NHL teams
Joe McDonald, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Henrik Sedin replaces Henrik Zetterberg as Team Sweden captain

NHL

GOTHENBURG, Sweden -- When Team Sweden captain Henrik Zetterberg suffered a recent knee injury and needed to back out of the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, there were plenty of qualified candidates to replace the veteran forward.

Monday, prior to the team's first training camp practice at Scandinavium, Sweden announced Henrik Sedin will wear the C for the upcoming international tournament. Teammates Daniel Sedin and Erik Karlsson will serve as assistant captains.

"It's an honor for sure," said Henrik Sedin. "You grow up watching a lot of the national teams, and the guys who were captains back then, the star players, those are the guys you looked up to, so it's an honor."

After Zetterberg backed out of the tournament, Swedish coach Rikard Gronborg and his staff discussed which player would best fit the role of captain. Sedin, who was chosen for his "invaluable experience" at the international level, was informed of the decision on Sunday.

"I knew there were a few guys here that could get the call," Sedin said. "It is a good group and a lot of guys have been around for a lot of years and it's going to be captaincy by committee, so there are a lot of guys who can step up. I'm not going to change the way I am."

Sedin, 35, who also is the captain of the Vancouver Canucks, is not the only veteran leader on the team. Karlsson (Ottawa Senators) and Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche) are also the captains for their teams.

"[Sedin] was the natural choice when [Zetterberg] wasn't able to go," said defenseman Victor Hedman. "He's the captain in Vancouver and has been for many years. He's a born leader, him and his brother lead by example and Henrik is going to do a tremendous job. He's used to all the attention Canada brings, and we'll follow him. Being from the same hometown as him and seeing him train in the summer and the way he prepares himself every year is something you admire. It'll be a lot of fun to have him as captain and to follow his lead."

Sedin was quick to point out that the role of captain has changed in the past decade. 

"On a team like this, [being captain] is not as important because you have guys who have been around," he said.

Sweden's management and coaching staff have been preaching the importance of leadership from every player.

"It's a huge asset," Gronborg said. "We like to have leadership by committee. There's a lot of guys in that locker room that can push everyone else and have the authority to do so. We're encouraging everyone to make each other accountable, so it's a huge plus for us."

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