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Hans Niklas Kronwall (; born 12 January 1981) is a
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
former professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...
, who currently serves as an advisor to the general manager of the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
. He previously played for the Red Wings of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL). He is one of the 30 members in the
Triple Gold Club The Triple Gold Club is the group of ice hockey players and coaches who have won an Ice hockey at the Olympic Games, Olympic Games gold medal, a Ice Hockey World Championships, World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup, the championship t ...
. Kronwall started his career in
Järfälla HC Järfälla Hockey Club, often known by its initials JHC, is an ice hockey club based in Järfälla, Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded in 1976 when the clubs Jakobsbergs GoIF and IK Bele assembled their senior and junior sections. The club is one ...
in Sweden, and has played internationally for
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. 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. In
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, he won the
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
with the Red Wings.


Playing career

Kronwall was selected in the first round, 29th overall, in the
2000 NHL Entry Draft The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was the 38th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24 and 25, 2000 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild. This ...
by the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
. He continued to play for
Djurgårdens IF Djurgårdens Idrottsförening, commonly known simply as Djurgårdens IF, Djurgården (), and (especially locally) Djurgår'n (), Dif or DIF – is a Swedish sports association with several sections, located in Stockholm. Name The club is named ...
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 The 2004–05 NHL lockout was a labor lockout that resulted in the cancellation of the National Hockey League (NHL) season, which would have been its 88th season of play. The main dispute was the league's desire to implement a salary cap to ...
, Kronwall played a complete season for the
Grand Rapids Griffins The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional ice hockey, hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and play home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National H ...
, the Red Wings' top affiliate in the
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
(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 The Eddie Shore Award is presented annually to the AHL's best defenceman. The award winner is chosen by AHL media and players. The award is named after Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Shore. Winners NHL-level Eddie Shore Award One of the Bos ...
as the top defenceman in the AHL. Kronwall was injured in an exhibition game against the
Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...
in September 2005 and missed more than half of the 2005–06 season with a serious knee injury. Kronwall won the
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
with the Red Wings in 2008, making him a member of the
Triple Gold Club The Triple Gold Club is the group of ice hockey players and coaches who have won an Ice hockey at the Olympic Games, Olympic Games gold medal, a Ice Hockey World Championships, World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup, the championship t ...
. 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 Christopher John Osgood (born November 26, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently a Detroit Red Wings studio analyst and part-time color commentator for Bally Sports Detroit. He won three Stanley Cup champio ...
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 Erik Nicklas Lidström (; born 28 April 1970) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman and current vice president of hockey operations for the Detroit Red Wings. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detr ...
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 Jonathan Ericsson (born 2 March 1984) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ericsson was drafted in th ...
. 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 Reed David Larson (born July 30, 1956) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and former captain of the Detroit Red Wings who played 904 regular season games in the National Hockey League between 1976 and 1990. He is a member ...
,
Brad Park Douglas Bradford "Brad" Park (born July 6, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. A defenceman, Park played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings. Considered to be on ...
,
Paul Coffey Paul Douglas Coffey (born June 1, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for nine teams over 21 seasons in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among ...
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 Erik Nicklas Lidström (; born 28 April 1970) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman and current vice president of hockey operations for the Detroit Red Wings. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detr ...
, Marcel Pronovost,
Red Kelly Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly (July 9, 1927 – May 2, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He was also a Liberal Member of Parliament for the Toronto-area riding of York West from 1962 to 1965, during which time he also ...
,
Reed Larson Reed David Larson (born July 30, 1956) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and former captain of the Detroit Red Wings who played 904 regular season games in the National Hockey League between 1976 and 1990. He is a member ...
and
Gary Bergman Gary Gunnar Bergman (October 7, 1938 – December 8, 2000) was a Canadians, Canadian professional ice hockey player. A Defenceman (ice hockey), defenceman, Bergman played in the National Hockey League, NHL, mostly for the Detroit Red Wings. He was ...
. On 19 January 2016, Kronwall underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, and was out for two to four weeks. During the 2015–16 season, Kronwall recorded three goals and 14 assists in 45 games this season. Kronwall missed the beginning of training camp for the
2016–17 NHL season The 2016–17 NHL season was the 100th season of operation (99th season of play) of the National Hockey League. Thirty teams were competing in an 82-game regular season from October 12, 2016, to April 9, 2017. The 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs began ...
due to him recovering from an injury endured in the offseason. Kronwall made his season debut on 4 November 2016 in a 5–3 loss to the
Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, pl ...
. He ended the season with his fewest points totals since the 2005-06 season. During the 2017–18 season Kronwall hit many personal milestones. He played in his 800th career NHL game against the
Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...
on 20 October 2017 and recorded his 400th point in a 5–2 win over the
Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
on 27 March 2018. 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 only
Nicklas Lidström Erik Nicklas Lidström (; born 28 April 1970) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman and current vice president of hockey operations for the Detroit Red Wings. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detr ...
,
Reed Larson Reed David Larson (born July 30, 1956) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and former captain of the Detroit Red Wings who played 904 regular season games in the National Hockey League between 1976 and 1990. He is a member ...
and
Red Kelly Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly (July 9, 1927 – May 2, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He was also a Liberal Member of Parliament for the Toronto-area riding of York West from 1962 to 1965, during which time he also ...
.


