OT- Kronwall retires
Definitely time, but i''ll miss the Kronwalling!
September 3rd, 2019 at 11:51 AM ^
Has Kronwalling been a thing the last few years? It sure was fun to watch in his first few years, though! Guy played hard, wish he would have had more success with the team.
Good luck in retirement, Nick!
September 3rd, 2019 at 12:16 PM ^
He had a few solid hits last year, a lot of people thought he might stick it out to hit 1,000 games.
And his career was pretty damn successful. Triple gold club (World Championship, Olympic Gold and Stanley Cup).
September 3rd, 2019 at 3:09 PM ^
Maybe two cups minus officials' inability to count to 6 for 21 seconds.
September 3rd, 2019 at 12:16 PM ^
He was also overshadowed by Lidstrom for a solid part of his career.
September 3rd, 2019 at 12:30 PM ^
Don't you mean LiNdstrom.
/s
September 3rd, 2019 at 11:52 AM ^
Good makes it official and retires. I think its the right move. Probably the last guy I have a ton of respect for from the good teams we had. He put his body out there on the line every shift.
September 3rd, 2019 at 11:55 AM ^
It was time. His body was falling apart. I wanted him gone.
Now that he is, I can fondly remember him cutting back to obliterate head-down wingers on the breakout. Thanks, Kronner.
September 3rd, 2019 at 12:29 PM ^
Like Datsyuk I almost felt a little bad for the guy his last season. Step behind, step slow, mind willing, body was not.
New generation needs to start taking off so I can look fondly back at the good ole days!
September 3rd, 2019 at 1:07 PM ^
between age and injuries, Kronner was a step behind and a step slow for about 4 seasons.
Thanks for the memories and making the term "Kronwalled" a thing. Enjoy retirement.
September 3rd, 2019 at 12:00 PM ^
This makes me sad but I do think it was time
September 3rd, 2019 at 12:02 PM ^
Still four players left from our last Cup win: Abdelkader, Helm, Filpulla (left and came back), and Ericsson.
The latter three will be gone within the next two seasons. Unfortunately, Abdelkader has fours years left on a bad contract so he's with us for the foreseeable future.
September 3rd, 2019 at 12:05 PM ^
What about the bald dude on the MGoBlog banner?
September 3rd, 2019 at 12:20 PM ^
Some of the best hits ever were done by that man.
September 3rd, 2019 at 12:25 PM ^
Thanks for a great career to a great guy and consummate professional. I'm glad he's staying around as part of the organization.
Though his retirement is also the best outcome for the team as they move along in this rebuild.
September 3rd, 2019 at 12:38 PM ^
gonna miss this:
our pro teams (with a slight exception for the pistons) are the worst in each of their respective sports. whatever happened to championships.....?
September 3rd, 2019 at 1:16 PM ^
beat me to the gif
almost always clean hits from Kronwall. the part of hockey i really hate is ....
"guy gets cleanly smoked for screwing up and having his head down (a la gif above) so his team mates all jump on the guy that hit him causing the refs to blow the whistle" Should be an immediate 2 min penalty for either delay of game, interference or something. Either that or fully reinstate fighting so when someone gets destroyed like that Blackhawk there, they can just have a full on donnybrook. It's infuriating. YOUR teammate f'ed up ... don't jump on the other guy simply doing his job, one that you would have done exactly the same if you had the chance.
September 3rd, 2019 at 5:05 PM ^
The Red Wings might be miserable on the ice but would be the program I'm least worried about here because they have a winning culture, solid ownership, and an excellent GM. They'll compete again, it'll take a few years, but it'll happen. Although one cannot guarantee championships, especially in hockey -- look what happened to Tampa.
The Lions have always been mediocre to awful and probably always will be until there's a change at the top. Pistons have bad ownership too, they went all in and barely scraped into the playoffs and I don't think there's much room for improvement before a decline. Tigers, I really have no clue on since baseball bores me, but there's no where to go but up.
September 3rd, 2019 at 9:12 PM ^
But he barely Nik-ed him...
September 3rd, 2019 at 1:05 PM ^
and that, boys, is why you don't skate with your head down.
September 3rd, 2019 at 4:28 PM ^
Loved that movie! Blackhawk Down!!
September 3rd, 2019 at 1:25 PM ^
Good career but was never the #1 they expected him to become. Major factor in the Wings’ downfall post-2010.
September 3rd, 2019 at 1:40 PM ^
Highly inaccurate
September 3rd, 2019 at 3:23 PM ^
I knew this would trigger the fanboys, but the guy would not have been a #1 on ANY team hoping to compete for the Cup. A team with Kronwall at #1 would fare, well, exactly like the Wings fared with him at #1.
Counting on Kronwall to grow into a Lidstrom replacement was significant as it tied up a lot of money in a dude who was never going to cut it.
Nice #2, marginal #1. Pretty obvious really.
September 3rd, 2019 at 4:50 PM ^
"Pretty oblivious really"
fix'd
September 3rd, 2019 at 2:15 PM ^
2008 Playoffs: 22 games,15 assists, +16, 23 min/g + Johan = won cup
September 3rd, 2019 at 2:25 PM ^
100% incorrect.
Their downfall was primarily due to really really really bad contracts (link; Franzen still being paid though he hasn't played in 3 years, DeKeyser contract, Abby's contract, etc.). Also poor coaching after Babcock left (Blashill), and having not-so-good players on their squad because no one else would take them or their bloated crappy contracts (see Ericsson, who is not an NHL-level defenseman, yet makes $4.25 million per year).
September 3rd, 2019 at 3:33 PM ^
Their downfall was ultimately caused by the end of unlimited spending on players. They could no longer simply buy whoever they wanted and if it didn't work buy someone else. They had to select talent and create an organization to develop it. Ken Holland wasn't good at either of those things. He was good at spending an unlimiited budget though and that worked for a long time.
September 3rd, 2019 at 1:35 PM ^
Great defenseman. Easily a top ten d-man in his prime, and at his very best there were few who were better.
September 3rd, 2019 at 1:35 PM ^
My brother and I were at this game. The crowed never got louder that night than after this hit.
September 3rd, 2019 at 3:15 PM ^
i think i got the wind knocked out of me just watching that hi-light.
September 3rd, 2019 at 1:44 PM ^
Thanks for the memories, Nik. Enjoyed the Kronwallings.
September 3rd, 2019 at 4:25 PM ^
There goes the Cup for next year.
September 3rd, 2019 at 6:50 PM ^
I'm gonna miss this guy. He came from an era that really got me to fall in love with the great sport of hockey.
September 3rd, 2019 at 8:17 PM ^
Thanks for the great memories and hits. He will be missed.
September 3rd, 2019 at 9:13 PM ^
Thank you Nick for your time with the Red Wings.