Will Zetterberg see his number 40 up in the rafters?

When we talk about a player who made a mark in Detroit, there is no doubt that the name of Henrik Zetterberg quickly comes to mind. He retired from professional hockey a few days before the start of the 2018-2019 season due to recurring back injuries.

Although he was a 7th round pick in 1999, 210th overall, Zetterberg still played 1,082 games with the Red Wings, accumulating 337 goals and 623 assists for a total of 960 points. During his time in the organization, the 39-year-old allowed Detroit to participate in the playoffs each year until 2015-16, in addition to winning the Stanley Cup with them in the 2007-08 season .

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Now that he has had to bow out of professional hockey, will he have the chance to have his number 40 retired by the Detroit Red Wings organization?

If one looks briefly at his career, it is clear that he would deserve such a privilege. However, when the situation is further analyzed, questions remain unanswered.

Despite all the pretty impressive numbers mentioned above, the Swede has won very few trophies for the best player in the NHL. Indeed, apart from the Conn Smythe trophy obtained during the playoffs in 2007-08, Henrik Zetterberg has never won a Hart or MauriceRichard trophy. The only prize he won in the regular season was the King Clancy Trophy in 2015, awarded to the player who demonstrated the best leadership on and off the ice.

In the history of the franchise, several renowned players have played in Detroit. Despite this, only eight players have had their numbers retired: Red Kelly, Alex Delvecchio, Ted Lindsay, Gordie Howe, Nicklas Lidstrom, Steve Yzerman, Sid Abel and Terry Sawchuk. In addition, other players like Sergei Fedorov, Pavel Datsyuk and Chris Osgood have marked the last decades in Detroit and have not been entitled to such a tribute, so we can doubt that Zetterberg will see his jersey alongside the legends Ted Lindsay and Gordie Howe before Fedorov and Datsyuk areconsidered.

If Datsyuk has been loyal to the Detroit Red Wings throughout his career, the same cannot be said for Sergei Fedorov. He signed a controversial contract with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks at the end of the 2002-03 season. As for Zetterberg, the former number 40 of the Detroit Red Wings signed a historic contract. He agreed on a record number of 12 years in 2009. Only Zach Parise and Ryan Suter have since signed longer-term contracts with the Minnesota Wild.

In six years the Detroit Red Wings will celebrate their 100th anniversary in the NHL. Perhaps they are waiting for the right time to honor all these players? Only time will tell.

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