg. That's certainly
not the end of the world, but as someone who has been a big fan of
#40 from the start, I hope it does not come to
that.
Zetterberg and Wings Close to Long-term
Deal
By Helene St. James, Free Press, January 19,
2009
When Henrik Zetterberg
scored in his last game, it was only his 17th goal of the
season.
It's no secret that Zetterberg, 28, hasn't had a great
first half, but if his contract has weighed on his mind, that weight
might soon be lifted. He and the Red Wings are closing in on a deal
designed to ensure that the likely future captain remains in
Detroit for a long
time.
"We've made progress
in the last two weeks," general manager Ken Holland said Sunday.
"There's still a little work to be done, but I'm
optimistic."
The deal, possibly for
as long as 10 years, will be creative, designed to keep the
salary-cap hit around $7 million a season. Like every team, the
Wings are wary of how the current economic climate will affect the
salary cap.
"Not knowing where the
cap might be is a factor in my thinking," Holland said.
"It might shrink."
The Wings want to get
the contract wrapped up by the March 4 trade deadline; if not, focus
will shift to getting Marian Hossa and Johan Franzen
re-signed.
"I'd like to have
somebody signed by the deadline," Holland said. "We'll continue on
here with Henrik and hope we can find a solution. If not, I'll turn
my sights to other guys. But Henrik is the priority -- we drafted
him, developed him, he's an assistant, and has the potential to be
the captain."
Zetterberg hadn't
scored in four games before Saturday's 6-5 loss to the
Sharks.
"They haven't been
coming as regularly, so it was nice to see the puck go in," he
said.
This is the first time
in his career Zetterberg hasn't had Pavel Datsyuk as his regular
linemate, but Zetterberg has looked better since gaining Marian
Hossa on the right wing last month. And even if Zetterberg's numbers
haven't been great in the offensive zone, he has been superb in his
own zone, playing against top opposing
forwards.
Saturday, he helped
kill the entire 1:29 the Sharks had a 5-on-3
advantage.
"He hasn't scored like
he likes to," coach Mike Babcock said. "He's always a good player,
you're just used to him being a great player."
Red Wings, Zetterberg Close on
Deal
By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, January 16,
2009
Contract negotiations
between the Detroit Red Wings and center Henrik Zetterberg appear to
be heading toward the homestretch.
A personal familiar
with the talks said negotiations have intensified in recent days and
that the sides could be closing in on an
agreement.
Zetterberg would not
confirm the status of negotiations on Thursday, but he denied a CBC
report that indicated he had spurned a 10-year, $75 million offer
from the Red Wings.
"That's not true,''
Zetterberg said. "I haven't turned down an offer of $75
million.''
If anything, he likely
will sign a deal in the neighborhood of 10 years and $75 million,
which would be the longest and most lucrative pact in franchise
history.
"That figure really is
in the ballpark,'' said a person with knowledge of the
talks.
Zetterberg, 28, is the final year of a four-year contract
that averages $2.65 million a season. Though his production (16
goals, 40 points) isn't on pace with last season, when he finished
sixth in the NHL with 92 points, including 43 goals, his value has
not diminished.
Last year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff
MVP, Zetterberg is one of the premier two-way forwards in the league
and would be one of the summer's most highly coveted free agents if
he opted to test the market.
But there is no reason
to believe he won't re-sign with Detroit. Red Wings general manager
Ken Holland and Zetterberg's agent, Marc Levine, have talked off and
on for months and have made significant progress in recent weeks.
Team captain Nicklas
Lidstrom, forward Tomas Holmstrom and club vice-president Steve
Yzerman also have had one-on-one meetings with Zetterberg over the
last two months in an effort to get him signed.
Zetterberg Denies He Turned Down
10-year Offer
By Dave Waddell, Canwest News Service, January 15,
2009
Detroit Red Wings
forward Henrik Zetterberg dismissed a report by Hockey Night in
Canada's Elliotte Friedman that he's turned down a 10-year,
$75-million US contract offer from the team.
"No, it's not
(accurate)," Zetterberg said Thursday. "Usually I don't want to
comment on that, but that's not true. I haven't turned down an offer
of $75-million."
