The Detroit News’s John Niyo penned a column discussing the comments Niklas Kronwall made to the media at today’s press conference in light of Kronwall’s impeccable sense of timing–both on and off the ice. Niyo did a superb job of summarizing both where Kronwall and the team find themselves.
Did Kronwall ever “want out” as his career waned to chase a championship?
“This is an Original Six franchise,” he explained. “And it’s more than hockey. “The people, the fans, there’s just so much around it with this team. I wanted to stay. I wanted to see this through. I wanted to play my whole career for this franchise. And I’m happy I got that opportunity.”
Even through these past few years, when some of the joy was harder to find, thanks to a chronic bad knee and a painful roster reconstruction.
“I think it has been tough on everybody,” he said. “We used to be one of the powerhouses. And we were for so many years, and I got to be a part of some of those years. So yes, it’s been frustrating. There’s been some tough times, there’s no doubt. But it should be tough when you’re losing. You can never be satisfied if you’re losing.”
That’s a message Kronwall kept delivering in lieu of those open-ice hits the past few years. When teammates sought refuge in the training room after losses, Kronwall — an alternate captain dating back to Lidstrom’s retirement in 2011 — often was the veteran who stepped forward to speak to the media. Take that rock-bottom loss at home this past February, for example.
Continued; give ‘er a read.
