Niklas Kronwall

Playing career

I know one scout who tried to bring up Niklas Kronwall's name with his team. They just laughed at him. They never even had a serious dialogue. They just stopped him. They said 'a 5-11 Swedish defenceman?' [The Red Wings] organization is more open-minded than that.

Kronwall was selected in the first round, 29th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He continued to play for Djurgårdens IF until he came to North America in 2003. He played 20 games for Detroit in the 2003–04 season, scoring one goal and four assists for five points, to go along with 16 penalty minutes.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Kronwall played a complete season for the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings' top affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). He notched 13 goals and 40 assists in 76 games while also playing a solid defense. For his efforts, Kronwall was awarded the Eddie Shore Award as the top defenceman in the AHL.

Kronwall was injured in an exhibition game against Colorado Avalanche in September 2005 and missed more than half of the 2005–06 season with a serious knee injury.

Kronwall won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008, making him a member of the Triple Gold Club. He also led all defencemen in scoring with 15 points in the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs. Kronwall scored six goals to go with 45 assists during the 2008–09 season, and followed it up with two goals and seven assists during the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs as the Red Wings came within a game of repeating as Stanley Cup champions. The Red Wings lost Game 7 at home by a score of 2-1, with Kronwall hitting the crossbar with 2:15 remaining in the third period, which would've tied the game.

On 27 December 2010, Kronwall helped teammate and goaltender Chris Osgood get his 400th win by scoring the game-winning goal and lifting the Red Wings to a 4–3 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche.

On 31 October 2011, Kronwall and Detroit agreed to a seven-year contract. Playing in all 82 regular season games during the 2011–12 season, Kronwall recorded a career high 15 goals for the Red Wings.

Upon the retirement of veteran defenseman Nicklas Lidström in 2012, Kronwall became Detroit's number one defenseman. During the lockout shortened 2012–13 season, Kronwall appeared in all 48 regular season games, usually paired with fellow Swede Jonathan Ericsson. Kronwall finished the regular season scoring five goals along with 24 assists as the Red Wings clinched their 22nd consecutive playoff berth.

During the 2013–14 season, Kronwall recorded eight goals and 41 assists in 79 games for the Red Wings. He became the fifth defensemen to lead the Red Wings in assists in a single season, joining Reed Larson, Brad Park, Paul Coffey and Nicklas Lidström.

On 3 December 2015, Kronwall played in his 700th career NHL game with the Red Wings, becoming the sixth defenceman in franchise history to reach the plateau, following Nicklas Lidström, Marcel Pronovost, Red Kelly, Reed Larson and Gary Bergman.

On 19 January 2016, Kronwall underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, and will be out for two to four weeks. During the 2015–16 season, Kronwall recorded three goals and 14 assists in 45 games this season.

International play

In late 2005, Kronwall was named member of the Swedish Olympic Team but dropped out in early 2006 because of his injured knee. When Mattias Öhlund was injured against Switzerland, Kronwall was called in to replace him.

Kronwall represented Sweden at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, where he recorded one goal and one assist in two games, and won a gold medal. That same year, Kronwall represented Sweden at the 2006 IIHF World Championship, where he was the leading scorer for Sweden, recording two goals and eight assists in eight games and won a gold medal. Sweden became the first team in hockey history to win the Olympic gold and the World Championship in the same year.

With the 2008 Stanley Cup championship, Kronwall became a member of the Triple Gold Club. The term is used for an exclusive group of ice hockey players who have won Olympic gold, World Championship gold and the Stanley Cup. Kronwall, along with teammates and fellow Swedes Mikael Samuelsson and Henrik Zetterberg, are the fastest to accomplish this feat, requiring only two years, three months and ten days.

Kronwall represented Sweden at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where he recorded two assists in six games, and won a silver medal.

"Kronwalled"

Kronwall has developed a reputation for his signature back-pedaling hits. Fans refer to the frequently devastating, often open-ice, hits as being "Kronwalled." Victims of Kronwall's checking include Dany Heatley, Aleš Hemský, Artturi Lehkonen, Ryan Kesler, Martin Havlát, Jakub Voráček and Kaspars Saulietis. On 27 April 2015, during Game 6 of a first round playoff, Kronwall charged Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. The following day, the NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Kronwall for the final game of the series, which the Red Wings lost 2-0.

Personal life

His younger brother Staffan plays for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

On 24 April 2014, Kronwall's girlfriend gave birth to their first child, a son named Douglas.

Achievements