The Red Wings and
their Swedish star have been negotiating on and off since last June,
but there has been no sense of urgency from either
side.
Zetterberg, who is
making US$2.9-million in the final year of his current deal,
admitted last week the contract talks have been a bit
distracting.
"We're talking, we're
getting closer and closer to the trading deadline and I think the
talks will increase and hopefully we can find a deal," Zetterberg
said.
When asked if the gap
between the two sides was getting closer, Zetterberg remained
coy.
"I don't want to
comment," Zetterberg said. "They're talking."
In the past,
Zetterberg has stated he wants to be a Red Wing for his entire
career. That position apparently hasn't changed based on his
willingness to sign a long-term deal with Detroit.
"I would certainly be
open for a long-term deal," Zetterberg said.
The longest deal the
Wings have ever offered a player is Pavel Datsyuk's seven-year,
US$46.9-million contract, which is in its second
year.
The Wings have
traditionally stated no one on the the team will be paid more than
captain Nick Lidstrom. The six-time Norris Trophy winner is making
US$7.45-million this year and next, while Marian Hossa is making the
same amount on his one-year deal.
Zetterberg on
a Five-Game Points Streak
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, January 11,
2009
Henrik Zetterberg
hasn’t been happy with his offensive production the first half of
this season, so he has turned his game up a notch with eight points
in five straight games (two goals, six assists) in January. He got
an assist in last night’s 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres, the only
NHL team that Zetterberg had not scored a point against in his
six-year career, having gone three games without a point against the
Eastern Conference opponent.
Hank’s assist last
night was on a great individual effort. Henrik fought along the
left-wing boards for the puck and skated out of a group of three
Sabre’s defenders, sending a nice back-handed feed through the slot
to Marion Hossa in the right face-off circle , who fired a shot that
barely squeezed through Buffalo net-minder Ryan Miller. It
was Hossa’s team-leading 20th goal of the season.
Z was also a (plus/minus) +1
in the match and is a +8 in the same five-game stretch. He now leads
the Red Wings with a +16 and is on pace for a career-best +33.
Another area that Hank
has been dominant in is face-offs. He went 9-14 against Buffalo and is
almost 54% on draws for the year.
Despite being
disappointed in his own performance to date, Zetterberg is still on
a point-per-game rate this season with 16 goals and 23 assists for
39 total points in 39 games. He is third in team-scoring behind Pavel Datsyuk and
Hossa.
Hank
Should Be in All-Star Game
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, January 11,
2009
Last week, the NHL
announced its line-ups for the 2009 All-Star game in
Montreal. And for the first time in
three years Detroit Red Wings super-star forward Henrik Zetterberg
isn’t going.
You could site
Zetterberg’s slight dip in statistics as a reason why he was
overlooked. With “only” 16 goals, 23 assists, and 39 points in as
many games, he is off his pace of last season’s career highs of 43
goals and 49 assists. He is “only” 13th among Western
Conference forwards in overall points, when he was top-five last
season with 92 points. Henrik’s “only” third on the Detroit Red
Wings behind All-Star Pavel Datsyuk and line-mate Marian Hossa (also
left out), when last season Hank lead the team in goal-scoring and
play-off points, winning the Conn Smythe trophy as the play-offs MVP
and leading his team to a Stanley Cup Championship while out-playing
the league’s wonderboy Sidney Crosby. I guess Zetterberg just isn’t
the player he used to be!
I won’t even get into
the process by which All-Star game starters are “voted” in by the
fans. Electronic ballot stuffing is a whole other topic. This is
about the injustice in the selection of the reserve players.
I’ve read all the
articles and given it a few days to think about, and as biased as I
may be, I am pretty positive that Henrik Zetterberg is still
deserving of being in the All-Star game. Even though Henrik himself
may say he disagrees, I’m certainly not the only one who feels Z got
snubbed.
When asked how he
feels about not being named to the All-star team, Hank was as modest
as usually is, having this to say, “"I'm not sad or mad, or
anything. I haven't played like I did last year, a lot of guys have
played a lot better. I'm not real surprised I didn't get picked. I
have to be better next year to have a chance."
