Kent Nilsson

[statistics]

Very underrated player.

NHL:

553 games, 668 points. Playoffs 59 games, 52 points.

WHA:

158 games, 214 points. Playoffs 19 games, 24 points.

1984 Canada Cup: 8 games, 11 points

World championships 1985, 1989, 1990: 28 games, 37 points

Avco world trophy (WHA champion) 1978 and 1979
Stanley Cup 1987
Lou Kaplan Trophy (Rookie of the Year - WHA) 1978
Paul Deneau Trophy (Most Gentlemanly Player - WHA) 1979
World Championship All-Star Team 1985, 1989, 1990
Played in NHL All-Star Game 1980 and 1981

Click to read more...

 

[Rather Gingerly 1*]

Very underrated player.

NHL:

553 games, 668 points. Playoffs 59 games, 52 points.

WHA:

158 games, 214 points. Playoffs 19 games, 24 points.

1984 Canada Cup: 8 games, 11 points

World championships 1985, 1989, 1990: 28 games, 37 points

Avco world trophy (WHA champion) 1978 and 1979
Stanley Cup 1987
Lou Kaplan Trophy (Rookie of the Year - WHA) 1978
Paul Deneau Trophy (Most Gentlemanly Player - WHA) 1979
World Championship All-Star Team 1985, 1989, 1990
Played in NHL All-Star Game 1980 and 1981

The best puckhandler I ever saw. Sort of like Kovalev though. When hot look out...but brutal when he went cold

 

[BM67]

An incredible offensive talent, but even his 131 point season was less than he could've put up. He frustrated you by putting up fewer points than he should, and offered so little otherwise that he was traded, along with a 3rd round pick, after scoring 99 points for a 2nd round pick. A sad statement for a guy that may be one of the top 10 talents of all-time.

 

[espo*]

Remember him well.Super talented guy but also super soft with a bad attitude.

Could have been a hall of famer no sweat but did'nt care half the time and was'nt willing to battle. A lot like Kovalev as someone mentioned already.

 

[Forty Six and Two]

Now I know where his son gets it from. The islanders are running into all the same problems with Rob Nilsson

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

Question, what was his line in Edmonton?

 

[Ogopogo*]

Question, what was his line in Edmonton?

I believe, during the 1987 finals it was Nilsson/Messier/Anderson. The first goal the Oilers scored in game 7 was a beautiful three way passing play between those three.

 

[KentNilsson87]

Kent

My last memory of Kent Nilsson is when Hextall did to his legs what Tiger Woods does to Golf Balls.


Kent was a good player for the Flames too. He ended up with the Oilers because of those issues with him not being there 100% of the time.

One of the prospects that the Flames got back from the North Stars for the rights to Kent was Joe Nieuwendyk. Joe Nieuwendyk was eventually traded to the Dallas Stars for the rights to their 1st round draft pick named Jarome Iginla.

 

[Padan]

My best memory of him was when he deked out John Vanbiesbrouck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QobAlzxDdXc

Now you know where Peter Forsberg got it from.

 

[trevchar1971]

Remember him well.Super talented guy but also super soft with a bad attitude.

Could have been a hall of famer no sweat but did'nt care half the time and was'nt willing to battle. A lot like Kovalev as someone mentioned already.

Just had no real desire and determination.

 

[espo*]

Just had no real desire and determination.

A lot of the time yeah.

when he did he was great but that only happened 40% of the time.

Million dollar skills and a ten cent head.

 

[Trottier]

Sort of like Kovalev though. When hot look out...but brutal when he went cold

Exactly.

And that bi-polar streakiness is something that a reciting of NUMBERS cannot tell you. You had to WATCH the player.

 

[mattihp]

My favourite memories of him were that if I could manage to make a save on one of his shots he would've paid me a vacation to Hawaii

>_<

Once I was really close to getting it into my glove, but it went topshelf instead...


A man who owns a very foul mouth, and knows more gay jokes than there is, pretty much. Funny funny guy, but very much not PK.

