![\"Henrik](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770380290_763_image.jpeg\"\/)
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Henrik Zetterberg (Photo by Ezra Shaw\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Henrik Zetterberg<\/a> spent his entire NHL career in one place, but these days he\u2019s spread across continents, leagues, sports, and his many endeavors. Always insightful but never seeking the spotlight, Zetterberg spoke exclusively and extensively with RG Media about his life after retirement, the Detroit Red Wings<\/a>, Team Sweden, and the modern NHL.<\/p>\n Career Highlights That Still Stand Out<\/p>\n Zetterberg joined the defending champion Wings in 2002, winning the Stanley Cup in 2008 and coming within an eyelash of repeating in 2009. In between, he completed his Triple Gold conquest with World Championship and Olympic triumphs in 2006, having already prevailed at the World Juniors.<\/p>\n \u201cTo go all the way and win the Cup, it\u2019s hard to highlight anything else. To do that in that way with that group, it tops my list. And going through that against the Penguins, it\u2019s crazy that it was that long ago. When I think about it, it feels like it was a couple of years ago. But that\u2019s how it goes when you get older,\u201d Zetterberg said.<\/p>\n \u201cI must say that, and then the Olympics, obviously, too. It\u2019s such a hard tournament to go all the way,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAlso, when we made it up to the Elitserien, the highest Swedish league, with Timr\u00e5 in 1999\u20132000. That was my first real thing that we won as a player, and to do that and make it to the highest league with Timr\u00e5 and all the fans and all that was very, very special, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Life After Retirement<\/p>\n Today, Zetterberg works closely with Timr\u00e5 and its general manager, Kent Norberg, while also keeping a watchful eye on the Wings, staying in touch with his former teammates, including vice president of hockey operations Nicklas Lidstr\u00f6m and Zetterberg\u2019s business partner, Niklas Kronwall. Zetterberg said he had been involved with Timr\u00e5 \u201cin the background\u201d since his retirement in 2018 but has moved more toward the foreground of an organization that has been \u201cclose to his heart\u201d since his prospect days, when Norberg was an assistant coach and later an executive with the franchise.<\/p>\n Zetterberg also studies the contemporary NHL from afar, living in southern Sweden and traveling several times a year to the United States. Some of his former adversaries, including the Penguins\u2019 core of Sidney Crosby<\/a>, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang<\/a>, are still absorbing the bumps and bruises at ice level.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I see these guys that I fought with during my career who are still playing, it\u2019s amazing. Hats off to them that they can, first of all, stay healthy. You have to put your time in, and it\u2019s not just on the ice, it\u2019s off the ice \u2013 not just during the season but during the offseason,\u201d Zetterberg said. \u201cI know how much time I had to put in just to be relevant for the last couple of years. These guys are not just playing; they are actually doing something good on the ice, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverything goes faster now, and it\u2019s incredible having these guys from my era that still play \u2013 and not just play, but they are still good. They can play with these young guys night in and night out,\u201d he continued. \u201cBut also it\u2019s just about their hockey minds. You have to be smart. The thing that they have the upper hand on, maybe, is the way that they can slow the game down.\u201d<\/p>\n The Modern Game and Olympic Outlook<\/p>\n Zetterberg\u2019s complete skill set and methodical approach made him a two-way force in the land of flying octopi, as he adapted his game across eras and through numerous injuries. The pro game changes noticeably every year, and those shifts can add up quickly, as they have in the eight years since his departure from the top level. Gone are many of the precise, intentional plays; here are area passes, flicks to the net, and other hopeful maneuvers. Zetterberg, however, sees that elite attackers are still able to freeze time for an instant and create something more purposeful.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my mind, Connor McDavid is outstanding at this. He has super, super speed, but he can also slow the game down, and that is a skill that is unique. Leon Draisaitl, the same \u2013 he can slow the game down a little bit, and that\u2019s something that I wish we had more of because you can do stuff at full speed, but also control the game,\u201d Zetterberg said, also mentioning Detroit veteran Patrick Kane<\/a>. \u201cThey can take control of the puck when they have it, and they can dictate whatever happens.\u201d<\/p>\n Naturally, Zetterberg is looking forward to the best-on-best clash in Milan this month, where Sweden will take to the Olympic ice looking to bounce back from a tepid showing at last year\u2019s 4 Nations Face-Off and a bronze medal as the host of the World Championships.<\/p>\n \u201cSweden, Finland \u2013 let\u2019s say all nations except the U.S. and Canada \u2013 we\u2019re not as deep as the North American teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n We have to be lucky with injuries; we\u2019ve got to be healthy in terms of the key guys. That\u2019s the biggest difference,\u201d Zetterberg said. \u201cWith Sweden, Finland, the Czechs, etc., if everyone is healthy, then they can win one game against the U.S. and Canada, the main favorites. You just have to make sure you play your best hockey and have as much luck as you can have. There are a few teams that could bring home the gold.\u201d<\/p>\n Part II of RG\u2019s interview with Zetterberg will run on February 18 and focus on the state of the Detroit Red Wings.<\/p>\n