However, most hockey
experts and other NHL players have another opinion. Two other star
forwards who were omitted from the line-ups think Zetterberg should
be there too:
"They have to pick one
guy from each team. You look at other teams that had other guys that
maybe should be there. You don't have someone like Zetterberg in the
all-star game, a guy that won the Cup and had success, and he's
having a great season again. And, just because they're allowed to
take so many guys and every team has to be represented. Not always
the best players are there," says Patrik Elias of the New Jersey
Devils, who will not be representing the Eastern Conference
regardless of his 19 goals and 29 assists for 48 points in 41 games,
good for 5th best in the East.
The most glaring
mistake in the Western Conference team to me is Patrick Marleau of
the San Jose Sharks who has 23 goals and 23 assist, 46 total points
in 41 games, which is also 5th place in the West.
Marleau says, “It’s
just one of those things. I looked around the league, there’s some
other guys like Zetterberg and Hossa who aren’t going. That’s good
company!”
Marleau, Hossa, and
Zetterberg, three of the top forwards on the conferences two best
teams won’t be skating in the leagues exhibition featuring it’s
“finest” players, but the following stand-outs will be:
Jonathan Toews,
Chicago Black Hawks.
11 goals, 21 assists,
32 points (29th in the conference)
+5
Milan Hejduk, Colorado Avalanche.
13 goals, 18 assists,
31 points (30th in the Conference)
-5.
Keith Tkachuk,
St.
Louis Blues.
14 goals, 15 assists,
29 points (37th in the Conference)
-11.
Dustin Brown,
Los
Angeles Kings.
14 goals, 14 assists,
28 points (40th in the conference)
-7
Mike Modano, Dallas
Stars.
13 goals, 13 assists,
26 points (46th in the conference)
+1
Ummm… I am sure that
these are the guys the fans want to see. Wait a minute… I am not
even sure these are the guys the fans in the cities they represent
want to see. They aren’t even the leading scorers on those squads.
Maybe Brad Boyes (Blues), Anze Kopitar (Kings), Mike Ribeiro
(Stars), and Ryan Smyth have a legitimate argument for going to
Montreal instead. Not saying I
agree with it, but I can understand the league wanting to send a
representative from every team. Then, they aren’t even getting that
right.
There is a positive to
players not making the roster. They get several days off to rest up
and rehab some possible nagging injuries. Zetterberg hasn’t even
played in the two All-star games he was voted into due to needing to
heal wrist and back injuries.
Also, players who feel
they are snubbed could really turn it on in the second half of the
season to prove themselves. Z could end up missing the All-Star game
but being on the NHL’s first All-Star team again, voted on by the
media at the end of the year.
Wings' Zetterberg Will Embrace
Break
By Ted Kulfan, Detroit News, January
10th, 2009
Henrik Zetterberg is
like any other player who wasn't selected for the All-Star Game at
the end of this month.
He can't get wait to
get away and recharge a little bit.
"Take a break and not
think about hockey," said Zetterberg, who wasn't selected as a
starter or reserve, despite having 38 points (16 goals) in 38 games.
Still, if Zetterberg's
agent, Marc Levine, calls, Zetterberg will answer.
General manager Ken
Holland and Levine are continuing to hammer away at a new contract
for Zetterberg, who can be an unrestricted free agent July 1.
"We're trying to find
something that works for both sides," said Holland, who
has been talking with Levine regularly since last summer.
Zetterberg is
confident the slow-but-steady pace of the negotiations will produce
a deal.
"We'll take the time
that is necessary," Zetterberg said. "Of course you want it to get
done, but you can't rush it, either. As we've said all along, you
want a deal that'll work for both of us, and that is what we'll do.
I'm pretty up to date with what is happening. They're talking.
That's at least good news."
Zetterberg will get a
substantial raise. He's in the last year of a four-year deal that's
paying him $2.65 million per season. Zetterberg realistically is
going to get a new deal approaching close to $7 million per season,
with a term of anywhere from five to 10 years.
Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg Not
Satisfied with Production
By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, January 10,
2009
Henrik Zetterberg is a
team player, but he enjoyed being among the NHL's leading
goal-scorers and point-producers last season.
