Detroit Red Wings
Zetterberg Back in The Game But Not With Red Wings
Z to be an advisor for Swedish club
In the seven years since he retired as an active player, former Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg sought to stay at arm’s length from hockey. He’s never held the desire to take on a significant role with any club.
Until now.
The pull of the game proved too much to withstand, and Zetterberg accepted a position with a pro team.
No, it’s not the Red Wings. In a roundabout way, it will still be helping the Red Wings, though.
Timrå IK fortsätter att bygga för framtiden. Den sportsliga organisationen förstärks genom att officiellt ta in Henrik Zetterberg som sportslig rådgivare och Emil Berglund som scout. #timraik
Läs mer på: https://t.co/StBDcjjKLj pic.twitter.com/srkP9uH65Q
— Timrå IK (@timra_ik) September 10, 2025
Zetterberg is filling an advisor’s role with Timrå, his old club in Sweden’s top league, the SHL. In fact, he’s been serving in that position with the club for about a year. He’s just been striving to keep his work on the down low.
“It is not the publicity I am looking for when I entered this role as an advisor,” Zetterberg told Swedish website Aftonbladet. And I have had that role for a year now in Timrå, but we have perhaps not shown it much.”
In fact, Timrå and the Red Wings are likely the only teams capable of convincing the very private Zetterberg to lend a helping hand.
“I love ice hockey and have great feelings for Timrå,” Zetterberg said. “Now we will be a team that will drive Timrå forward, and I will focus on being a sounding board for young players and their leaders in the club and helping them develop.”
Among the players who will be getting that helping hand from Zetterberg this season will be Red Wings prospect Eddie Genborg. The forward Detroit chose with the 44th selection of the 2025 NHL entry draft is playing his first season with Timrå.
“It will be fun to see what kind of development we can achieve together,” Zetterberg said.
Red Wings Still Have Zetterberg’s Ear
Zetterberg is a rarity, a member of the elite class of Red Wings from the past generation choosing not to heed the siren call to join the braintrust seeking to help GM Steve Yzerman implement a turnaround of the franchise. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s giving the club the cold shoulder.
He may not be on the payroll, but Zetterberg is always on call as an unpaid consultant to his only NHL team.
#LGRW legend and should be Hall of Famer, Henrik Zetterberg will join Timrå in the SHL in an official capacity as a "Sports adviser".
Timrå is where Z played before joining the @DetroitRedWings and that's where 2025 draftee Eddie Genborg plies his trade. pic.twitter.com/skQTvZk9JM
— Lars Thorsell (@LarsThorsell) September 10, 2025
“It is clear that I will certainly have thoughts and questions during the season,” Zetterberg said of the Red Wings. “Then I have people close to me who have worked in hockey and have a lot of experience.
“Almost everyone who is on the Red Wings staff today is my old teammates, and I feel that I always represent Detroit because I played there for so many years. But we will see how it can help me in my professional role.”
