Ten From Red Wings Organization Named to Olympic Teams

A total of ten players from the Detroit Red Wings have been named to the Olympic teams for their respective countries, as the final teams announced their rosters today.

Goaltender Jimmy Howard was revealed as a member of Team USA immediately following the Winter Classic in Ann Arbor last week. He is expected to be the third goalie behind Jonathan Quick and Ryan Miller, brother of Detroit’s Drew Miller. It will be Howard’s first Olympic experience.

Forwards Tomas Tatar and Tomas Jurco will represent their native Slovakia, each for the first time. After making his NHL debut and playing seven games with Detroit, Jurco was returned to the Grand Rapids Griffins last week.

Six Swedes lead the way for the Wings. Henrik Zetterberg, Daniel Alfredsson, Niklas Kronwall, Johan Franzen, Jonathan Ericsson and Jonas Gustavsson will represent Tre Kroner. Only Ericsson is a first-time Olympian of the group. Franzen and Gustavsson played for Sweden in 2010. Kronwall represented his country in 2006 and 2010. Alfredsson is the long-timer, making his fifth appearance after 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010.

Zetterberg, who was on the Swedish team in 2002 before transitioning to the Red Wings and again in 2006 and 2010, will serve as the team captain.

Rounding out the Sochi-bound Red Wings is forward Pavel Datsyuk, the team’s lone representative on the host Russian squad. He’ll be making his fourth (2002, 2006, 2010) Olympic appearance.

Though no Red Wings players were named to the Canadian contingent, that team will be coached by Detroit bench boss Mike Babcock.