"When you've been
there once, you always want to be there,'' Zetterberg
said.
That's why the star
center for the Detroit Red Wings is not satisfied with his
production -- 16 goals and 38 points in 38
games.
"You get used to
playing on that consistent basis, you put points on the board. When
you don't do that, it gets to you,'' Zetterberg said. "At the same
time, you have to look at the role I have this year, a little
different than last year, when I played with Pav (Datsyuk) most of
the time. You just try to find open ice and you're going to get a
lot of chances every game.
"When you're playing
(center), maybe you're the guy that tries to find those guys and
they try to get open for you.''
Zetterberg was tied
for fifth in the NHL with 43 goals last season (in 75 games). It was
the most goals scored by a Red Wing since Brendan Shanahan tallied
46 in 1996-97. Zetterberg was tied for sixth in the league with 92
points.
Red Wings coach Mike
Babcock was asked who he thought would wind up leading the team in
goals.
"I'll put my money on
Z,'' Babcock said. "Tell him to get shooting it in the net. Z's
supposed to lead us in goal-scoring.''
When the Red Wings
signed Marian Hossa, it enabled Babcock to split up Zetterberg and
Datsyuk to form two potentially dominant lines.
Zetterberg continues
to play with talented players -- recently Hossa and Dan Cleary or
Jiri Hudler, and before that with Johan Franzen and Mikael
Samuelsson -- but he enjoyed a special chemistry with
Datsyuk.
"Of course, I play
with good players still, but it's different to play with
(Datsyuk),'' Zetterberg said. "We played together on the power play,
too, we put up a lot of points, and now we're playing on different
power-play groups and that has something to do with it also, I
think.''
Zetterberg had 10
goals in his first 13 games but scored only four in his next 23
games. He has a goal in each of the last two games, including an
empty-netter, heading into tonight's game against Buffalo at Joe
Louis Arena.
"The chances I've been
having I haven't really capitalized on,'' Zetterberg said. "That's
one thing I want to get better on.''
Zetterberg doesn't
believe his decline in production has affected his defensive play.
One of the reasons he hasn't scored more is that he's been matched
up in many games against opponents' top centers, such as San Jose's Joe
Thornton. Zetterberg was a finalist last season for the Selke Trophy
as the league's top defensive forward, which Datsyuk
won.
"I still take a lot of
pride in what I do in my own end,'' he said. "That's nothing I'm
disappointed in.''
Zetterberg is trying
not to get distracted by ongoing contract talks with the
club.
"You try not to think
about it, but of course it's in my head,'' Zetterberg said. "You
want to get it over with, but it could take a week, two months, it
could go all the way to July 1. So I try to concentrate on hockey.
It's been tough, but you learn to play (through)
that.''
Red Wings general
manager Ken Holland and Zetterberg's agent, Marc Levine, have talked
off and on for months, trying to finalize a long-term
deal.
"You get closer and
then you get far away again, you get close and then you get far away
again, so until the signature is on the paper you never know,''
Zetterberg said.
Babcock Puts Money on
Zetterberg
By Dave Waddell, Windsor Star, January 9,
2009
Having picked up some
coin by winning some friendly wagers with his Swedish players over
the the result of the Canada-Sweden World Junior Final this week,
Detroit coach Mike Babcock was in a betting mood again
Friday.
This time he was
figuratively putting his cash on Henrik Zetterberg to win the Red
Wings goal-scoring race after the Conn-Smythe winner had predicted
Johan Franzen would claim the sniper's crown.
Marian Hossa leads the
Wings with 19 goals while Franzen and Pavel Datsyuk have 18
apiece.
"I'll put my money on
Z (Zetterberg)," Babcock said. "Tell him to get shoot'in it in the
net.
"Z's suppose to lead
us in goal scoring, lets clear that up right now. But I think Hossa
and Mule (Franzen) and Hudler and Pavel should give him a
run."
With 16 goals and 38
points, Zetterberg is well off his offensive pace of last year when
he finished in the top 10 in scoring with 43 goals and 92
points.
It led to an admission
this week that he is unhappy with his play this
season.
