Henrik Zetterberg named captain of Swedish World Cup of Hockey team

No matter how old you are and no matter where your game is, it is always an honor to play for your country. Henrik Zetterberg, one of the faces of Swedish hockey gets another opportunity to play for his country and he gets to do it with a “C” on his chest. Did Sweden make the right choice selecting Zetterberg?

After Zetterberg’s disappointing year, it raises questions about what his play will be like moving forward. He still is one of the better players on the team but as age starts to catch up with him, these types of exhibition tournaments could be sapping him of much needed energy during the season. 

Most recently at the Winter Olympic games, Zetterberg was the captain of the team and only played one game before suffering an injury. At 35, what else does he have to prove? He has brought multiple Olympic medals to his country, is the World Cup of Hockey that much of a priority to him?

The NHL has invested a lot of money into this tournament and are hoping to get a big response this September. It will be all over ESPN and because of it, in North America’s consciousness. That shouldn’t effect player participation in this tournament but I am surprised at the number of players who are still deciding to play in it. 

If Zetterberg is able to play and is healthy, he will participate, the decision though shouldn’t be that easy. The captaincy is a nice honor, it shouldn’t blind Red Wings fans from what may happen if Zetterberg takes part. Injuries and fatigue are part of the game but should be avoided if at all possible. Zetterberg is willing to take that chance and it could make the WCoH a fascinating study come next year.