Longtime Red Wings Defenseman Niklas Kronwall Earns Top Honor

He was one of the heaviest-hitting defenseman the Detroit Red Wings have ever had, and he played a key role in their most recent Stanley Cup-winning season of 2007-08. Now, Niklas Kronwall is getting some well-deserved recognition, having recently been inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Additionally, former Red Wings forward Tomas Vanek was also announced as an inductee.

Longtime Red Wings Defenseman Niklas Kronwall Earns Top Honor. He was one of the heaviest-hitting defenseman the Detroit Red Wings have ever had, and he played a key role in their most recent Stanley Cup-winning season of 2007-08. Now, Niklas Kronwall is getting some well-deserved recognition, having recently been inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Additionally, former Red Wings forward Tomas Vanek was also announced as an inductee. Kronwall was selected by the Red Wings in the first round (29th overall) of the 2000 NHL Draft while playing for Djurgårdens IF of the Swedish Hockey League, and would eventually make his NHL debut in the 2003-04 season. Injuries limited him in 2005-06, though he would eventually appear in 68 games the following season. 2007-08 was his true coming out party, as reached career highs in goals sco...