"If you compare last
year, stats-wise was a lot higher, and you get used to playing on
that consistent basis, you put points on the board," Zetterberg
said. "When you don't do that it gets to you.
"At the same time you
have to look into the role I'm having this year is a little
different than last year, when I played with Pav most of the time
and you just try to find open ice and you know you're going to get a
lot of chances every game.
"When you're playing
in the middle, you're looking more for the other guys, especially
now that I got Hossa and Clears with me, maybe you're the guy that
tries to find those guys and they try to get open for
you."
Since his
self-criticism, Zetterberg has looked a lot more like the feisty,
tenacious player of last season. He's picked up a goal in each of
his last two starts and he was the best player on the ice in
Thursday's win over Dallas.
Zetterberg, who said
he's happy with his defensive play, plans to focus on improving his
offensive production in the second half of the
season.
"I think so, try to
play solid defense, but try to get a little bit more points on the
board, contribute a little more offence and be a little stronger
when you have the chance to put the puck in the net," Zetterberg
said.
"The chances I've been
having, I haven't really capitalized on. That's one thing I want to
get better on.
"I got 40-some games
to do that."
Zetterberg admits the
season has been one of adjustment for him.
In addition to not
playing much with Datsyuk, Zetterberg has also had to handle the
challenges of getting emotionally engaged in the new season after
winning the Stanley Cup last spring.
However, like his
teammates, Zetterberg senses the excitement returning with the
playoffs creeping closer on the calendar.
"Its easier when you
come to the half point of the season, you have the Christmas break,
you come into January, the all-star break is coming up, too, it's
only 40 games to play all of a sudden," Zetterberg
said.
"Most of the time for
me, it's a little easier to turn it around. You play a little better
and you see playoffs getting closer and closer and you get
excited."
He also hopes to see a
new contract getting a little closer.
While he remains
patient as the structure of a new deal is cobbled together,
Zetterberg said the process has crept into his mind from time to
time.
"You try not to think
about it, but of course it's in my head," Zetterberg
said.
"You want to get it
over with, but it will take time and you just have to try to keep
playing, because it could take a week, two months, it could go all
the way to July 1, so I try not to think about it and concentrate on
hockey.
"It's been
tough."
He's frequently stated
he hopes to be a Red Wing for his entire career and that position
hasn't changed.
However, he realizes
the business environment has and he has no idea when a new deal will
be completed.
"I would love to stay
here, but at the same time it's got to be mutual, too," Zetterberg
said.
"It can take a while,
it's the business part of it. Sometimes it goes fast, but most of
the time it will drag out for a bit."
Stolen Zetterberg Classic Stick May be Reunited
with Young Fan
By Greg Wyshynski, YahooSports.com, January 9th,
2009
There's an interesting
second chapter being written to that story we posted on Wednesday, in which
14-year-old hockey fan Kalan Plew was given a stick by Detroit Red Wings star Henrik Zetterberg after the Winter Classic before getting snookered out
of it by "a man dressed like a security guard" at Wrigley
Field.
The bad news is that
the human garbage that stole the kid's stick appears to have
actually profited off of it. But there is good news, according to a
letter forwarded to Puck Daddy and written by a guy who allegedly
purchased the stick -- in a Wrigley Field bathroom, no less.
That good news being
that the young fan might actually get his game-used Classic stick
after all.
Puck Daddy reader
Julie has a neighbor who unknowingly made himself a part of this
Winter Classic stick-stealing story, which was first written about in the Chicago Tribune's
trouble-shooting column this week. She forwarded us a
letter to the editor her friend sent to the Chicago Tribune, which
explains his role in this tale.
John Hahn of the Red
Wings confirmed that the team was forwarded the letter from the
paper, and are aware of the story.
(We chatted with Julie
this afternoon, and she said that the writer wanted to keep his name
and residence anonymous for now; the Wings said the author is from
North
Carolina).
The letter, warts and
all, to John Yates at the
Tribune:
I have a Winter
Classic story that just might be very interesting to you and your
readers.
