The news that Henrik Zetterberg's Olympics are over after just one game has sent shockwaves through the hockey tournament in Sochi.

Many regarded the centre as Sweden's most deadly weapon in its quest for gold, and he wasted little time in demonstrating his value with the game-winning goal against the Czechs in his only Sochi showing.

Pundits have greeted his withdrawal with a herniated disc in his back with a mixture of dismay at the loss of one of the top players in the game and relief on behalf of Sweden's rivals who no longer have to deal with his scoring skills.

But the biggest impact, inevitably, was felt within the Swedish national team, which was told the news before Friday's game against Switzerland.

In Zetterberg's absence, Tre Kronor edged a 1-0 verdict, but his enforced absence left his team-mates slightly subdued.

Henrik Lundqvist, Sweden's goalie, admitted the it was a big blow. "It was tough to hear the news - I felt my energy go down a little bit," he said. "It's a tough break for the whole team. He's our leader, our captain and one of our best players. It's almost impossible to replace him."

Niklas Kronwall, who steps up to the captain's role, recognized the efforts that Zetterberg had made to join the roster in the first place despite his injury worries. "We all know what he goes through on a daily basis to be able to play," he said. "For him to sit out, it’s pretty bad. But saying that, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’ve got to find a way through it. He won’t be with us anymore but somehow he’ll still be around somehow."