Kent Nilsson
Kent Åke Nilsson is a Swedish former professional ice hockey centre. He played in the World Hockey Association for the Winnipeg Jets, and in the National Hockey League for the Atlanta and Calgary Flames, Minnesota North Stars and Edmonton Oilers, as well as teams across various European leagues.
A prolific scorer during his era, Nillson was called "Mr. Magic" and "The Magic Man" during his NHL career, referring to his exceptional puck skills. Wayne Gretzky commented on Nilsson's skills saying "Skills-wise he might have been the most skilled hockey player I ever saw in my entire career". Nilsson has the 10th highest career NHL points-per-game average of any player who scored at least 500 points, the most among any player not inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Nilsson was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2006, the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame in 2010, and the Swedish Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.
Playing career
Nilsson began his career during the season of 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 World Hockey Association beginning in 1977. He scored two consecutive 100-point seasons in the WHA. 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.Nilsson played with the Flames, wearing 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 the remainder of his playing career in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Germany until 1998 when he last played in the Spanish hockey league for SAD Majadahonda in six games, making Nilsson one of the few former Stanley Cup winners to play in the league.
Nilsson holds the NHL record for the quickest goal scored during a season-opening game, at ten seconds in, while playing for the North Stars versus the Quebec Nordiques on 11 October 1986.
Awards
[World Hockey Association]
- Won Lou Kaplan Trophy
- Won Paul Daneau Trophy
- 1977-78 - WHA - Avco Cup
- 1978-79 - WHA - Avco Cup
- Inaugural member of the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame
[National Hockey League]
- Played in NHL All-Star Game
- 1986–87 – NHL – Stanley Cup
Sweden and International ice hockey
- Member of the Swedish World All-Star Team
- Named Swedish Player of the Year
- Inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame
- Inducted into the Swedish Hockey Hall of Fame
Records
- Most points scored by a Swedish player in a single NHL season
- Calgary Flames team record for points in a single season
- Calgary Flames team record for assists in a single season
- Calgary Flames team record for shorthanded goals in a single season
Post-playing career