Niklas Kronwall spoke with Hockeysvergie.se’s Sixten Funqvist regarding several Red Wings-related topics. Here’s a rough translation of his conversation:
The city has done it–and now the Red Wings will rise
When the city of Detroit almost collapsed at the end of the 90’s, it was sports, and especially hockey, that gave the residents hope. The sports united the city and gave people an identity. The city of Detroit, at least, is on its feet again. Now the Red Wings’ journey begins.
Niklas Kronwall is 37 years old. He’s been on the absolute top, a Stanley Cup title and hard-won playoff series.
During his 14 NHL seasons, he’s also experienced how Detroit was a city that fell and is now rebuilt, much better:
“Even before everything crashed, people didn’t go downtown unless you were going to hockey or baseball. You just didn’t. Now people go in and have dinner, one goes out. It’s become a whole new city. It’s crazy. The city of Detroit has a good reputation now,” says Niklas Kronwall when we meet in Stockholm.
When it was very difficult, it was sports that the people were looking for.
“There was a lot that disappeared. People lost their jobs, but still put their money on hockey. Even though it was a tough time, you’d rather spend money on hockey than anything else. That’s awesome.”
Detroit is back as a city, but the Red Wings still find themselves in a situation they may not really be used to. The team has missed the playoffs two years in a row after earning 25 straight playoff appearances before that. And the goal for the year is still clear:
“We still think we should fight for a playoff spot. We should be that good,” says Kronwall.
Changed his style of game
Kronwall himself is 37 years old, and after some bad seasons–he missed 18 games in 2015-17 and 25 in 2016-17–he played 79 games last season.
“There are some small pains that come when you grow older. But overall it feels good,” he believes, and he continues:
“I want to play in as many games as possible. But I may not be able to do so for various reasons. The coach may think others are going before me right now. So it’s important to find a way that enables me remain effective.”
Have you changed your style of game? Positioning?
“Yes, I have. I’m not as fast on my legs any more, so I have to adapt to the conditions. Maybe take more depth sometimes, and so on.”
Dylan Larkin is the future
Detroit is building for the future, and the fans hope that their big star is center Dylan Larkin, 22. Larkin earned the team’s internal point-scoring lead with 63 points, including 47 assists, and he personifies the new generation of Red Wings. And Kronwall is impressed:
“He’s got a tremendous drive. I hope he can continue it. He took great steps last year. There’s a lot in him.”
What can you do as a veteran when someone comes into the pressure he deals with?
“Not much. The only pressure he has is the pressure he puts on himself, because he knows what he wants. He wants to be a superstar. There’s no stopping him. It’s wonderful to see. He wants to do the job. I hope he gets there. So far he’s ‘just’ a really good hockey player, but he can definitely step up more.”
How much do you deal with young players? Those who aren’t as obvious as Larkin?
“Well, not so much, but now that I have older teammates who are doing it, it’s not uncommon to check in with them. ‘How do the guys look?’ ‘How is the situation?’ and so on. I think Rasmussen has a great chance of earning a job this year. Zadina, who we got [in the draft], seems very exciting, and also Joe Veleno.”
“There are very young players coming in now, and in a few years it could look really good. It feels very exciting.”
Even though the past season didn’t result in what could have been, there were other things that Kronwall enjoyed watching. The Vegas Golden Knights, for example:
“That was really awesome to see!” he says, enthusiastically. “They played to their strengths and they came with tremendous speed. It will be exciting to see where they stand this year.”
What do you think about your upcoming season?
“We’re going to fight for one of the final playoff spots, definitely,” he says confidently.
The road there will be long, but a united Detroit is prepared, both on and off the ice. The city has recovered. There’s nothing that says the team shouldn’t do it.
Niklas Kronwall stands ready for a new season.
