Niklas Kronwall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Niklas Kronwall
Kronwall with the Detroit 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 (born January 12, 1981) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player. He played as a defenceman for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League (NHL). After retiring from playing, he became an advisor to the general manager for the Red Wings.

Kronwall is one of only 30 players in the special Triple Gold Club. This club includes players who have won an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup. He started his hockey journey in Sweden with Järfälla HC. In the NHL, he became famous for his powerful open-ice hits. People even created the phrase "being Kronwalled" to describe these big hits. In 2008, he helped the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup.

Niklas Kronwall's Hockey Journey

Starting His Professional Career

Niklas Kronwall was chosen by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. This was the 29th pick overall. He continued to play for Djurgårdens IF in Sweden until 2003. That year, he moved to North America to join the Red Wings.

During the 2003–04 season, he played 20 games for Detroit. He scored one goal and made four assists, totaling five points.

Time in the AHL

When the NHL had a lockout in 2004–05, Kronwall played a full season for the Grand Rapids Griffins. This team is the Red Wings' main team in the American Hockey League (AHL). He scored 13 goals and had 40 assists in 76 games. He also played very strong defense. For his excellent play, Kronwall received the Eddie Shore Award. This award is given to the best defenceman in the AHL.

Becoming a Red Wings Star

Kronwall suffered a serious knee injury in September 2005. This meant he missed more than half of the 2005–06 season.

Kronwall playing in Game 6 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals.

In 2008, Kronwall and the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. This win made him a member of the Triple Gold Club. He also led all defencemen in scoring during the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, with 15 points. In the 2008–09 season, he scored six goals and had 45 assists. The Red Wings almost won the Stanley Cup again in the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. They lost Game 7 by a score of 2-1. Kronwall hit the crossbar with his shot late in the game, which would have tied it.

On December 27, 2010, Kronwall scored the winning goal in overtime. This helped his teammate, goalie Chris Osgood, get his 400th career win.

In October 2011, Kronwall signed a seven-year contract with Detroit. He played in all 82 games during the 2011–12 season. He scored a career-high 15 goals that season.

Key Moments and Milestones

After veteran defenceman Nicklas Lidström retired in 2012, Kronwall became Detroit's top defenceman. During the shorter 2012–13 season, he played in all 48 games. He usually played alongside fellow Swedish player Jonathan Ericsson. Kronwall scored five goals and had 24 assists. The Red Wings made the playoffs for the 22nd year in a row.

In the 2013–14 season, Kronwall scored eight goals and 41 assists in 79 games. He was only the fifth defenceman to lead the Red Wings in assists in a single season.

On December 3, 2015, Kronwall played his 700th NHL game. He was the sixth defenceman in Red Wings history to reach this number.

Kronwall had knee surgery in January 2016. He missed several weeks of the 2015–16 season. He finished that season with three goals and 14 assists in 45 games.

He missed the start of the 2016–17 NHL season due to an injury. He returned to play on November 4, 2016. That season, he had his lowest point total since 2005-06.

During the 2017–18 season, Kronwall reached more milestones. He played his 800th NHL game on October 20, 2017. He also got his 400th point on March 27, 2018.

Retirement and New Role

On September 3, 2019, Niklas Kronwall announced he was retiring from ice hockey. He ended his career ranked third all-time in games played by a Red Wings defenceman. He was also fourth in points for a defenceman in the team's history.

After retiring, Kronwall was named an advisor to the general manager for the Red Wings.

Playing for Sweden

Medal record
Representing  Sweden
Ice hockey
Winter Olympics
Gold	2006 Turin
Silver	2014 Sochi
World Championships
Gold	2006 Latvia
Silver	2003 Finland

Olympic and World Championship Success

In late 2005, Kronwall was chosen for the Swedish Olympic Team. However, he had to drop out in early 2006 because of his injured knee. Later, when another player was injured, Kronwall was called in to replace him.

Kronwall played for Sweden at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He scored one goal and one assist in two games, helping Sweden win a gold medal. In the same year, Kronwall played for Sweden at the 2006 IIHF World Championship. He was the top scorer for Sweden, with two goals and eight assists in eight games. Sweden won another gold medal. This made Sweden the first team in hockey history to win both the Olympic gold and the World Championship in the same year.

The Triple Gold Club

By winning the 2008 Stanley Cup, Kronwall became a member of the Triple Gold Club. This is a special group of ice hockey players. To join, a player must win an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup. Kronwall, along with his Swedish teammates Mikael Samuelsson and Henrik Zetterberg, achieved this feat very quickly. It took them only two years, three months, and ten days.

Kronwall also represented Sweden at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. He had two assists in six games and won a silver medal.

What is "Kronwalled"?

Niklas Kronwall became known for his signature back-pedaling hits. These hits were often very powerful and happened in the open ice. Fans and commentators started calling these hits "Kronwalled." It meant a player was hit so hard by Kronwall that they were stopped in their tracks.

Some of the players who were "Kronwalled" include Anders Lee, Dany Heatley, Auston Matthews, Aleš Hemský, Artturi Lehkonen, Reilly Smith, Ryan Kesler, Martin Havlát, Jakub Voráček, and Kaspars Saulietis. Sometimes, these hits led to penalties for Kronwall. For example, a hit on Havlát resulted in Kronwall being ejected from the game. In a playoff game on April 27, 2015, Kronwall delivered a big hit on Tampa Bay Lightning player Nikita Kucherov. The next day, the NHL suspended Kronwall for the final game of that series.

Off the Ice

Niklas Kronwall's younger brother, Staffan, also played professional hockey. He played in the NHL before finishing his career in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

In April 2014, Niklas Kronwall and his girlfriend welcomed their first child.

Career Stats

Regular season and playoffs

International

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

Achievements

• Elitserien champion with Djurgårdens IF in 2000 and 2001
• Elitserien Junior Hockey Player of the Year in 2001
• Silver medal at the World Championships in 2003
• Awarded the Eddie Shore Award (Outstanding defenceman) in 2005
• Named to the AHL First All-Star Team in 2005
• Gold medal at the Winter Olympics in 2006
• Gold medal at the World Championships in 2006
• Named MVP and Best Defender in World Championships in 2006
• Named to the World Championship All-Star Team in 2006
• Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008
• Silver medal at the Winter Olympics in 2014