Jim Nill shares untold eye-opening story of former captain Henrik Zetterberg

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Jack Sutherland
February 7, 2025 (9:48 PM)

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Former Red Wings general manager Jim Nill shared an eye-opening story about the early years of former captain Henrik Zetterberg before his days in the NHL.

The Detroit Red Wings have been fortunate to have some of the greatest draft picks in NHL history that thankfully went undiscovered by other NHL teams.

Among the names that were passed over several times in the Draft before they were eventually selected by the Red Wings include Nicklas Lidstrom (53rd overall in 1989), Sergei Fedorov (74th overall in 1989), Pavel Datsyuk (171st in 1998), and Henrik Zetterberg (120th overall in 1999).

Former Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill, who joined Detroit's front office in 1994 and later helped them to three Stanley Cup wins, shared a previously untold story about the discovery of Zetterberg.

Depite being a Swedish native, the Red Wings first took notice of Zetterberg while he was playing in Finland before he eventualy hit a growth spurt.

Zetterberg was a unique story, too. It was in northern Finland, in the middle of nowhere. Watching this tournament, there was this small little kid who was like a dog chasing a bone. We just liked him and when we left, I said, 'You know what? Keep an eye on this kid when you go back.'

It's a funny business, everybody thinks they're a finished product, and they're not. Henrik Zetterberg at the time was about 5'8, 145 pounds. You're sitting there trying to project what he'll turn into, and one day you wake up three years later, and they've learned how to work out and they've committed themselves to eating better.

Whatever it is, it's human nature some of it, and it turns out he ends up being six feet, 185 pounds, and a great player. A lot of things go into the drafting and development of these players, and the projection that scouts have to have, it's the tough part of the business - it's a special skill that a lot of these scouts have.

Zetterberg won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2008 as the MVP of the postseason, and was named the successor to Nicklas Lidstrom as Red Wings captain in 2013, a position he held until his own departure from the game in 2018.

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FEVRIER 7 \| 134 ANSWERS Jim Nill shares untold eye-opening story of former captain Henrik Zetterberg Who had the better career for the Red Wings?
Henrik Zetterberg	35	26.1 %
Pavel Datsyuk	99	73.9 %
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