Niklas Kronwall's play this season has people buzzing about his future as a Detroit Red Wings defenseman

Story and photo by Mark Newman

Hockey fans everywhere have bemoaned the absence of the NHL this season, but their loss has been the gain of Grand Rapids in at least one respect: Niklas Kronwall.

Griffins fans have been fortunate to get another season to watch the star in the making.

Nobodys saying it directly, but it doesn't seem far-fetched to envision him as the next Nick Lidstrom, the bedrock of the blueline, a solid, dependable defensive player with outstanding offensive skills, who thrives while playing against the other teams top lines.

Coach after coach, player after player, sings the praises of the quiet, almost shy Swede, a player whose dedication and commitment to the game underscores his desire to make the most of his considerable talent and skills.

Hes a guy that we think is going to be on our team for a long, long time, says Red Wings general manager Ken Holland. He's got a good head on his shoulders. He's very competitive. He comes to work every day. He's a pro.

Holland likes his mobility, his ability to handle the puck, his commitment to
defense, and his willingness to deliver a hit. With Kronwall, it seems there isn't much not to like.

Nik is a guy who brings the complete package to the table, says Griffins general manager Bob McNamara. At this level, he contributes to all facets of the game and he's going to play a significant role on the Red Wings for a lot of years to come. When he gets the opportunity to go back to the NHL, he's going to be a big piece of the puzzle for the Red Wings.

Watching Kronwall night after night, its obvious where he would be playing if there had not been an NHL lockout. Other prospects might pout about their plight, but Kronwall has chosen to relish the predicament as an opportunity.

I don't think its in Niks makeup to not play 110 percent, McNamara says. The lockout isn't an issue for him because he's a competitor. The fire burns pretty hotly and deep inside and he's going to play hard every game, regardless of whether he's here or in Detroit.

Indeed, Griffins head coach Greg Ireland never saw any evidence of a drop in desire by the young star. Nik wanted to be here, Ireland says. He just wants to play hockey and wants to do whatever it takes to put his best effort
on the ice.

As far as Kronwall is concerned, there was never any question that he was going to make the most of another season with the Griffins.

I knew the chances of a lockout were pretty high, so I had my mind set that I was going to play in Grand Rapids, maybe for the whole year, Kronwall says. I think its good for me to be here instead of playing at home. I think this is a learning process. I think I can work on everything.

And so Kronwall approaches every day the same way, with an inner intensity that drives him to do everything to improve, to do the little things, to eliminate the mistakes, to get himself ready to play at the next level.

Many think he's ready now.

Take it from teammates who watch him game after game it's obvious that Kronwall is something special. Listen to veteran defenseman Bryan Helmer, who has played nearly 800 games, including 134 in the NHL with three different teams. I've never seen a young defenseman as good as he is, Helmer says.

Hands down he's the best defenseman I've seen in this league without question, says Travis Richards, now in his ninth season with the Griffins.
Theres not much more than you can say. And he's so humble, too.

To be that good and to be so unassuming is a pleasure to see.

In fact, its Kronwalls character, his attitude, and his approach to everything from practice to workouts to the games that have people convinced that he's going to be a good one.

More than anything, he's probably one of the best people you'll meet character-wise, Ireland says. You can meet a lot of very talented hockey players, but he's one of the best. He's just an outstanding individual.

Of course, being a nice guy doesn't make you a good hockey player.
Kronwall has skills that allow him to transcend mere potential.

Nik does everything so well, Ireland says. He's a tremendous athlete. He's very talented with the puck, he sees the ice so well and he makes tremendous plays defensively. He's got great hockey sense and awareness.In fact, it was that aspect of Kronwall's game that convinced the Red Wings that he might be the real deal. When we drafted him, he wasn't very big, but he's made a great commitment the last three or four off-seasons to get himself physically stronger, Holland says.

We were in Toronto for one of our first exhibition games last year and I remember Nik got run over by Owen Nolan. He got right back up and the puck went into the corner and he went and ran over Nolan.

The Red Wings thrilled with what they had seen during the regular season weren't about to jeopardize Kronwall's career. When he came to us in Detroit, he played very, very well, Holland says. Unfortunately, the broken leg ended his season.

Kronwall did a lot of running and foot exercises to get ready for this season. The preparation has paid off.

Enjoying a breakout season, Kronwall was rewarded by being selected to play the AHL All-Star Game for the second consecutive year. The leg injury forced him to miss last years contest in Grand Rapids.

Ireland thinks Kronwall can only benefit from the experience he's getting with the Griffins.

It was a freak accident, he says, recalling the injury. I was skating during warmups in L.A. and I just caught a rut with my skate. A lot of times things hurt a lot more in the beginning, so I was hoping that it wouldn't be that serious.

But I could tell right away that something was wrong.

X-rays in the locker room revealed the break. He was told he might have to miss the start of the playoffs. When they said 8-12 weeks, right away you think that's for an old person, he says. I set my mind to come back for the playoffs in Grand Rapids.

His leg, however, didn't cooperate as quickly as he would have liked.
They made the decision that I wasn't 100 percent they didn't want to take any chances, he recalls. It was hard because I had been waiting three months.
That was really frustrating.

I think you'll see that he's going to get stronger as he moves up the ladder, Ireland says. Playing in the NHL, he's going to play against bigger, stronger and faster guys, but I think he'll be able to handle that. There's not much he cant do.