It's been years since Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall laced up the skates, but his impact is still felt throughout the NHL and the greater hockey world.
Kronwall's 953 career games helped to bring the Red Wings to the success they knew in the 2000s. His role on the 2008 roster helped to lock up the franchise's 11th Stanley Cup. The Swedish defenseman is a member of the rare "Triple Gold Club", having a Stanley Cup, an Olympic Gold medal and an IIHF World Championship gold medal. Kronwall is so iconic that the term "Kronwalled" is still used to this day to describe polarizing hits.
This last weekend, the International Ice Hockey Federation honored Kronwall by inducting him into the IIHF Hall of Fame. He joins Andres Ambühl, Patrice Bergeron, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Florence Schelling and former teammate Thomas Vanek in the 2026 class.
“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 when asked about his time in the hockey world. “The values you learn in hockey set you up for the rest of your life,” he added.
Kronwall's performance on the international stage
Kronwall won both his Olympic Gold and his World Championship honors in 2006. He was named MVP of the IIHF tournament, leading all Swedes in scoring with 10 points across eight games. Kronwall thrived in high-stakes playoff games. During the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, he turned on the jets, putting up 15 assists in 22 playoff games on the Red Wings' run.
Congrats, Kronner! 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/BDKIgEnclF
May 31, 2026Kronwall joins fellow Red Wings Henrik Zetterberg, Steve Yzerman, Thomas Vanek, Frans Nielsen, Nicklas Lidstrom, Igor Larionov, Dominik Hasek, Sergei Fedorov, Slava Fetisov, Chris Chelios and Daniel Alfredsson who comprise the Detroit wing of the IIHF Hall of Fame.
How Kronwall still helps the Red Wings
Kronwall's impact on the Red Wings is still felt to this day. He currently serves as one of the player development coaches for the Red Wings, helping to mold players like Simon Edvinsson into the threats they are today. In a recent interview with Hockeysverige, he talked in great detail about the progress among the Swedish defensemen like Albert Johansson and Edvinsson.
When asked about Edvinsson in particular, he couldn't help but sing praises of the defender.
"He has worked on his skills over the years and then simply earned his role," Kronwall began. "In the end, it is based on performance every day. I think he has done very well and is also just growing and getting even better. We haven't seen the peak there yet either, I can say. "
"It will be fun to see how far he can go."
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