Niklas Kronwall: A Study in Loyalty, Perseverance, Toughness & Talent

On November 16 & 17, the Detroit Red Wings will face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden as part of the 2023 NHL Global Series. To commemorate this historic event and pay tribute to Detroit's Swedish connection, each week leading up to the Global Series, we will feature a Swedish Red Wings story in our series, 'How Swede It Is' presented by JP Wiser's. Each story is a testament to the dedication and resolve between the players and the Red Wings to build upon and maintain a tradition of excellence between Swedish hockey and the Red Wings. We continue our series with defenseman Niklas Kronwall

Niklas Kronwall was known for his open-ice hits long before he made his Detroit Red Wings debut during the 2003-04 NHL season.

“One of my friends that I played with growing up moved on and played with Kronwall for a couple of years,” said Red Wings Director of European Scouting Hakan Andersson. “He was the captain of that team when Kronwall came up as a junior. He said his favorite moments happened a couple of times the first season when Kronwall made the men’s team in Djurgårdens.

“(Kronwall) would hit somebody and they would be knocked out and they would come up and say, ‘What the (bleep) happened? Who did that?’ And my buddy loved to point at the junior kid with the cage and say, ‘He did it, he did it.’”

It may not have been labeled as being “Kronwalled” in Sweden, but it was the same well-timed open-ice body check which had Red Wings fans coming out of their seats during Kronwall’s illustrious 15-year career in Detroit.

“I think that’s always something that’s been there. I’ve always enjoyed that part of the game because hockey is a physical sport,” Kronwall said. “You hit and you get hit. That’s just the way the game is supposed to be played. It’s all timing. It really doesn’t matter how big guys are, if you have the right timing, it’s not going to be an issue.

“It’s so fluid. Sometimes you get a chance, sometimes you don’t. That’s something I learned over the years. You have to pick your spots. There were a number of times when you step up, yeah, maybe it’s a good hit, but it turns into a 2-on-1 goal in your net, so now you look like a fool. I had to go through that to learn when to and when not to.

“I think people in the media probably made more of it than it was. Because if you think about it, it wasn’t like it was every game. It wasn’t that many a year.”

Downplaying his individual play was a trait Kronwall’s teammates appreciated, but they also admired his physical play and his dedication to his team.

“An incredible teammate, ultra competitor,” Kris Draper said “Kronner hit way harder and way heavier than he was. The timing of his hits were unreal. When all of a sudden, you get something trending and it’s called Kronwalled, you know you’re doing something special.

“But Kronner was a guy that could play in all situations against the other teams’ top lines. He could play physical, he could play finesse, he could run a power play, he was on the PK.

“So to me, just an absolute fearless hockey player. I get the luxury to work with him now that we’ve both retired. Playing with him, he was one of my favorite teammates I played with, just the type of person he was, the way that he played the game. He’s just class, can’t say enough great things about him.”

Like most Swedish players of his generation, Kronwall grew up with aspirations of playing in the SHL for Djurgårdens, the team he grew up rooting for, and representing Sweden in the IIHF World Championship.

The NHL seemed so far off at the time, so Kronwall followed the advice of his agent and opted out of the NHL Entry Draft when he was 18 years old. He entered the draft as a 19-year-old, an experience he remembers vividly.

“I interviewed with a few teams. Most teams, the big question they had was how are you going to stop Joe Thornton? You’re 19 years old, not very experienced,” Kronwall said.

“I do remember walking into the Red Wings room and I was 181 centimeters at the time, which is the equivalent of 5-11, 5-11 ½. Hak said, ‘If anybody asks how tall you are, you are 6-foot.’ I go, ‘Okay.’ So of course, that question came up and I said, ’6-foot.” I guess Hak thought it sounded better, or looked better, if I was 6-foot. I ended up growing into 6-feet so I guess that was good.”

After he was selected by Detroit in the first round (29th overall) in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Kronwall spent two years playing for Djurgårdens before traveling to North America, where he split the first few years between Grand Rapids and Detroit.

Kronwall enjoyed playing in Grand Rapids. The Griffins were a tight unit, and he credits teammate Anders Myrvold for helping him make an easy transition to life in North America. 

During the NHL lockout of 2004-05, Kronwall played in Grand Rapids, where he won The Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s top defenseman. After the lockout season, Kronwall played in only one more AHL game.

Once in Detroit, Kronwall established himself as a top-four defenseman, but a myriad of injuries seemed to derail him, especially early in his career.

Yet, he wasn’t going to be denied. Despite a broken leg, a fractured sacrum, a torn ACL and losing a slice of his nose, Kronwall always played the rough and tumble game.

“I had a quite a few years there where it wasn’t like I was out for a week or two, I missed months,” Kronwall said. “You try to come back stronger and just be more ready to play. There’s no other choice.

“I think all the guys that have played for a long time, every single guy is the same in the sense that you have to do what you have to do. Find a way. It’s pretty simple, really. Find a way.”

In 2008, it all came together for Kronwall and the Red Wings. They won the Stanley Cup with a collection of players Kronwall still marvels at today.

“When I got into Detroit, look at the roster we had, it was Hall of Famers to the left and right,” Kronwall said. “We had Nick Lidström. We had Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. Then we added Brian Rafalski. Even to this day, it’s a little bit of a blur because you really are on top of the world. I don’t even know how to describe the feeling. You’re on top of the world.

“In ’08, what I do remember is we’re up 3-1, we’re playing at home, the Cup’s in the building, we’re up by a goal. I think Pittsburgh tied it with a minute and a half left in the game. We lose in overtime. I’ll never forget the feeling in the room. Nobody was pouting or anything.

“It was more like, I guess we’re going to Pittsburgh and do it instead. There was not much more to it. I think the vibe in the room, everybody knew we were going to win. It was just a matter of how many games. The confidence, just everybody, that’s how it felt. It doesn’t matter what happens, we’re going to find a way.” 

Nearing the end of his career in 2019 and with the Red Wings in the throes of a rebuild, former Detroit General Manager Ken Holland approached Kronwall with a proposition.

“My last year, at the trade deadline, two teams called asking to trade for him. One was Calgary, and one was Columbus,” Holland said. “So I went to Nik Kronwall and I said, ‘Nik, I just want you to know, two teams have called and have asked to trade for you. It’s your call. You’ve earned the right to decide if you want to go or you want to stay. I’m not looking for an answer today.’

“We were on the road somewhere and I called him into my room. I said, ‘you’re running this show. If you want to go somewhere, you tell me where you want to go and I’m going to make a deal to get you there and if you don’t want to go, you’ve earned the right.’ He came back to me a day later and he said, ‘Ken, I never want to play for another team. I never want to put on another team’s jersey. I’m a proud Red Wing.’ So I called those two teams, Columbus and Calgary, told them that he didn’t want to get traded, I was going to honor his request.”

It's not surprising Kronwall did not want to get traded. He loved playing for an Original Six franchise, he made countless friends in Detroit and developed tight bonds with many of his teammates. The Red Wings are his team, and he looks forward to when the Wings return to championship contention.

“To have had a chance to play with the Red Wings logo on your chest, I think it’s very special because of the history, because of the culture,” Kronwall said. “Detroit breeds, Michigan breeds hockey. But in a very respectful way. I know in some other markets where it’s just crazy. Detroit, it’s crazy but in a good way. It’s a special place.

“We’re going to get back to where the Wings belong. The city’s going to go crazy.”

Tickets, Fan Travel Packages Available for NHL Global Series in Sweden

Red Wings fans can inquire here about fan travel options, including packages that include airfare, hotel accommodations, tickets to both Red Wings games, ground transportation, sightseeing, select meals and more.