Kent Nilsson
| Kent Nilsson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
31 August 1956 Nynäshamn, Sweden | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Djurgårdens IF Winnipeg Jets Atlanta Flames Calgary Flames Minnesota North Stars Edmonton Oilers | ||
| National team |
 Sweden | ||
| NHL Draft |
64th overall, 1976 Atlanta Flames | ||
| WHA Draft |
11th overall, 1976 Toronto Toros | ||
| Playing career | 1976–1998 | ||
Kent Åke "Kenta" Nilsson (born 31 August 1956) is a retired professional ice hockey centre.
During his NHL career he was called "Mr. Magic" and "The Magic Man". In 2006 he was featured on HCZ, a Swedish reality show as coach for a hockey team of non-athletes.
He is currently working as a European scout for the Florida Panthers.
Playing career
Nilsson began his career in 1973–74, playing for Djurgårdens IF during his first of four seasons in Sweden. He then came to North America, and played for the Winnipeg Jets of the WHA beginning in 1977. He scored two consecutive 100-point seasons in the WHA; and his offensive production continued when the league merged with the NHL. He was claimed by the Atlanta Flames, and in his first season with the team he scored 93 points. The next season, 1980–81, the Flames moved to Calgary; Nilsson scored 131 points, which is still the team record, and he came third in NHL scoring.
Nilsson played with the Flames (with number 14) until 1984–85 when he was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for a draft pick that the Flames used to draft Joe Nieuwendyk. Nilsson won his first and only Stanley Cup while playing with the Edmonton Oilers in 1987. He returned to Europe after that season, playing in Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Norway. In 1988–89 he was named Player of the Year in Sweden. He returned to Edmonton for six games in 1995, which made him the last former Atlanta Flames player to play in the NHL. He then played briefly again in Europe until 1998.
Awards
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- Won Lou Kaplan Trophy (WHA Rookie of the Year) (1978)
- Won Paul Daneau Trophy (WHA Most Gentlemanly Player) (1979)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1980, 1981)
- Member of the Swedish World All-Star Team (1985, 1989, 1990)
- 1986–87 – NHL – Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
- Named Swedish Player of the Year (1989)
- Inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame (2006)
- Inaugural member of the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame (2010)[1]
Records
- Most points scored by a Swedish player in a single NHL season (131 in 1980–81)
- Calgary Flames team record for points in a single season (131 in 1980–81)
- Calgary Flames team record for assists in a single season (82 in 1980–81)
- Calgary Flames team record for shorthanded goals in a single season (9 in 1983–84)
- 6th fastest player in NHL history to score 300 points (215 GP) behind Wayne Gretzky (159), Mario Lemieux (186), Peter Stastny (186), Eric Lindros (210) & Cy Denneny (212)
- 8th fastest player in NHL history to score 400 points (298 GP) behind Wayne Gretzky (197), Mario Lemieux (240), Peter Stastny (247), Eric Lindros (277), Mike Bossy (283), Sidney Crosby (292) & Bryan Trottier (296)
- 9th fastest player in NHL history to score 500 points (372 GP) behind Wayne Gretzky (234), Mario Lemieux (287), Peter Stastny (322), Mike Bossy (349), Eric Lindros (352), Jari Kurri (356), Bryan Trottier (362) & Sidney Crosby (369)[2]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1973–74 | Djurgårdens IF | Swe-1 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 2 | ||
| 1974–75 | Djurgårdens IF | Swe-1 | 28 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Djurgårdens IF | SEL | 36 | 28 | 26 | 54 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | AIK | SEL | 36 | 30 | 19 | 49 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 80 | 42 | 65 | 107 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 10 | ||
| 1978–79 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 78 | 39 | 68 | 107 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 4 | ||
| 1979–80 | Atlanta Flames | NHL | 80 | 40 | 53 | 93 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1980–81 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 80 | 49 | 82 | 131 | 26 | 14 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 2 | ||
| 1981–82 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 41 | 26 | 29 | 55 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1982–83 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 80 | 46 | 58 | 104 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 2 | ||
| 1983–84 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 67 | 31 | 49 | 80 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 77 | 37 | 62 | 99 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1985–86 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 61 | 16 | 44 | 60 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1986–87 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 44 | 13 | 33 | 46 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 17 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 4 | 21 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 6 | ||
| 1987–88 | HC Bolzano | Serie A | 35 | 60 | 72 | 132 | 48 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 28 | — | ||
| 1987–88 | SC Langnau | NDA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Djurgårdens IF | SEL | 35 | 21 | 21 | 42 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1989–90 | EHC Kloten | NDA | 36 | 21 | 19 | 40 | — | 5 | 4 | 5 | 9 | — | ||
| 1990–91 | EHC Kloten | NDA | 33 | 37 | 39 | 76 | — | 8 | 3 | 8 | 11 | — | ||
| 1991–92 | EHC Kloten | NDA | 17 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1992–93 | Djurgårdens IF | SEL | 40 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1993–94 | EC Graz | Alpenliga | 30 | 15 | 33 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | EC Graz | AUS | 27 | 8 | 9 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Vålerengens IF | NOR | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Nynäshamns IF | Swe-3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | CH Majadahonda | ESP | 6 | 8 | 12 | 20 | — | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | — | ||
| SEL totals | 147 | 90 | 86 | 176 | 84 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | ||||
| WHA totals | 158 | 81 | 133 | 214 | 16 | 19 | 5 | 19 | 24 | 14 | ||||
| NHL totals | 553 | 264 | 422 | 686 | 116 | 59 | 11 | 41 | 52 | 14 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Comp | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Sweden | EJC | 5 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 2 | |
| 1975 | Sweden | WJC | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | — | |
| 1975 | Sweden | EJC | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 0 | |
| 1976 | Sweden | WJC | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1981 | Sweden | CC | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 1984 | Sweden | CC | 8 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 4 | |
| 1985 | Sweden | WC | 8 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 6 | |
| 1987 | Sweden | CC | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| 1989 | Sweden | WC | 10 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 0 | |
| 1990 | Sweden | WC | 10 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 6 | |
| Junior totals | 20 | 17 | 18 | 35 | — | |||
| Senior totals | 47 | 22 | 32 | 52 | 24 | |||
Family
Nilsson has been married since 2005 to Swedish golfer Helen Alfredsson. He occasionally caddies for her in professional events. He is also the father of Robert Nilsson, a former Edmonton Oilers player, in an earlier marriage.
References
- ↑ WHA Hall of Fame Members
- ↑ "Hockey Summary Project". Hsp.flyershistory.com. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
External links
- Kent Nilsson's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
- Kent Nilsson's biography at Legends of Hockey
- Kent Nilsson's career statistics at EliteProspects.com
| Preceded by Bo Berglund |
Golden Puck 1989 |
Succeeded by Rolf Ridderwall |