Comedians like to say that “timing is everything”, but even though there was nothing funny about “getting kronwalled,” timing was key when the Detroit Red Wings Swedish defender delivered those blistering hits that he was famous for.
Niklas Kronwall became the 20th member of the Triple Gold Club in 2008 when he won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings. He was also one of eight players who won both Olympic and World Championship gold in 2006, making him one of the fastest players to go from zero to Triple Gold Club. His Detroit teammates Henrik Zetterberg and Mikael Samuelsson share the record.
Nicklas Lidstrom scored the gold medal-winning goal in Turin, on 4-on-4, assisted by Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg. Kronwall was the fourth skater on the ice, and the first to celebrate it with Lidstrom.
But it wasn’t obvious he was going to be in Turin at all due to a knee injury he suffered in October. Getting back into game shape by February was a fight against time.
“I wasn’t originally named to the team, for obvious reasons,” he told IIHF.com in May in Zurich when he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. “It was actually my agent who contacted the Team Sweden management and suggested that it might be smart to have a backup plan, in case there are injuries.”
After a four-month absence, Kronwall had played just one game in the AHL, and a handful of games with the Red Wings. When the rest of the non-Olympian NHLers left for the beach, Kronwall stayed behind, practicing with the United Hockey League team Motor City Mechanics. The Mechanics’ coach, Danton Cole, had been Kronwall’s coach with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL where he had spent the entire NHL lockout season, 2004-05.
“He let me practice with them for a while before I got the call. I was packing my bag when Danton came and asked me if I was going somewhere,” Kronwall said.
It just so happened that an Olympic game was on TV in the room so Kronwall could just point at the screen.
“I’m actually going to the Olympics,” he told the coach.
Mattias Ohlund had been injured mid-tournament.
Kronwall made it to Turin — his sticks did not.
“I think I played the first game with Niclas Havelid’s sticks,” he said with a laugh.
Jumping into an Olympic semifinal, mid-tournament, with a handful of games under his belt and using a teammate’s sticks may not sound like a dream scenario. It didn’t stop Kronwall who got an assist as Sweden routed Czechia 7-3.
In the gold medal game, Kronwall scored Sweden’s go-ahead goal in the second period and saw the game-winner from up close.
A few months later, Kronwall was named MVP of the 2006 World Championship, when he led Sweden in scoring with ten points in eight games en route to the historic gold medal.
“I’ve been very fortunate to wind up on teams that had great leaders. In Djurgarden, we had Challe Berglund, Mikael Johansson, Espen Knutsen, Bjorn Nord, Thomas Johansson, and in Detroit, Steve Yzerman, Chris Chelios, Lidstrom. They were all great, not just as players, but as leaders. Great characters,” he listed.
“For me, hockey is more than just a sport. Losing my father when I was eleven, hockey became the place where I could be just me. I also found role models there,” Kronwall said in his acceptance speech.
These days, he coaches young players and wants to pass it forward.
“Hockey teaches you that if you want to get anywhere, you have to do it together with your teammates. You have to learn to do your job and work hard and with discipline. You have to show respect towards others, including the officials,” he said.
“The values you learn in hockey set you up for the rest of your life,” Kronwall concluded.
Niklas Kronwall became the 20th member of the Triple Gold Club in 2008 when he won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings. He was also one of eight players who won both Olympic and World Championship gold in 2006, making him one of the fastest players to go from zero to Triple Gold Club. His Detroit teammates Henrik Zetterberg and Mikael Samuelsson share the record.
Nicklas Lidstrom scored the gold medal-winning goal in Turin, on 4-on-4, assisted by Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg. Kronwall was the fourth skater on the ice, and the first to celebrate it with Lidstrom.
But it wasn’t obvious he was going to be in Turin at all due to a knee injury he suffered in October. Getting back into game shape by February was a fight against time.
“I wasn’t originally named to the team, for obvious reasons,” he told IIHF.com in May in Zurich when he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. “It was actually my agent who contacted the Team Sweden management and suggested that it might be smart to have a backup plan, in case there are injuries.”
After a four-month absence, Kronwall had played just one game in the AHL, and a handful of games with the Red Wings. When the rest of the non-Olympian NHLers left for the beach, Kronwall stayed behind, practicing with the United Hockey League team Motor City Mechanics. The Mechanics’ coach, Danton Cole, had been Kronwall’s coach with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL where he had spent the entire NHL lockout season, 2004-05.
“He let me practice with them for a while before I got the call. I was packing my bag when Danton came and asked me if I was going somewhere,” Kronwall said.
It just so happened that an Olympic game was on TV in the room so Kronwall could just point at the screen.
“I’m actually going to the Olympics,” he told the coach.
Mattias Ohlund had been injured mid-tournament.
Kronwall made it to Turin — his sticks did not.
“I think I played the first game with Niclas Havelid’s sticks,” he said with a laugh.
Jumping into an Olympic semifinal, mid-tournament, with a handful of games under his belt and using a teammate’s sticks may not sound like a dream scenario. It didn’t stop Kronwall who got an assist as Sweden routed Czechia 7-3.
In the gold medal game, Kronwall scored Sweden’s go-ahead goal in the second period and saw the game-winner from up close.
A few months later, Kronwall was named MVP of the 2006 World Championship, when he led Sweden in scoring with ten points in eight games en route to the historic gold medal.
“I’ve been very fortunate to wind up on teams that had great leaders. In Djurgarden, we had Challe Berglund, Mikael Johansson, Espen Knutsen, Bjorn Nord, Thomas Johansson, and in Detroit, Steve Yzerman, Chris Chelios, Lidstrom. They were all great, not just as players, but as leaders. Great characters,” he listed.
“For me, hockey is more than just a sport. Losing my father when I was eleven, hockey became the place where I could be just me. I also found role models there,” Kronwall said in his acceptance speech.
These days, he coaches young players and wants to pass it forward.
“Hockey teaches you that if you want to get anywhere, you have to do it together with your teammates. You have to learn to do your job and work hard and with discipline. You have to show respect towards others, including the officials,” he said.
“The values you learn in hockey set you up for the rest of your life,” Kronwall concluded.