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Detroit Red Wings F Johan Franzen Will Not Play For Team Sweden at the Olympics Due to Injury

By Tasha St. Pierre

Dec 12, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing Johan Franzen (93) reacts after he missed the final shoot out as Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) celebrates at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Detroit Red Wings in a shoot out, 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing Johan Franzen (93) reacts after he missed the final shoot out as Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) celebrates at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Detroit Red Wings in a shoot out, 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 12, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing Johan Franzen (93) reacts after he missed the final shoot out as Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) celebrates at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Detroit Red Wings in a shoot out, 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing Johan Franzen (93) reacts after he missed the final shoot out as Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) celebrates at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Detroit Red Wings in a shoot out, 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Team Sweden took a pretty big hit today. As per NHL.com, Sweden Olympic hockey coach Par Marts announced that Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen will not be able to make the trip to Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, where he was supposed to represent Team Sweden.

Franzen sustained a concussion on December 15 as the Detroit Red Wings took on the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit; a game in which they were shut out 3-0.

As a result of that injury, the 6’3”, 223 pound right wing was forced to miss 16 games. He returned to the Red Wings lineup on Sunday night as they took on the Florida Panthers; however, he was quickly returned to the Injured Reserve on Monday after suffering what looked like a recurrence of the concussion symptoms.

Despite missing all those games, Franzen still ranks fifth on his team in points. In the 31 games he played so far this season he has scored 9 goals and 14 assists for a total of 23 points to go along with his plus-6 rating.

Franzen has participated on the Olympic stage before. He played for Team Sweden in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Had he made the trip this year, he would have been joined by five teammates from the Detroit Red Wings; left wing Henrik Zetterberg, right wing Daniel Alfredsson, defensemen Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson, as well as goaltender Jonas Gustavsson.

There is no word right now who will be taking his spot on the roster as the team heads into Sochi. Certainly, we here at FanSided wish Franzen a speedy recovery. Head injuries are certainly nothing to mess with.

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