Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg will not play for Team Sweden at the World Cup of Hockey 2016, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association announced Thursday.
Zetterberg, who had been named Team Sweden captain Aug. 11, sustained a knee injury during offseason training, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland told NHL.com.
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"He's a proud guy and he was training hard. He wanted to have a good tournament," Holland said. "I watched him skate [in Detroit] Tuesday and he was laboring. He told me, 'Ken, I need a few weeks but I don't think it's anything significant.'"
Holland said Zetterberg is expected to be in the lineup when Detroit opens the 2016-17 regular season at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 13.
Zetterberg will be replaced by Calgary Flames forward Mikael Backlund on Team Sweden's 23-man roster. Backlund, 27, set personal NHL bests last season in goals (21), assists (26) and points (47) in 82 games. He has 72 goals and 175 points in 380 NHL games, all with Calgary.
"Henrik Zetterberg feels that he can't go 100 percent at the time of the World Cup and has to turn down the spot on our team," Team Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg said in a statement released by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. "We feel that with Mikael Backlund, we will get an internationally experienced player that is very versatile and responsible. His second half of the season with the Flames was very strong, where he showed that he is a premier all-round player in the NHL."
Zetterberg, 35, was going to play in his 13th international tournament for Sweden; he had a goal and an assist in four games at the 2004 World Cup. He injured his back in the first game of the 2014 Sochi Olympics and did not play another game in the tournament.
He had 13 goals and 50 points in 82 regular-season games and one goal in five Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Red Wings last season.
Zetterberg has 309 goals and 836 points in 918 career NHL games, all with Detroit.