From Denmark to Detroit to All-Star: Frans Nielsen's hockey journey

Frans Nielsen is reminded of his homeland as he and his wife walk to the grocery store, the streets quiet as they amble along with their infant son.

Leaving a place after a decade is a jolting experience, but Nielsen didn't take long to find his groove since joining the Detroit Red Wings this season. It helps being the type of person he is – grounded, easygoing and very hardworking. Teammates have noticed Nielsen is at the rink before anyone else, showing up 4 hours before games, 3 hours before practices. It’s what has made Nielsen into a standard-bearer for Denmark, a country not known for producing hockey players, made him the top target of the Wings last summer and helped propel him to All-Star status.

“Frans, to me, is the kind of player you want to coach for certain,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “He works extremely hard in practice, he pays attention to detail. He is a pro’s pro. He’s got a complete game. He is good defensively and, if he is not, he holds himself accountable. He’s good offensively. He’s just a real good all-around player and, at the center position, that is a real important thing.”

Nielsen has 10 goals and 16 assists in 49 games, ranking third on the team with 26 points. He leads the Wings with eight power-play points and two shorthanded goals. He sees time against top opposing lines, and yet has just 6 penalty minutes.

Nielsen’s consistent contributions caught the eye of the NHL selection committee, who on Jan. 10 announced he’d be the Wings’ representative at Sunday's All-Star Game at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Nielsen will be joined by his wife, son, father, father-in-law and sister-in-law, all eager to celebrate what to Nielsen will be a very special event evoking boyhood memories.

“It's one of the things I used to really like watching growing up as a kid in Denmark,” Nielsen said. “So, this is a really proud moment. I am really proud to represent the Detroit Red Wings, and excited for myself.”

In January 2007, Nielsen became the first Danish citizen to play in the NHL when he debuted with the New York Islanders, who'd drafted him 87th overall in 2002. He joined them full-time in 2008-09, garnering recognition for his two-way play, penalty killing, and for his prowess in shoot-outs (he has two game-deciding shoot-out goals with the Wings, 19 in his career, and is 51% overall in shoot-outs).

With Pavel Datsyuk leaving a gaping hole at center after returning to Russia last spring, the Wings saw Nielsen as the best available candidate to ameliorate the loss, signing him for six years and $31.5 million minutes after free agency began. Chief pro scout Mark Howe described Nielsen as the type of player every coach covets, because Nielsen does what is asked and finds ways to make himself valuable.

It’s an old habit with Nielsen.

“I learned over the years that that is how I have to play,” Nielsen said. “The one thing is, you don’t have to score every night, but if your game is not on offensively, which happens, you've got to do something else to help the team. It's my way of being consistent — that if I don’t score, I was able to shut down someone on the other team, so that way I would get involved in the game every night.”

Teammate Mike Green, familiar with Nielsen from having played one another regularly when Green was with the Washington Capitals and Nielsen in New York, long has been an admirer.

“One of the hardest things to do in this league is to have a well-rounded game,” Green said. “I’ve played with a lot of guys, and he is one of the best. He’s got a great shot and is very deceiving about when he is going to shoot. I usually try to look for him when we are out there together. He is always in the right position at the right time.”

Nielsen, 32, heard from about a dozen teams in the week leading up to the start of free agency. He and his agent narrowed the choices to four – and whittling down to one was easy.

“Just that it was Detroit, it’s a tough team to turn down with all the history and great players that have been here,” Nielsen said. “You are playing in front of 20,000 every night. There is just so much that appealed about this place. I had a good feeling about it.

“It’s a great group. It takes some time to get used to something new when you have been in one place so long, but there is a lot of character with our guys here. It’s been good, a little different. Guys don’t really get too frustrated — they keep the same mind-set in here, and that is a little different. Whether winning or losing, they don’t get too high, don’t get too low.

“Henrik is doing a great job keeping it the same, making sure it’s a good room here.”

Even before taking over the stall next to captain Henrik Zetterberg, Nielsen had ties with his fellow Scandinavian. Nielsen’s wife, Moa, is from Zetterberg's hometown, and they share an agent, Marc Levine, who answered most of Nielsen’s questions about making the transition to Detroit. The way they play is similar, too.

“Frans is not the biggest guy ... but he is really strong on the puck,” Gustav Nyquist said. “Reminds me a little bit of Z like that. Wins a lot of battles in his own end, comes out with the puck out of the corners both in the offensive end and the defensive end.

“He’s been a real good fit. Great guy around the locker room, too – he's a very calm person. Not the most vocal guy. Relaxed, nice to have a good laugh with. Just a really, really nice person.”

As gratifying as his playing success has been moving his family to the metro Detroit area. Nielsen and his family spend summers in Nielsen’s hometown of Herning, Denmark, and while he misses Danish staples such as smørrebrød (open-faced sandwiches on rye bread) and frikadeller (pan-fried pork dumplings), the new surroundings hold a familial appeal.

“I love how quiet the neighborhood is,” Nielsen said. “We can walk into town. We barely used the car when it was warmer. It's almost like being back in Denmark – I almost feel like I should get a bike. Everything is close. We walk into town, walk to get groceries. The feel is a little more like home, it is not as high-paced as I was used to in New York. We love it here.”

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.