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If there is an NHL lockout, Zetterberg
and Draper will play for Timra in the SEL.
By Chris Turner,
Zetterbergfan.com, May 31, 2004
With the threat of
there being an extended lockout by the owners when the NHL
collective bargaining agreement expires this September, it has long
been speculated that many European players will return to their
native countries to play for there former teams. One such player is
Detroit Redwings standout Swedish forward Henrik Zetterberg, who
played for the Timra Red Eagles of the Swedish Elite League.
Zetterberg has 89 goals and 99 assists in 235 career games for the
Timra organization. The Red Eagles retired his jersey #20 upon his
departure to the NHL.
A major Swedish
newspaper, Aftonbladet, has reported not only that Zetterberg has
agreed to come back home to Timra but that he is attempting to
recruit other Redwings teammates to come over as well. Zetterberg
apparently tried to get grinders Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper to go
to Sweden with him and, according to Aftobladet, Draper has agreed.
Swedish headlines claim
that Timra has a new weapon that will Eliminate Foppa! Detroit
defensive specialist Draper, paired with Maltby, has been effective
in shutting down Swedish Superstar Peter “Foppa” Forsberg of the
arch rival Colorado Avalanche. The “grindline” teammates have also
been used by Team Canada in the 2003 World Championships to stop
Forsberg and Sweden in the Gold Medal game. Forsberg is likely to
play for his former SEL team Modo, and it has been rumored that he
may stay even after the NHL resumes play.
Aftonbladet quotes
Zetterberg as saying Draper will fit well in Timra. “Zata”, as he is
known in Sweden, says that Draper is a mighty good skater with a big
heart which is a perfect match for Timra, a team that has become
known for its Three Musketeer like “All for One and one for all”
ethic.
Draper is an
unrestricted free agent on July 1st, but is working on a new contact
with Detroit. The Redwings want to resign the speedy center who
scored a career high 24 goals in addition to being a “Selke Trophy”
candidate as one of the leagues best defensive forwards. If Draper is under contract
with the Redwings he is allowed to return when the NHL resumes play.
Players who are only signed to SEL contracts and have no other
obligations must remain in Sweden through the 2004-2005 season. If
Draper signs and there is a NHL work-stoppage he will probably play
for Timra which is a bonus to adding Zetterberg to boost the lineup.
Zetterberg has one year remaining on his three year deal with
Detroit and is safe to sign with the Red Eagles. Timra also hopes to
add former player Fredrik Modin of the Tampa Bay Lightning who
played for them from 1991 to 1994. He also played for Brynas in the
SEL for two years.
Canadian born Draper
will be the only non-Swedish Redwing to play in Sweden, at least
with Zetterberg. SEL rules restrict teams to only two Non-European
born players on the roster which makes only one of the two grinders
an option since Timra already has Canadian Kent Manderville signed
through next season. Besides, Maltby has a new baby and wedding
plans for this summer, so he is unlikely to travel to Europe for an
extended period of time.
Other Swedish Redwings
including role player Tomas Holmstrom and future Hall-of-Fame
defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom will also probably play in the SEL with
their old teams, Lulea and Vasteras.
Zetterberg Named to Sweden’s
2004 World Cup Team
By Chris Turner,
Zetterbergfan.com, May 17, 2004
Sweden announced it’s
roster for August’s 2004 World Cup Tournament today. Detroit
Redwings standout forward Henrik Zetterberg of Njurunda, Sweden was
chosen for the squad. He brings energy, solid defense, and
playmaking ability to a Swedish lineup that features superstars:
Peter Forsberg of the Colorado Avalanche, Markus Naslund of the
Vancouver Canucks, Mats Sundin of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Daniel
Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators, and Zetterberg’s teammate Nicklas
Lidstrom. It is the first time ever the top five Swedish Legends
will play for the same team.
Also joining Zetterberg
and Lidstrom from the Redwings is hard working Tomas Holmstrom who
specializes in aggrevating goaltenders and creating chaos in the
crease. He will be a valuable addition to the lineup, particularly
on the power play, just as he is for Detroit.
Zetterberg did not play
for Tre Kroner in this months International Ice Hockey Federation
World Championchips in the Czech Republic, already in progress when
the Redwings were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the
Calgary Flames. All-star defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom did helping
Sweden skate to a Silver medal in tournament. It is the second
straight year the Swede’s have lost to Team Canada in the Gold Medal
game. Zetterberg was on the roster last year in Finland scoring
three goals and adding four assists in nine games. He was a +4 in
the competition.
All three Swedish
Redwings represented their homeland in the 2002 Winter Olympics in
Salt Lake City, Utah. Zetterberg was the only player with no NHL
experience on the roster. He had an assist in four games and proved
that he was ready for NHL level competition.
“Zata” as the called
him when he played in the Swedish Elite League for Timra has been on
a seven Swedish National Teams, twice in under-20 events. He has a
total of 52 games of international experience with an impressive ten
goals and nineteen assists against other countries finest players.