I live in ********
. And I had the good fortune to go to Wrigley Field and see
the Hawks. The plane tickets, hotel room and game tickets cost
a fortune, but I grew up just outside Chicago and my wife just
outside Detroit . I like all the major
sports. My wife, Lori, loves one, hockey and her team is the
Detroit Red Wings. It has been a tough pill for me to swallow
for eighteen years. I had my [Chicago Blackhawks] jersey on. She had her
Wings jersey on. We had the greatest day, the people were all
so happy and festive the game was great. I said it, that day was
worth it all. Then it happened.
I wanted to stop at
the bathroom before we got back on the red line. While I was in the
bathroom, I started talking to a security guard, with a blue jacket,
and a white hat holding a hockey stick. I said, hey I'll buy that
stick from you. (He didn't look much like a hockey fan). He said not
this stick, its Henrick Zetterberg's (sic.); I'm selling it on
eBay. I said, you won't sell that on eBay. It will end up in
your apartment or house collecting dust. That's my wife's favorite
player I'll double my offer. And The Stick was Mine.
I rushed out of the
mens room, just like I had scored the Hawks first goal with that
stick high over my head. My wife was wide eyed as I presented
her with the souvenir of all souvenirs. We showed it to everybody
inside and outside the stadium. The other fans and I flexed it and
shot every piece of liter we could find (carefully of coarse, that
was Henrick's game stick) I carried that stick on the train, down
Michigan
Ave , it's even been in the John Hancock
building. I think everybody I know has heard about that stick
and half of ***** has seen it. Then my friend from
Detroit called tonight and sent me
to your Tribune link. This must be that boys souvenir not
mine.
I am so proud of
Chicago! I wear some sort of Cubs,
Bears, or Hawks clothing every single weekend. I love the people and
fans of Chicago and I think some of my
friends here are even jealous they aren't from there.
The bottom line,
however is that Henrick gave that stick to Kalan not me. Maybe he
would like to trade his new stick for an Official Game Used Winter
Classic Stick. But if not, that's OK!
Jon, would you help me
get this stick back to its rightful owner. Hey Kalan, there are bad
people, but the United States is filled
with far more good ones. Enjoy your stick buddy and keep loving
hockey.
Julie offered a quick
update on what's happened after her friend's admission. First, she
said the Chicago Tribune is expected to follow up with him about
this story, so one can assume we'll know his identity when that
story is published.
She also thought the
Red Wings were going to put the young fan in touch with the author,
but the Wings told us it'll be the paper that does it, if it's
anyone. The Wings, remember, already sent Kalan Plew a replacement
stick from Zetterberg.
Sounds like what was a
really rotten tale from the Winter Classic is going to have a very
unexpected happy ending.
Back on Track: Goal, Assist, +3 against Dallas
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, January 8,
2009
After breaking out of
a nine-game scoring drought with an empty-netter two nights ago,
Henrik Zetterberg picked up a late goal, had an earlier assist, and
was a (plus/minus) +3 in tonight’s 6-1 dismantling of the Dallas
Stars in Detroit.
Zetterberg got his
22nd assist of the season on a first period goal by
line-mate Dan Cleary.
Later, Hank got his
second goal in as many games when he won a clean face-off against
Dallas’s Mike Ribeiro and then reached with his stick and deflected
an errant shot by Wing’s defenseman Niklas Kronwall over the
flailing glove of Star’s goaltender Tobias Stephan, and into the top
right corner of the net.
The goal gave
Detroit a 6-1 lead with just under
nine minutes remaining in the game. It was Z’s 16th of
the year, giving him 38 points in 38 games played so far this
season.
Empty-netter Ends Goal-less Streak at Nine
Games
By Chris Turner,
Zetterbergfan.com, January 6th, 2009
Oh, what a goal! Even if
it was just an empty-netter, Henrik Zetterberg needed to get off the
schneid…And he did tonight, sealing the deal by giving the Red Wings
a 3-0 lead with just thirty seconds remaining in the game at home
against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Hank’s 15th goal of the
season ends a nine-game goal-scoring drought, his longest since
March 19th, 2008 when he went seven games with out
scoring.
