DETROIT -- Henrik Zetterberg always has been an elite hockey player, and could end up in the Hall of Fame when his career ends.

But there's one thing that sets him apart from the NHL's other superstars. Really, it's just one letter. He wears a "C" on his jersey as captain of the Detroit Red Wings, one of the league's most storied franchises.

"The Detroit Red Wings are almost like the New York Yankees of hockey," said teammate Justin Abdelkader.

"It's a very proud history with this organization. There's been great captains, great leaders. Being captain of this franchise, this organization, is a huge deal. Just the winning tradition that's a custom here each and every year. It starts with the leadership and making sure this team is ready night in and night out."

Being captain of an NHL team is perhaps more prestigious than in any other sport, and it's an especially big deal in Detroit. An Original Six club, the Red Wings have won the Stanley Cup 11 times, more than all but Montreal and Toronto.

Since 1986 with Steve Yzerman, Detroit has had just three captains. The other Original Six teams have had a total of 38, each with at least five. Each has gone at least one season without a captain.

That doesn't happen in Detroit, where Zetterberg learned under some of the best leaders in hockey.

Henrik Zetterberg won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason MVP in 2008, when he led the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup with playoff-high totals of 16 goals and 27 points.

"Obviously, it's a big honor for me to wear the 'C' and looking back in the time with the guys who have had it and the guys that were captain before me while I was playing -- Stevie (Yzerman) and Nick (Lidstrom) -- I think those two were big role models for me but not just as captains," Zetterberg said.

"Ever since I got (to Detroit), I've had a room full of leaders with (Chris) Chelios and (Kris) Draper and (Brendan) Shanahan. Everyone who has been a part of this team since I got here, they basically are leaders."

Zetterberg's predecessors as captain include Sid Abel, Ted Lindsay, Red Kelly, Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Marcel Dionne, Yzerman and Lidstrom. All are in the Hall of Fame with the exception of Lidstrom, who is a lock for induction when he goes on the ballot this year.

Before coming to North America in 2002, Zetterberg was the Player of the Year and MVP in his native Sweden and has represented his country six times in the World Championships and four times in the Olympics.

He was runner-up as the NHL's Rookie of the Year in 2002-03, playoff MVP in 2008 when the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup and remains one of the best two-way players in the world.

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Like Yzerman and Lidstrom before him, Zetterberg doesn't always say a lot, speaking up only when something truly needs to be said. But when he talks, teammates listen.

It's been that way dating back to Zetterberg's junior hockey days, according to Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall, who knows his fellow Swede as well as anyone.

Kronwall, a Red Wings alternate captain, first played with Zetterberg on Sweden's World Junior Championship team in 1997-98. They've been on four World Championship teams together, in three Olympics and have been Red Wings teammates since 2003-04.

"He leads in every way, whether that's on the ice, off the ice, he's always our best player," Kronwall said. "Works hard in the gym and he's really good in the room with the younger guys, with fans, with media, with the referees. A very good person.

"He's just competitive," coach Mike Babcock said. "He's tenacious, he's skilled, he's great with the puck, he's great without the puck. But he loves winning and to me that's the thing. With all good players that's the thing that separates them from the other guys, just determination and will and he has that in spades.

"He has a great understanding of the game and what's needed and he understands the way the game should be played and doing it right and being professional. And he leads by example. The other thing is he's the voice of reason. He's calm and he accepts responsibility for how he plays, how the team plays and he's got a great support group in (Pavel) Datsyuk and Kronwall.

"I knew he was going to be captain when Nick was still here."

Holland gives the credit to former assistant GM Jim Nill and European scout Hakan Andersson for using Detroit's seventh-round pick (210th overall) on Zetterberg in the 1999 NHL draft.

Holland knew Zetterberg would be a good player but expected him to be more of a playmaker and defensive standout. His scoring ability has been the big surprise.

More than anything, Holland likes Zetterberg's ability to protect the puck.

"He's got great hands, great hockey sense, but he protects the puck all over the ice as good as anybody," Holland said. "You can see sometimes bigger defenders that are two and three and four inches taller and maybe heavier, he has the ability to hold them off.

"For me, when you go to watch a player and you don't leave the rink wanting a little something more, you've got a great player on your hands. Never do you leave the rink with Zetterberg wanting something. He gives you everything he has at both ends of the rink, shift after shift, night after night.

"That's why he's the captain."

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