Familiar look to Team
Sweden
By Phil Coffey,
NHL.com, May 17, 2004
It's quite a tribute to
the globalization of hockey that a 26-man World Cup roster for
Sweden will be very familiar to NHL fans in North America, thanks to
the fact 24 of the players are currently playing in the NHL, one is
a former NHLer and the last a prospect.
And it's a further
tribute to the quality of the roster constructed by Sweden that this
isn't a club to take lightly. Nope, with the likes of Peter
Forsberg, Mats Sundin, Nicklas Lidstrom and Markus Naslund, Team
Sweden knows it can compete with the best the world has to offer.
And they'll get the opportunity during the 2004 World Cup of Hockey,
which will be played in both Europe and North America from Aug. 30
to Sept. 14.
Sweden's forwards can
stack up against any of the other seven nations taking part in the
competition.
Henrik Zetterberg of
the Red Wings adds speed and skill to the Swedish lineup. One of the
NHL's emerging stars, Zetterberg is a key for future Red Wings
teams. In 2003-04, Zetterberg scored 15 goals and 28 assists for 43
points in 61 games, and had two goals and two assists in 12 playoff
games. He is joined by Red Wings teammate Tomas Holmstrom up front
for Sweden. Holstrom, a tough, physical player accustomed to the
rough play in front of the opposition's net, scored 15 goals and 15
assists during 67 regular-season games, adding two goals and two
assists in 12 playoff games.
Lewis Hopes His Fate with Wings Determined
Soon (Comments on play of
Zetterberg)
By Ansar Khan,
mlive.com, May 7, 2004
…"We couldn't get to
the net, couldn't get the puck out of the corners on the cycle,"
Lewis said. "Most players tried to get there, but enough players
couldn't get to the net. Size, strength, speed affected us."
"The game is changing,
you have to be able to wear teams down in the playoffs," Lewis said.
"You have to do things differently. I just don't think the personnel
got it done."
He's satisfied that
most of his players tried, including embattled young stars Pavel
Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, who combined for two goals and eight
assists in the playoffs.
"I thought they worked
extremely hard, competed extremely hard," Lewis said. "They were
relentless in their effort but got worn down."
Zetterberg Will Not Play For
Sweden in the World Championships
By Chris Turner,
Zetterbergfan.com, May 6, 2004
Team Sweden announced
that it will be filling its final two roster spots for the 2004
International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships in the Czech
Republic with superstars Peter Forsberg of the Colorado Avalanche
and Niklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Redwings. Both players were made
available when their heavily favored teams were eliminated in the
second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With the roster being
complete, young Swedish star Henrik Zetterberg will not be invited
to play with Tre Kroner this again year. Zetterberg played for
Sweden after the Redwings were ousted from the playoffs in a four
game sweep by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks last season. Zetterberg had
three goals and four assists in nine games as Sweden won the silver
medal in the tournament.
Zetterberg could be
asked to play for his native country in the 2004 World Championships
in September.
Lidstrom and Forsberg
will add a ton of talent to Sweden’s lineup heading into the
semi-final matchup against the winner of United States versus the
hosting Czech Republic.
Redwings Eliminated By Calgary
Flames
By Chris Turner,
Zetterbergfan.com, May 3, 2004
The heavily favored
Detroit Redwings were outworked and eliminated by the Calgary Flames
four games to two in best of seven second round of the Stanley Cup
Playoffs. Lead by Vezina trophy nominee goaltender Mika Kiprusoff,
the Flames won game six in Calgary 1-0 with less than a minute
remaining in overtime, shutting out the Redwing's regular season
league leading offense for more than two games.
No one on Detroit’s
high-powered offense was able to generate many opportunities against
Calgary’s hard skating and tight checking defense, which kept the
Wings shooting from the perimeter all series.
The Flames were
especially effective controlling young stars Henrik Zetterberg and
Pavel Datsyuk. Datsyuk
who lead the Redwings with 30 regular season goals was held to zero
in the post season. Zetterberg had an empty net goal in game four to
help even the series with the Flames at two games a piece, but he
has held to just the one point. It wasn’t for lack of effort on
Zetterberg’s part. He seemed to be one of the few Redwings skating
hard and working in the trenches on every shift. He displayed the
same energy and determination controlling the puck along the boards
as he did during the regular season. The difference was the
clutching, grabbing, holding, and hooking that Calgary’s defenders
were able to get away with in the playoffs.
It seemed that the
lackluster play of future Hall of Famer Brett Hull detracted from
the skill of the two young playmakers. The Flames were able to focus
on Zetterberg and Datysuk, who appeared fatigued often late in the
series, pinning them along the boards and out muscling the smaller
crafty forwards. The veteran Hull was drifting in the face-off
circles waiting for passes that weren’t going to be coming.
Most of the Detroit
Redwings are seasoned veterans with Stanley Cup rings and playoff
experience. Complacency and the expectation of winning may have been
a factor. However, that would not be the case for Henrik Zetterberg.
He came into the NHL the year after the Redwings won the Cup in
2002. His only previous experience was in last year’s four game
sweep at the hands of the underdog Anaheim Mighty Ducks. This may
have been the best opportunity the sophomore Swede may ever have to
win the Stanley Cup. It is unknown what the future holds for this
storied franchise after another disappointing elimination.