The play developed when
the Blue Jackets, trailing by two goals, had the puck in Detroit’s
end after pulling goalie Steve Mason. Columbus defenseman Fedor
Tyutin attempted to hold a pass along the boards in the offensive
zone, but fell down on it. Red Wing’s forward Pavel Datsyuk, already
with a goal and an assist in this game, knocked the puck free from
Tyutin but lost his stick under the fallen Blue Jacket. Datsyuk then
stepped around the defender and made a brilliant move, kicking a
long lead pass down ice as Zetterberg raced his fellow countryman
and Swedish Elite League teammate Fredrik Modin from the blue-line
down to Columbus’s end.
Z beat Modin, picked up
the loose puck inside the left face-off circle, and wristed a
sure-fire shot into the wide-open net.
With that tally, Henrik
is on pace for only 32 goals after scoring a career-high 43 last
season.
Zetterberg has lead
Detroit in goal’s scored for the past two years but is only tied for
fourth on the team halfway through the 2008-09 campaign.
It’s really good to see
Hank bust out of that slump tonight. Hopefully this jumpstarts a
scoring streak. It’s clear that Z has been affected by inconsistent
line combinations and a different role on the second line. But, if
he gets hot, Zetterberg can dominate when he is on the ice and make
his line-mates better, no matter who they may be.
Hockey Stick Souvenir Loss Merits a Major
Misconduct
By Jon Yates, Chicago
Tribune, January 6, 2009
As
the clock ticked down on the Detroit Red Wings' 6-4
Winter Classic victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on
Thursday at Wrigley Field, Kalan
Plew rushed from his seat above the third-base dugout to the spot
where his beloved Wings would exit the ice.
The Gurnee
teenager had hoped to get high fives from the players as they
passed.
What he got was a hockey fan's dream.
As the
Red Wings left the field, one of them, Henrik Zetterberg, made eye
contact with the 14-year-old.
"He kind of winked," Plew said. "Then he gave me his
stick."
Elated, Plew proudly carried the stick through the
stands and was headed to the front entrance, where his father was
waiting for him.
As he left the stadium, a man dressed like a
security guard told him to hand the hockey stick over, he said. Plew
said the man told him he was not allowed to have the stick if his
parents weren't around.
The man took the stick and told the
teenager he could pick it up at the stadium's customer relations
office.
Plew said he ran to his dad, who was just a short
distance away. Together, they went to the ticket office and then to
another office inside. They were told there was no hockey stick with
Plew's name on it.
"I was so excited to get it," said Plew, a
die-hard Detroit fan. "Then to have that guy
take it away. …"
Marc Plew said his son was part of group
that purchased obstructed-view seats for $25 each through a youth
hockey league. There were seven kids in the group, escorted by six
adults. Marc Plew watched the game in a bar across from the stadium,
then met his son outside Wrigley's main gate.
By then, the
father said, Kalan was in tears.
"I don't understand a person
who could do this," Marc Plew said.
The elder Plew said he
found a man outside the stadium who worked for the Red Wings and
explained what happened. The man gave him his e-mail address. Marc
Plew said he e-mailed several times that day but heard nothing
back.
So he e-mailed the Tribune.
"That opportunity
will never happen again in his lifetime," Marc Plew said. "Whoever
this person was, ruined it."
On Friday, the Problem Solver
called officials at both Wrigley Field and the Red
Wings.
Monday morning, Red Wings spokesman John Hahn said the
team will try to fill the void.
"Sometime this week we'll get
another stick from Henrik and send it to him," Hahn
said.
Hahn said his office spoke with Zetterberg, who said he
remembers giving his stick to a young fan.
"Henrik gave a kid
a stick, and somehow it got taken away from him," Hahn said. "It's
unfortunate, and we'll make it right."
Just what happened
remains unclear. Cubs spokesman Carl Rice said the stadium has a
policy that requires fans to check large items like bats and hockey
sticks, which are not allowed in the seats. In such cases, the fan
is supposed to be taken to customer relations, where he or she fills
out a form and is given a ticket to retrieve the item after the
game.
Rice said the policy would not have applied in Plew's
case because the game was over, and the teenager was outside the
stadium when the hockey stick was taken. Rice said he does not
believe a Cubs or NHL employee took
Plew's stick.
