Niklas Kronwall

Niklas Kronwall (born January 12, 1981 in Viksjö, Järfälla) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has gained notoriety for being an open ice hitter and started his career in Järfälla HC.
He is sometimes jokingly referred to as "Nik, Jr." (in reference to fellow Swede and Red Wing Nicklas Lidström). His younger brother Staffan plays for the Washington Capitals organization. 
==Playing career==
Niklas Kronwall was selected in the 1st round, 29th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He continued to play for Djurgårdens IF 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, Kronwall played a complete season for the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings' top affiliate in the American 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 the Eddie Shore Award as the top defenceman in the AHL.
Kronwall was injured in an exhibition game against Colorado Avalanche in September 2005 and missed more than half of the 2005–06 season with a serious knee injury.
In late 2005, he was named member of the Swedish Olympic Team but dropped out in early 2006 because of his injured knee. When Mattias Öhlund was injured against Switzerland, Kronwall was called in to replace him.
He also played at the IIHF 2006 World Championship to win the other international gold medal. This makes him one of only eight players who have won both Olympic and World Cup gold the same year. He won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008. He also led all defencemen in scoring with 15 points in the 2008 playoffs. 
Niklas Kronwall is most known for his feature of "kronwalling" other players while on the defence. A Kronwall is a technical term for a powerful yet clean hit/tackle. Many of the Kronwall cases has involved the "victim" looking down at his feet moments before Kronwall has impacted them.
==Awards==
*Elitserien champion with Djurgårdens IF in 2000 and 2001.
*Elitserien Junior Hockey Player of the Year in 2000.
*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.
== Career statistics ==
  	  	  	 	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1998–99 	Huddinge IK 	Swe-2 	 	24 	1 	1 	2 	24 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–2000 	Djurgårdens IF 	Elit 	 	37 	1 	4 	5 	16 	 	8 	0 	0 	0 	8
2000–01 	Djurgårdens IF 	Elit 	 	31 	1 	9 	10 	32 	 	15 	0 	1 	1 	8
2001–02 	Djurgårdens IF 	Elit 	 	48 	5 	7 	12 	34 	 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0
2002–03 	Djurgårdens IF 	Elit 	 	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
Elitserien Totals	Elitserien Totals 	Elitserien Totals	 	166 	12 	33 	45 	128 	 	35 	3 	3 	6 	34
AHL Totals 	AHL Totals 	AHL Totals 	 	102 	15 	51 	66 	73 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL Totals 	NHL Totals 	NHL Totals 	 	260 	16 	106 	122 	192 	 	51 	2 	25 	27 	53
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1981
Category:Detroit Red Wings draft picks
Category:Detroit Red Wings players
Category:2006 Olympian
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Sweden
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Swedish hockey players
Category:Djurgårdens IF player
Category:Grand Rapids Griffins player