| Niklas Kronwall | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Kronwall with theDetroit Red Wings in 2012 | |||
| Born | (1981-01-12)12 January 1981 (age 44) Stockholm,Sweden | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Djurgårdens IF Detroit Red Wings | ||
| National team |  Sweden | ||
| NHL draft | 29th overall,2000 Detroit Red Wings | ||
| Playing career | 1999–2019 | ||
Hans Niklas Kronwall (pronounced[ˈnɪ̌kːlasˈkrûːnval]; born 12 January 1981) is aSwedish former professionalice hockeydefenceman, who currently serves as an advisor to the general manager of theDetroit Red Wings. He previously played for the Red Wings of theNational Hockey League (NHL). He is one of the 30 members in theTriple Gold Club. Kronwall started his career inJärfälla HC in Sweden, and has played internationally forSweden. In the NHL, Kronwall gained notoriety for being an open ice hitter, and the phrase "being Kronwalled" was coined to describe his signature back-pedaling hits. In2008, he won theStanley Cup with theRed Wings.
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.
— Håkan Andersson, Director of European Scouting for the Detroit Red Wings,[1]
Kronwall was selected in the first round, 29th overall, in the2000 NHL Entry Draft by theDetroit Red Wings.[2] He continued to play forDjurgårdens IF until he came to North America in 2003. He played 20 games for Detroit in the2003–04 season, scoring one goal and four assists for five points, to go along with 16 penalty minutes.
During the2004–05 NHL lockout, Kronwall played a complete season for theGrand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings' top affiliate in theAmerican 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 theEddie Shore Award as the top defenceman in the AHL.
Kronwall was injured in an exhibition game against theColorado Avalanche in September 2005[3] and missed more than half of the2005–06 season with a serious knee injury.
Kronwall won theStanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008, making him a member of theTriple Gold Club. He also led all defencemen in scoring with 15 points in the2008 Stanley Cup playoffs. Kronwall scored six goals to go with 45 assists during the2008–09 season, and followed it up with two goals and seven assists during the2009 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 goaltenderChris 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 the2011–12 season, Kronwall recorded a career high 15 goals for the Red Wings.
Upon the retirement of veteran defensemanNicklas Lidström in 2012, Kronwall became Detroit's number one defenseman. During the lockout shortened2012–13 season, Kronwall appeared in all 48 regular season games, usually paired with fellow SwedeJonathan Ericsson. Kronwall finished the regular season scoring five goals along with 24 assists as the Red Wings clinched their 22nd consecutive playoff berth.
During the2013–14 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, joiningReed Larson,Brad Park,Paul Coffey and Nicklas Lidström.[4]
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, followingNicklas Lidström,Marcel Pronovost,Red Kelly,Reed Larson andGary Bergman.[5]
On 19 January 2016, Kronwall underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, and was out for two to four weeks. During the2015–16 season, Kronwall recorded three goals and 14 assists in 45 games this season.[6]
Kronwall missed the beginning of training camp for the2016–17 NHL season due to him recovering from an injury endured in the offseason.[7] Kronwall made his season debut on 4 November 2016 in a 5–3 loss to theWinnipeg Jets.[8] He ended the season with his fewest points totals since the 2005-06 season.
During the2017–18 season Kronwall hit many personal milestones. He played in his 800th career NHL game against theWashington Capitals on 20 October 2017[9] and recorded his 400th point in a 5–2 win over thePittsburgh Penguins on 27 March 2018.[10]
On 3 September 2019, Kronwall announced his retirement from ice hockey. He finished his career ranked third all-time in games played by a defenseman and fourth in points in franchise history, trailing onlyNicklas Lidström,Reed Larson andRed Kelly.[11]
Following his retirement, Kronwall was named an advisor to the general manager for the Red Wings.[12]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Sweden | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| Winter Olympics | ||
 | 2006Turin | |
 | 2014Sochi | |
| World Championships | ||
| 2006 Latvia | |
| 2003 Finland | |
In late 2005, Kronwall was named member of theSwedish Olympic Team but dropped out in early 2006 because of his injured knee. WhenMattias Öhlund was injured againstSwitzerland, Kronwall was called in to replace him.
