Kronwall wins AHL's Eddie Shore Award
April 12, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The American Hockey League announced today that Niklas Kronwall of the Grand Rapids Griffins has been named the winner of the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL's outstanding defenseman for the 2004-05 season, as voted by AHL players and members of the media in each of the league's 28 cities.
Kronwall has recorded 12 goals and 38 assists for 50 points in 73 games for the Griffins this season, making him Grand Rapids' leading scorer and tying him for second among AHL defensemen. A first-round choice (29th overall) of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Kronwall made his North American debut in 2003-04, splitting the season between Grand Rapids and Detroit before suffering a season-ending leg injury on Jan. 22. Kronwall was voted a starter for the PlanetUSA team at the 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic, and last week was named to the AHL's First All-Star Team.
This award, which was first presented by the AHL in 1959, honors the late Eddie Shore, a Hockey Hall of Famer widely regarded as one of hockey's greatest defensemen. Shore, a four-time winner of the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, won a total of five Calder Cups, including two as the general manager of the Buffalo Bisons and three as the longtime owner of the Springfield Indians.
A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Kronwall is the first European-born player to capture the Eddie Shore Award. Previous winners include Steve Kraftcheck (1959), Al Arbour (1965), Noel Price (1970, '72, '76), Marshall Johnston (1971), Terry Murray (1978, '79), Brad Shaw (1987), Dave Fenyves (1988, '89), Eric Weinrich (1990), Greg Hawgood (1992), Darren Rumble (1997), Brad Tiley (2000), John Slaney (2001, '02) and Curtis Murphy (2003, '04).
In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. This season, more than 6.3 million fans have attended AHL games to date, and 16 clubs will continue to vie for the league's coveted championship trophy when the 2005 Calder Cup Playoffs get underway next week.
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