Zetterberg will be replaced by Calgary Flames forward Mikael Backlund on Team Sweden's 23-man roster. Backlund, 27, set personal NHL bests last season in goals (21), assists (26) and points (47) in 82 games. He has 72 goals and 175 points in 380 NHL games, all with Calgary.
"Henrik Zetterberg feels that he can't go 100 percent at the time of the World Cup and has to turn down the spot on our team," Team Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg said in a statement released by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. "We feel that with Mikael Backlund, we will get an internationally experienced player that is very versatile and responsible. His second half of the season with the Flames was very strong, where he showed that he is a premier all-round player in the NHL."
Zetterberg, 35, was going to play in his 13th international tournament for Sweden; he had a goal and an assist in four games at the 2004 World Cup. He injured his back in the first game of the 2014 Sochi Olympics and did not play another game in the tournament.
He had 13 goals and 50 points in 82 regular-season games and one goal in five Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Red Wings last season.
Zetterberg has 309 goals and 836 points in 918 career NHL games, all with Detroit.
Backlund has played for Sweden internationally since he was 16 years old. He won the bronze medal at the 2007 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, the silver medal at the 2008 and 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship, and two bronze medals (2010, 2014) and a silver medal (2011) at the IIHF World Championship.
"It means a lot," Backlund told the Calgary Herald. "It's been always a dream to play on the biggest stage, NHL, Stanley Cup Playoffs, World Cup and Olympics. So it's going to be a big honor for me to play for Sweden at such a big event."
TEAM SWEDEN ROSTER
G Jhonas Enroth, Toronto Maple Leafs
G Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
G Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver Canucks
D Mattias Ekholm, Nashville Predators
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes
D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Niklas Hjalmarsson, Chicago Blackhawks
D Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
D Hampus Lindholm, Anaheim Ducks
D Anton Stralman, Tampa Bay Lightning
F Mikael Backlund, Calgary Flames \
F Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals
F Loui Eriksson, Vancouver Canucks
F Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators
F Carl Hagelin, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Patric Hornqvist, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Marcus Kruger, Chicago Blackhawks
F Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche
F Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks
F Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
F Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
F Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks
F Carl Soderberg, Colorado Avalanche
\ - named to roster Thursday