Kronwall represented Sweden at the2006 Winter Olympics inTurin, where he recorded one goal and one assist in two games, and won a gold medal. That same year, Kronwall represented Sweden at the2006 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 theTriple 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 SwedesMikael Samuelsson andHenrik Zetterberg, are the fastest to accomplish this feat, requiring only two years, three months and ten days.[13]
Kronwall represented Sweden at the2014 Winter Olympics inSochi, where he recorded two assists in six games, and won a silver medal.
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 includeAnders Lee,Dany Heatley,Auston Matthews,Aleš Hemský,Artturi Lehkonen,Reilly Smith,Ryan Kesler,Martin Havlát,[14]Jakub Voráček[15] andKaspars Saulietis.[16] On-ice officials sometimes deemed these hits illegal; of these individuals, the hits on Matthews, Hemský, and Havlát resulted in penalties. The hit on Havlát in particular resulted in Kronwall being ejected. On 27 April 2015, during Game 6 of a first round playoff, Kronwall "Kronwalled"Tampa Bay Lightning forwardNikita Kucherov. The following day, theNHL Department of Player Safety suspended Kronwall for the final game of the series,[17] which the Red Wings lost 2-0.
His younger brotherStaffan also played professionally in the NHL before ending his career in theKontinental Hockey League (KHL).
In April 2014, Kronwall's girlfriend gave birth to their first child.[18]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1996–97 | Djurgårdens IF | J20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Djurgårdens IF | J20 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 71 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1998–99 | Huddinge IK | Div.1 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Djurgårdens IF | SEL | 37 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 2000–01 | Djurgårdens IF | SEL | 31 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 32 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2001–02 | Djurgårdens IF | SEL | 48 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 34 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Djurgårdens IF | SEL | 50 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 46 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 18 | ||
| 2003–04 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 20 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 25 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 76 | 13 | 40 | 53 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 27 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2005–06 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 68 | 1 | 21 | 22 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 65 | 7 | 28 | 35 | 25 | 22 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 18 | ||
| 2008–09 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 80 | 6 | 45 | 51 | 50 | 23 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 33 | ||
| 2009–10 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 48 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 32 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 12 | ||
| 2010–11 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 77 | 11 | 26 | 37 | 36 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 2011–12 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 82 | 15 | 21 | 36 | 38 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 48 | 5 | 24 | 29 | 44 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2013–14 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 79 | 8 | 41 | 49 | 44 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 80 | 9 | 35 | 44 | 40 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2015–16 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 64 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2016–17 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 57 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 79 | 4 | 23 | 27 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 79 | 3 | 24 | 27 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| SEL totals | 166 | 12 | 33 | 45 | 128 | 35 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 34 | ||||
| NHL totals | 953 | 83 | 349 | 432 | 564 | 109 | 5 | 42 | 47 | 89 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Sweden | EJC |  | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 1999 | Sweden | WJC18 |  | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 | |
| 2000 | Sweden | WJC | 5th | 7 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 10 | |
| 2001 | Sweden | WJC | 4th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2003 | Sweden | WC | | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2005 | Sweden | WC | 4th | 9 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | |
| 2006 | Sweden | OG | | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2006 | Sweden | WC | | 8 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 10 | |
| 2010 | Sweden | OG | 5th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2012 | Sweden | WC | 6th | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2014 | Sweden | OG | | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 25 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 28 | ||||
| Senior totals | 42 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 42 | ||||
Kronwall's goal was his 400th point and 80th goal, the latter tying him with Hall of Famer Marcel Pronovost for fourth on the Red Wings' career list among defencemen
| Preceded by | Detroit Red Wings first round draft pick 2000 | Succeeded by |