He is gonna be a pro golfer anytime soon, just like his wife ^^

 

[SChan*]

still has the best point record of a swedish player ever in a NHL season

 

[mattihp]

still has the best point record of a swedish player ever in a NHL season

And should hold the swedish record for playing in most countries (sweden, Canada, USA, Italy, Switzerland, austria, germany and spain!)

 

[Mikos87]

He is one of my favorite players of all time, some of the sickest skills you'll ever see. There are two stories about him that always make me laugh.

One was him having a bet with, either a commentator or a press member, that he could take a puck and hit the post from the center ice face off circle. Everyone thought that Kenta was just talking trash as usual, but then he did it four times in a row.

Another was after he came to Edm, and put in hist minimal effort, Mark Messier got fed up with this, and right before the 87 playoffs those to got into a heated exchange right before a flight, Mark shoved and choked Kent and threated to throw him down the stairs and off the plane if Kent didn't show up and play. Kent, both pissed and scared played some of the best hockey in those playoffs. Now thats what I call leadership.

It really is a shame though, I don't think I've ever seen a player puck skills as high as Kent's. Not a player that actually cares at all, and he knows it too, he tried when he wants to, and took shifts off, just for the hell of it.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

The Pierre Turgeon of the 80's.

 

[mattihp]

He is one of my favorite players of all time, some of the sickest skills you'll ever see. There are two stories about him that always make me laugh.

One was him having a bet with, either a commentator or a press member, that he could take a puck and hit the post from the center ice face off circle. Everyone thought that Kenta was just talking trash as usual, but then he did it four times in a row.

Another was after he came to Edm, and put in hist minimal effort, Mark Messier got fed up with this, and right before the 87 playoffs those to got into a heated exchange right before a flight, Mark shoved and choked Kent and threated to throw him down the stairs and off the plane if Kent didn't show up and play. Kent, both pissed and scared played some of the best hockey in those playoffs. Now thats what I call leadership.

It really is a shame though, I don't think I've ever seen a player puck skills as high as Kent's. Not a player that actually cares at all, and he knows it too, he tried when he wants to, and took shifts off, just for the hell of it.

One thought I've had a couple of times is that if his invisibility and laziness was part of his game on purpose to make the opposition stop marking him so that he could do one of his amazing tricks...

And I'm gonna ask Kenta about that Messier thing, sounded funny XD

 

[12# Peter Bondra]

The Pierre Turgeon of the 80's.

Pierre was atleast consistent, albeit soft.

 

[Rare Jewel]

his hands were smoother than warm butter on your toast

 

[Rocky]

Very underrated player.

NHL:

553 games, 668 points. Playoffs 59 games, 52 points.

WHA:

158 games, 214 points. Playoffs 19 games, 24 points.

1984 Canada Cup: 8 games, 11 points

World championships 1985, 1989, 1990: 28 games, 37 points

Avco world trophy (WHA champion) 1978 and 1979
Stanley Cup 1987
Lou Kaplan Trophy (Rookie of the Year - WHA) 1978
Paul Deneau Trophy (Most Gentlemanly Player - WHA) 1979
World Championship All-Star Team 1985, 1989, 1990
Played in NHL All-Star Game 1980 and 1981

Yes, his nickname was´t magic with noreason. At his best he really was quite "magic". Here is some more info about him.

In 1984 Canada Cup he was part of great line with Thomas Steen and Hakan Loob. Nilsson was third in scoring and only one point behind Gretzky. Loob were 5th and Steen 8th. Steen was 1st in goal scoring. Nilsson´s line was the best line in that tournament and it still is one of the very best in swedish hockey history.

He still have couple Flames records. Most points in one season, 131 points, which is one of the very highest scores among europeans. Most assist in one season, 82, also one of the very best among europeans. His point average is still the highest in Flames history 1,3 points per game.

Nilson also was the first european player ever to score more than 100 points. He also was very close to become the first european to score 50 goals, but he missed that one with only by one goal. Nilsson also was only the second european player who ever played in the All-stars game.