Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg: Pain is "twenty time worse than before"

Swedish team physician Bjorn Waldeback has been a very visible presence at the Sochi Olympic Games and a highly sough-after interview - but it goes without saying that he isn't as popular in Detroit, with either the Red Wings management or fans.

Why?  It's certainly not because they hold him responsible for team captain Henrik Zetterberg's herniated disc, it's simply a matter of hating the messenger because of the message - at least as far as the fans are concerned, but for Red Wings' management, they probably wish the apparently loquacious Dr. Waldeback would keep his mouth shut.

With National Hockey League injury reporting rules requiring just identification an ambiguous area on the human body where in losing a couple of fingers would be generalized as an "upper-body injury", the good doctor went above and beyond with the international media by pinpointing not only what Zetterberg's injury was, but also that he could be out for the entire season.

Zetterberg mixing it up in Sochi (Mark Humphrey/AP)

"They have to make a decision over there and then see, but if it stays like this that will be the case," Waldeback said in response to media questions regarding the possibility of the veteran forward missing the rest of the season - while also qualifying his remarks by adding that he has yet to be evaluated by the team.

For his part, Zetterberg hasn't exactly been cryptic in his comments to the Swedish press, replying to their queries as if he was responding to standard questions from an ER triage nurse.

I felt it a bit after the game against the Czech Republic, but no more than usual," Zetterberg offered to Aftonbladet, a Swedish newspaper. "But on Thursday it got worse and worse and now it is twenty times worse than before."

"Before" being earlier this season, when he was forced to the shelf for 11 games with the disc issue. "We'll see when I go home," he continued, "It hurts at the slightest movement."

A fact echoed by teammate Niklas Kronwall. "What he's going through right now, it hurts just to watch him.  He goes through more than most people just to be able to play."

So the cat's out of the proverbial bag in Detroit, and now the next move is up to general manager Ken Holland, coach Mike Babcock and Red Wings' medical staff, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that there is no joy in Hockeytown - and the fallout from the latest back flare-up looks like it's going to last longer than even Waldeback would enjoy.

http://www.sportsinjuryalert.com/2014/02/red-wings-henrik-zetterberg-pain-is.html#.UwFsmYUcq58