"He should have been able to walk out of the
stadium without problem," Rice said. "The question is whether
somebody stole it."
Plew is still bummed not to have the
stick from the Winter Classic, but he's happy the Red Wings will
send him another one.
"I appreciate it," he said. "I feel
great, but it's just not the same."
Winter Classic
2009:
Milestone Game for Henrik
Zetterberg
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, January 1,
2009
It
was a once in a lifetime game for most of the members of the Detroit
Red Wings and their division rival Chicago Blackhawks. It was an
opportunity to return to the days of their youth, to return to
hockey’s roots, and Swedish native Henrik Zetterberg and his
teammates rose to the occasion, coming back from a 3-1 deficit with
5 unanswered goals to defeat the Hawks outdoors at historic Wrigley
Field in Chicago in a game to remember.
Not only will it be
remembered as the third Winter Classic and a unique event for its
participants, but for Zetterberg fans, and perhaps Henrik himself,
it will be remembered as a game where Hank turned it up a notch,
matching a career-high three assists in one game, and reaching his
milestone 200th career helper with the third one. Not
only that, but with his 200th career assist, Zetterberg
reached , tying Hall-of-Famer Marcel Dionne with 366 career points with
the franchise. Zetterberg also has 166 goals in 390 career games
with the Red Wings.
Henrik’s first assist
of today’s game, his 17th of the season, came on the
power-play at 9:50 of the first period with Chicago
leading 1-0. Zetterberg carried the puck behind the Blackhawk’s net
then sent a centering pass to fellow Swede Mikael Samuelsson in the
slot. Samuelsson took one quick shot the knocked his own rebound in
to tie the game at one.
After the Hawks jumped
out to a 3-1 lead, Hank helped lead the Wings comeback when he got
another helper on a goal by line-mate Jiri Hudler, just 1:14 into
the second period. Z fought his way through two Chicago
defenders at the blue-line to force the puck down into the corner.
He then gained control of the loose puck, and sent a crisp pass into
the crease that deflected out between the face-off circles to Marion
Hossa. Hossa fired a shot that was blocked, but Hudler crashed the
crease and whacked a bouncing puck into the open net.
Henrik’s 20th assist of the
season, and 200th of his career, came at 3:24
into the third period with Detroit leading 5-3. Once again,
working behind the Blackhawk’s net, Zetterberg sent a back-handed
centering feed to the slot which was picked up by Red Wings
defenseman Brett Lebda (a Chicago native) who lifted a shot
off of a Hawks defenseman and under the crossbar. The goal was
immediately waved off but was awarded to the Wings after a lengthy
review, giving them a decisive 6-3 lead.
With his three assists
tonight, Zetterberg is tied for third on the team with Marion Hossa
who also recorded his 20th of the campaign today. Z is
also third on the team with total points with 34
points in 35 games played.
Henrik, who usually
leads the team in goals has not scored in the last 8 games. His last goal was scored on December 13th in a
5-4 shoot-out victory over the Coyotes. Zetterberg’s current eight
games in a row without a goal is his longest streak since a seven
game skid from March 2nd to March 19th 2008.
Before that he had a nine game goalless streak from October 13th to
November 1st, 2006. Hank’s longest goal scoring drought
lasted 14 games, going scoreless from December 12th, 2002 to
January 8th, 2003.
Zetterberg
scored just three goals in December and only 4 in the last 22 games.
Prior to this season, he set a personal goal of becoming just the
second Swede to score 50 goals in one season, but unless he picks up
the pace he won’t match his career-high of 43, set last season. At
his current rate, Henrik will finish the season with 33 goals and 46
assists for 79 total points with a (plus/minus) +23, all down from
last years career-best (43, 49, 92, +30).
"It's a pretty awesome arena here. When you
come in, you run up the stairs to see how the rink looked… Of all
the outdoor classics, I think this is the best setup. I think the
fans are real close… It was a little
different. It was nice to have fresh air in your face all the
time."
-Henrik Zetterberg, January 1st,
2009 (on playing outdoors in the 2009 Winter Classic at historic
Wrigley Field in Chicago.)
See more 2009 Winter Classic pics here |
