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Zetterberg nominated for Masterton |
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The first time Steve Yzerman saw Henrik Zetterberg on the ice, it was as an opponent while skating for Canada.
“I got to play against him in 2002 in Salt Lake at the Olympics,” Yzerman recalled. “Sweden beat us in the first game. That was my first look at him live. He was really good and made a great play on his backhand on a two-on-one and from that moment on, it was like, wow, this guy is really good and he has never looked back.”
Friday, Yzerman, the former Detroit Red Wings captain currently serving as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, got another look at Zetterberg, Detroit’s current captain, in action as an opponent.
Zetterberg scored the opening goal as the Wings dropped a 2-1 decision to the Lightning at Joe Louis Arena. The tally moved him past Norm Ullman (324) into sixth spot on the club's all-time goals list.
“He is quietly having a tremendous season for the team,” Yzerman said of Zetterberg, who leads the Wings in scoring with 61 points. “Again, my first impression of him was, he’s got it, he’s got it figured out, he’s a classy guy, he’s a smart guy.
“From the day he came into the organization he was professional, very mature. A professional in the way he conducted himself on a daily basis, the way practiced, the way he played.
“He just had the special qualities of a leader, a tremendous hockey player, a tremendous all around player. From day one, he had all those abilities which I really admire, because a lot of us had to learn that stuff, but he knew as a young man. He’s just been a fantastic leader for the team.”
Friday, Zetterberg was announced as Detroit’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which goes annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game.
That describes Zetterberg in a nutshell.
“It’s been a very good season, but not unexpected given what his history shows,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said of his captain. “He’s been an excellent player for a long time. He has demanded the ice.
“With his preparation coming into the season he put himself in the position to be extremely successful. The preparation he shows every day is amazing, his attention to detail, his effort level, his compete level on a daily basis, both in practice and games, separates him from other people.
“He’s just got a burning desire to be great.”
Zetterberg takes great pride in how he plays on the ice and it was evident that the Masterton nod meant something to him.
“When you get older you realize that you’re getting closer to the end and you want to take advantage of all the days you have left here,” Zetterberg said. “This is a special place. To be able to play for this club and done it for that long, you want to keep going and you want to be able to do it well. But you have to put in your work and the older you get, the more work you have to put in.”
As tough a go as it’s been - the Wings will miss the playoffs this season for the first time since the the 1989-90 season - Zetterberg wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
“Even though this year has been a rough year for everyone, this is still the thing we love to do the most, play for this organization, play in front of our fans every night,” Zetterberg said. “You just try to find the positive things and focus to get better every day.”
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