GRIFFIN GOES FOR OLYMPIC GOLD
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. This Sunday, defenseman Niklas Kronwall will attempt to win a gold medal with Team Sweden at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, only two weeks after suiting up for the Grand Rapids Griffins at Van Andel Arena.
Sweden, a 7-3 winner in todays semifinal match-up with the Czech Republic, advances to face Finland in Sundays gold medal game, which will be televised live on NBC (WOOD TV-8) at 8 a.m. EST. Kronwall, just the second Griffin to participate in the Olympics during the same season he played in Grand Rapids (Switzerlands Julien Vauclair in 2002), has already become the first Griffins alumnus to earn an Olympic medal, securing at least a silver.
Added to Swedens taxi squad on Monday, Kronwall found himself thrust into the starting lineup today in a pairing with Detroit Red Wings teammate Nicklas Lidstrom, following a tournament-ending injury sustained by Mattias Ohlund in the teams quarterfinal win over Switzerland on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old acquitted himself well in his first Olympic action, assisting on P.J. Axelssons goal just 13:37 into the contest and recording a game-high plus-2 rating.
Kronwall was assigned to the Griffins by the Red Wings on Feb. 11 and played his lone game with the club that night, helping Grand Rapids to a 4-2 win over Peoria. The American Hockey Leagues outstanding defenseman and a First-Team All-Star as a member of the 2004-05 Griffins, he was expected to be a top-four defenseman for Detroit this season. However, he suffered a knee injury in training camp that sidelined him through the end of January. Now working his way back into form, he has contributed three assists in three games since his return to the Red Wings on Feb. 1.
Kronwall is among five former Griffins whove participated in these Olympics, joining Vauclair, Pavol Demitra (Slovakia), Konstantin Shafranov (Kazakhstan), and Aigars Cipruss (Latvia). In addition, Jason Spezza was a member of Canadas taxi squad, while Michael Hackert was selected to Germanys team but did not see action.
No stranger to international play, Kronwall helped Sweden to a fourth-place finish at the 2005 IIHF World Championship in Austria, earning a spot on the tournaments all-star team alongside the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Joe Thornton and Rick Nash.
Sweden, a 7-3 winner in todays semifinal match-up with the Czech Republic, advances to face Finland in Sundays gold medal game, which will be televised live on NBC (WOOD TV-8) at 8 a.m. EST. Kronwall, just the second Griffin to participate in the Olympics during the same season he played in Grand Rapids (Switzerlands Julien Vauclair in 2002), has already become the first Griffins alumnus to earn an Olympic medal, securing at least a silver.
Added to Swedens taxi squad on Monday, Kronwall found himself thrust into the starting lineup today in a pairing with Detroit Red Wings teammate Nicklas Lidstrom, following a tournament-ending injury sustained by Mattias Ohlund in the teams quarterfinal win over Switzerland on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old acquitted himself well in his first Olympic action, assisting on P.J. Axelssons goal just 13:37 into the contest and recording a game-high plus-2 rating.
Kronwall was assigned to the Griffins by the Red Wings on Feb. 11 and played his lone game with the club that night, helping Grand Rapids to a 4-2 win over Peoria. The American Hockey Leagues outstanding defenseman and a First-Team All-Star as a member of the 2004-05 Griffins, he was expected to be a top-four defenseman for Detroit this season. However, he suffered a knee injury in training camp that sidelined him through the end of January. Now working his way back into form, he has contributed three assists in three games since his return to the Red Wings on Feb. 1.
Kronwall is among five former Griffins whove participated in these Olympics, joining Vauclair, Pavol Demitra (Slovakia), Konstantin Shafranov (Kazakhstan), and Aigars Cipruss (Latvia). In addition, Jason Spezza was a member of Canadas taxi squad, while Michael Hackert was selected to Germanys team but did not see action.
No stranger to international play, Kronwall helped Sweden to a fourth-place finish at the 2005 IIHF World Championship in Austria, earning a spot on the tournaments all-star team alongside the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Joe Thornton and Rick Nash.
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