We've seen the him dazzle opponents with his stickwork and speed. We've marveled at his ability to do so many things at a fast pace, always on the move. From a distance, the 27-year-old center is magic. But there's much, much more to the abracadabra act we see from Henrik Zetterberg on the ice – and there's also more than the disheveled blond hair and unshaven look of a surfer.

Too small. Too this. Too that. That's what scouts said of the skinny kid from Njurunda, Sweden. He paid the price back then by having to wait until the seventh round before the Detroit Red Wings picked him with the 210th pick in the 1999 Entry Draft. Heck, for six weeks when he was 17, Zetterberg, wondering about his hockey future, actually took a part-time job cleaning lanes at a bowling alley.

But after getting a chance to lift the Stanley Cup in celebration Wednesday night at Mellon Arena following Detroit's 3-2 victory and its first NHL championship since 2002 and fourth in the last 11 seasons, Zetterberg saw all of his emotions gush out after a game in which he had one goal and one assist, six shots and two hits. His pass, made while he was being taken to the ice, set up Brian Rafalski for the game's first goal at 5:03 on a power play and gave the team a quick start. His goal 7:36 into the third period turned out to be the Cup winner.