Kronwall Out with Fractured Hip

The Detroit Red Wings announced on Saturday that they will be without defenseman Niklas Kronwall for one to two months.

For Kronwall, who suffered the injury 24 seconds into Friday’s loss to the Dallas Stars, it likely means an end to his season.

“It’s a tough break for Niklas and our team,” said Wings general manager Ken Holland. “Dealing with adversity is part of the NHL playoffs. We still feel we have good depth on defense.”

Kronwall was injured on a hit by Stars’ forward Joel Lundqvist. After the hit, Kronwall fell to the ice and stayed there until he was helped off by Chris Chelios and Valtteri Filppula.

It is the third major injury in Kronwall’s young career. He suffered a broken leg that ended the 2003-04 season for him and a knee injury that kept him out of much of the 2005-06 campaign.

The Red Wings will also be without captain Nicklas Lidstrom for Sunday’s matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Lidstrom has a slight back sprain and is expected to miss only one game.

“Given what’s occurred over the last 24 hours, we’re not going to take any chances,” Holland said.

To help fill the void, the Red Wings called Kyle Quincey up from the Grand Rapids Griffins.