With questions to be
answered about the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring
and possible salary cap implications next season, aged and
underachieving players such as Chris Chelios, Brendan Shanahan,
Steve Thomas, and Hull are all going to be free agents in July and
may not be retained. Legendary Captain Steve Yzerman may not have
another comeback in him after taking a puck in the eye in game five,
breaking his orbital bone and scratching his cornea. He may choose
to retire if the core of this team is disassembled by General
Manager Ken Holland in the coming months. It would mark the end of
an amazing era in Detroit Redwings hockey, an era that Henrik
Zetterberg was almost a part of.
Flames dim young stars Datsyuk, Zetterberg
BY HELENE ST. JAMES,
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER, May 4, 2004
CALGARY, Alberta --
They would huddle like two Boy Scouts trying to figure out how to
stop a disaster. With their smarts and skills, who could possibly
deny them?
The rescue kept eluding
them, though. For the six games it took the Calgary Flames to
dispatch the Red Wings in the second round of the NHL playoffs,
stars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg were rebuffed and
rejected. The Flames held Zetterberg to one goal, Datsyuk to three
assists. Datsyuk's last point came in Game 3; Zetterberg had a goal
and an assist in Game 4.
Their season ended late
Monday night when the Flames beat Detroit, 1-0, in overtime to
clinch the series.
After the game, Wings
coach Dave Lewis pointed out that Calgary's star player, Jarome
Iginla, set up the winning goals in Games 5 and 6. But what he
didn't say was more poignant: Where were Detroit's stars? Where were
Brett Hull and Brendan Shanahan, the old-guard clutch performers?
Where were Datsyuk and Zetterberg, the new-guard clutch performers?
Though Hull and
Shanahan make the big money that is supposed to pay dividends this
time of year, the bigger disappointment might be the ineffectiveness
of Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Datsyuk, 25, was the team's best player
during the regular season, scoring a breakout 30 goals and finishing
with 68 points in 75 games, second on the team only to latecomer
Robert Lang. Zetterberg, 23, was the team's best forward until a
broken leg sidelined him in November and December. He still finished
with 28 assists among 43 points in 61 games.
But their numbers
dropped in the playoffs. Datsyuk had six points in 12 games,
Zetterberg four.
"For sure I hoped I
could contribute a little bit more, produce a little bit more than I
did," Zetterberg said. "We couldn't battle through their defense.
But even if they were hard, we have to battle through it. You can't
say that that was the reason. We didn't produce enough."
Like the Predators
before them, the Flames zeroed in on Datsyuk's line with Zetterberg
and Hull. The Flames' top defenseman, Robyn Regehr, often played
against the trio, as did Nashville's Kimmo Timonen.
"The Flames did a real
good job of keeping them in the corners," defenseman Nicklas
Lidstrom said of Datsyuk's linemates. "Even when they were cycling
the puck, Calgary kept them away from the net. They didn't roll off
and bring the puck to the net as much as we've seen in the regular
season. I give their D a lot of credit for keeping them to the
outside all the time."
But Calgary's forwards
also kept the line at bay. The Flames play shorter shifts than the
Wings, with each 30-second effort tailored for all-out skating and
checking. Again and again, Datsyuk or Zetterberg would get the puck
only to be rerouted to the boards by any means possible.
"It was hard," Datsyuk
said. "We try to help our team, but they grab us and hold us, with
their hands, their sticks. It was very hard."
There were signs that
an explosion was coming. In Game 5, Datsyuk looked every bit the
dazzling playmaker he is when he got the puck in Calgary's zone,
spun around twice while being hounded by two defenders, then found
Hull for an open feed. Datsyuk created chance after chance, and
Zetterberg had three good shots on net, only to see Miikka
Kiprusoff's wizardry spoil every trick.
"Those kids, those two,
there is not one guy in here that would question any effort they
had," forward Kirk Maltby said. "They had some tough times, they
weren't able to score goals, but credit to Calgary, they did a good
job containing them and not giving them point-blank shots or
backdoor passes. They were a little snakebit maybe, but there's no
question they were out there working hard."
Hull had six shots on
net in Game 5 and another three in Game 6. But with his
effectiveness hampered by what is reportedly a toe injury, teammates
were urging Datsyuk to be more selfish.
"We were trying to tell
Pavel to shoot more -- he's got such a great shot, he can shoot in
stride," center Kris Draper said. "Sometimes Pavs needs to take it
upon himself to shoot the puck.
"They were so close,
right there on top of it, but it's obviously frustrating because
those guys are so talented, and they were creating opportunities.
They just couldn't close the deal."
Regardless of the
disappointment that now clouds this season, the future is clear in
two respects for the Wings. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are the building
blocks for the next decade of championship drives. But for that
future to retain its brightness, the two must learn from the
playoffs.
"We know the two of us
did not produce enough," Zetterberg said. "We talked about it, and
then you try to make little, small changes every game.
"It wasn't good
enough." | |
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