Red Wings announce Henrik Zetterberg will perform a ceremonial puck drop prior to the season opener

The Red Wings have announced that career Red Wing and longtime captain Henrik Zetterberg will drop the puck prior to Thursday’s season opener. Hank, or Z, as some fans refer to him will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Red Wings fans and just recently announced his retirement from hockey.

The Wings surely have something special in store for the future Hall of Famer. Zetterberg finished his career with 337 goals and 623 assists for 960 points in 1082 NHL games. His long list of accomplishments includes becoming a 1 time Stanley Cup Champion, Conn Smythe Trophy winner, 1 time King Clancy Trophy winner, the NHL’s Leadership-Humanitarian award.

He’s also a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won the Olympic gold, World Championship gold, and the Stanley Cup. He also once received the NHL Foundation Player Award and won two World Championship Bronze medals, one World Championship silver, and an Olympic silver medal.

Many fans will remember his legendary Conn Smythe shift, others the lifelong friendship he formed with the other half of the Euro Twins, future Hall of Famer Pavel Datsyuk, and some, just his play game in and game out.

His impact will be remembered far beyond his impact on the ice, as he represented the Wings better off the ice than you could ever ask for. Surely, whatever the Wings have planned for Thursday night will not soon be forgotten.

It won’t be a goodbye though, but a thank you and see you later. He won’t get the league-wide farewell tour he so deserves, but it’s a no-brainer having him drop the puck as the Wings take yet another step towards future success.