Already playing without Henrik Sedin and Johan Franzen, the last thing team Sweden needs right now is the loss of another top forward.
Unfortunately, that is exactly what it is going to have to deal with following the news on Friday that team captain Henrik Zetterberg is going to miss the remainder of the Olympic tournament due to a herniated disk in his back. Prior to the Olympics Zetterberg had already missed 13 games during the NHL season for the Detroit Red Wings.
Zetterberg played in Sweden's Olympic opener on Wednesday, a 4-2 win over the Czech Republic, and scored a goal in more than 18 minutes of ice-time. The injury, however, is going to be too much to overcome and will not only keep him out of the tournament, but also the Red Wings lineup once the NHL season resumes.
Here is what Red Wings general manager Ken Holland told Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press on Friday:
"[Zetterberg] is in a great deal of discomfort, so in fairness to Sweden, the Detroit Red Wings organization and himself, he is pulling out of the Olympics. He has to see a doctor, but he will not be ready by the time we come out of the Olympic break. Beyond that, I have no real time frame."
In his absence for team Sweden, Zetterberg's NHL teammate, defenseman Niklas Kronwall, will take over as team captain for the remainder of the Olympics.
Sweden plays Switzerland on Friday at 7:30 a.m. ET.
In 45 games for the Red Wings this season the 33-year-old Zetterberg has scored 16 goals to go with 32 assists.
More on the Winter Olympics:
• SB Nation's Winter Olympics medal tracker | Meet Team USA
• Skier does run in T-shirt | #Lookit
• Remembering the 1980 Miracle on Ice | Longform: Team USA's disaster in 1984
• Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu sets figure skating world record
• Hockey: Men’s schedule | All 12 men’s rosters | USA roster analysis