Post-playing career

Following his retirement, Kronwall was named an advisor to the general manager for the Red Wings.


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 Kenneth Mattias Öhlund (born 9 September 1976) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Vancouver Canucks and Tampa Bay Lightning. Öhlund played two seasons in the Swedish All ...
was injured against
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, Kronwall was called in to replace him. Kronwall represented Sweden at the
2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
in
Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
, 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 The 2006 IIHF World Championship was held in between 5–21 May 2006 in Riga, Latvia. It was the 70th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). One of the requirements of the IIHF for Latvia to host the event ...
, 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 Triple Gold Club is the group of ice hockey players and coaches who have won an Ice hockey at the Olympic Games, Olympic Games gold medal, a Ice Hockey World Championships, World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup, the championship t ...
. 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 Karl Mikael Samuelsson (born 23 December 1976) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey right winger. Samuelsson began his career in Sweden, starting with small town team IFK Mariefred, followed by Södertälje SK as a junior in 1994. He we ...
and
Henrik Zetterberg Henrik Zetterberg (; born 9 October 1980) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey forward. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL), for whom he would serve as captai ...
, are the fastest to accomplish this feat, requiring only two years, three months and ten days. Kronwall represented Sweden at the
2014 Winter Olympics , ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'') , nations = 88 , events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , athletes = 2,873 , opening = 7 February 2014 , closing = 23 February 2014 , opened_by = President Vladimir Putin , cauldron = , stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
in
Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...
, 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
Anders Lee Anders Mark Lee (born July 3, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey winger and captain of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Lee attended the University of Notre Dame, where he played hockey for the Fighting Iris ...
,
Dany Heatley Daniel "Dany" James Heatley (born January 21, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. Originally drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers second overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the National ...
, Auston Matthews,
Aleš Hemský Aleš Hemský (, born 13 August 1983) is a Czech former professional ice hockey player. He most recently played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally a member of the Edmonton Oilers, who selected him i ...
,
Artturi Lehkonen Artturi Lehkonen (born 4 July 1995) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). Lehkonen was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round (55th overall) of the 2013 NHL Ent ...
,
Reilly Smith Reilly Smith (born April 1, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Growing up in Toronto, Smith played junior hockey with St. Michael's ...
,
Ryan Kesler Ryan James Kesler (born August 31, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey center. Selected in the first round, 23rd overall, by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Kesler spent the first ten years of his National Hoc ...
,
Martin Havlát Martin Havlát (; born April 19, 1981) is a Czech former professional ice hockey player who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing career Ottawa Senators Havlát was selected from the Czech Extraliga in the first round o ...
,
Jakub Voráček Jakub Voráček (; born 15 August 1989) is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Voráček was drafted seventh overall by the Blue Jackets at the 2007 NHL Entry ...
and
Kaspars Saulietis Kaspars Saulietis (born June 12, 1987) is a Latvian ice hockey right winger, currently playing for Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная л ...
. 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 The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
forward
Nikita Kucherov Nikita Igorevich Kucherov (russian: Никита Игоревич Кучеров; born 17 June 1993) is a Russian professional ice hockey right winger for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Regarded as one of the best ...
. The following day, the
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
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 Staffan is a Swedish form of Stephen, attested since 1330. It may refer to: * Staffan Anger (born 1943), Swedish politician of the Moderate Party * Staffan Appelros (born 1950), Swedish politician of the Moderate Party * Staffan Danielsson (born 1 ...
also played professionally in the NHL before ending his career in the
Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
(KHL). In April 2014, Kronwall's girlfriend gave birth to their first child.


Career statistics


Regular season and playoffs


International


Achievements

*
Elitserien Elitserien (literally, "the Elite League") is the name of several Swedish nationwide sport leagues. In many sports, Elitserien is the highest league, with the second highest named Allsvenskan. Elitserien leagues at present: * Elitserien (badmint ...
champion with
Djurgårdens IF Djurgårdens Idrottsförening, commonly known simply as Djurgårdens IF, Djurgården (), and (especially locally) Djurgår'n (), Dif or DIF – is a Swedish sports association with several sections, located in Stockholm. Name The club is named ...
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 The Eddie Shore Award is presented annually to the AHL's best defenceman. The award winner is chosen by AHL media and players. The award is named after Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Shore. Winners NHL-level Eddie Shore Award One of the Bos ...
(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 The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
with the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
in 2008 * Silver medal at the Winter Olympics in 2014


References


External links

*
Kronwalled
— fan site {{DEFAULTSORT:Kronwall, Niklas 1981 births Detroit Red Wings draft picks Detroit Red Wings players Djurgårdens IF Hockey players Grand Rapids Griffins players Huddinge IK players Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics Ice hockey players at the 2014 Winter Olympics Living people Medalists at the 2006 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 2014 Winter Olympics National Hockey League first-round draft picks Olympic gold medalists for Sweden Olympic ice hockey players of Sweden Olympic medalists in ice hockey Olympic silver medalists for Sweden People from Järfälla Municipality Stanley Cup champions Swedish expatriate ice hockey people Swedish expatriate sportspeople in the United States Swedish ice hockey defencemen Triple Gold Club Sportspeople from Stockholm County