The Career of Kent Nilsson

I never have Nilsson in my favorite player lists, so I wanted to do a video on his career as a partial explanation of why.
Use the code "thgsentme" on Bench Clearers for 10% off:: benchclearers.com/?aff=7&fbcl...
Use the code THG25 at Elite Prospects to get 25% off your first three months of a premium membership on their site from the 1st to 7th of any given month. www.eliteprospects.com/register
Support The Hockey Guy via Patreon / thehockeyguy
Join the Discord server:
/ discord
/ youtubehockeyguy
Follow me on Twitter: @shansboomstick
Instagram: youtube_thehockeyguy
[e-mail]
Contact me via snail mail at:
The Hockey Guy
PO Box 15038 Seven Oaks PO
Abbotsford, BC
V2S 8P1
In the USA:
Shannon Skanes
PO Box 746
Ferndale, WA 98248

[@markandersen793]

I remember the brief time he played for the Oilers, the line of Nilsson, Messier and Anderson, was the best second line I had ever seen, a lot of nights; they were better than Gretzky's line.

[@jb0579]

Agree - that Oilers team was the best team ever up to that point, and for some even since. They were deadly because of the one-two punch like you say, and also because you had guys whose game was so fluid, so fast, that it appeared that they PREFERRED skating short-handed because of the open ice! Gretzky/Kurri then Messier/Nisson/Anderson. Wasn't even f*cking fair! They played a brand of hockey in the 80's that would become what we know now, only now its 40 years hence!

[@patrikpersson5528]

Kenta Nilsson kung!!

[@harnosand100]

Honestly, a lot of the old magazines just sound like the same old "euro-soft" bullshit that a lot of Canadians been spewing for a long long time (Don Cherry anyone?). The guy is all most a point per game in the playoffs, he won cups in the WHA, the NHL and, the Swedish league. He won the cup before Calgary did after he left. Five years later can you even say that the trade helped them win the cup or did they lose the chance at more cups trading their most skilled player for picks? I don't say you have to like the guy, that's all up to you. I am saying however he should be given a lot more respect now and, way WAY more back then.

[@TheHockeyGuy]

He was a non contact, low effort player. His own linemates back this up. It's not made up BS. Hakan Loob was awesome, same team and era.

[@stanschmenge1965]

The Flames ended up with Joe Niewendyk, a HOF 3 time Stanley Cup winner, the second rookie ever to post a 50 goal season (Mike Bossy was the first) and a big part of their 89 cup team. What stopped them from winning more cups was the Oilers. I loved watching the guy play, but he would disappear when the going got tough. Because Gretzky grew up playing hockey in Canada, he knew there was always a Dave Semenko type player on his wing to destroy anyone that came close to hitting him so he wasn't afraid to run up the score. Nilsson likely didn't have to deal that playing in Sweden, and even though Calgary had plenty of toughness, he still wouldn't light it up the way Gretzky did.

[@TheHockeyGuy]

Nilsson just didn't play up to his potential. Craig Janney, Dan Quinn, and Tom Kurvers stand out as offensively gifted players who bounced around despite strong scoring numbers. Some players just have one dimension. Nilsson was supremely skilled, but he flopped in the big games. Minnesota desperately needed offense and yet he didn't last two seasons there.

[@stanschmenge1965]

@@TheHockeyGuy lol kinda funny when you say a guy that scores 130+ pts/season didn't play up to his potential. I get it tho, he could have easily led the league. Opposing players would just have to say a few kind words to him at a face off, and they'd know he would disappear for the rest of the game. There's 2 sides to his nick name "magic man".

[@stefanconradsson]

For those that haven't seen him do the 'Forsberg move' five years before Peter Forsberg adopted it .. check this out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6DFcp-wramXjsU

[@Billy-Box]

Kenta was an ARTIST. One has to understand that such a unique player requires the right environment. That was obviously missing in Calgary Flames. In Djurgården he was fantastic in 1988-89, because the team played an ingenious tactical game (in Sweden called 1-3-1), and was full of intelligent players both offensively and defensively.

"Stop on a dime, and give you change".

[@Khorney]

Kent Nilsson was an interesting player and I agree with just about everything you said. Probably the Swede with the best talent offensively but it's just such a shame he lacked that extra will or grit to go all the way. I'm 40 years old and I remember seeing Nilsson play when I was a kid, though mostly in the national team, but he was, always the guy who put in effort when he got the chance for some points, but often you'd see him just cruising along a bit. Damn he had a fantastic set of hands though, was called "the magic man" for good reason. Fun fact: He was the actual "inventor" of the "Peter Forsberg" penalty move, that Forsberg did in the olympics in the penalty shootout vs Corey Hirsch.

[@ricktacular6316]

Who needs Internet, when you have a collection of yearbooks haha.

[@MrJulianhood]

I always played NET for all my hockey career/time and growing up, Kent was my favorite. I liked Gretzky - just thought Kent was under-rated. Thanks for that video.

[@tombrady7753]

A true artist

[@staffan144]

Kent Nilsson footage --> kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGbHfpqamZqCi6c

[@rolandkennedy80]

He was simply amazing and so far beyond everyone else skill wise

[@Tomten0]

Kenta!

[@filipnassen9076]

Kent just wanted to have fun, he was just that kind of guy. He was a superstar but not the kind of guy to build a team around. He was mor of a Phil Kessel-guy than a Sidney Crosby-guy. It's thanks to him that Peter Forsberg did his move in 1994 Olympics final.

[@misguidedangel6550]

Kent Nilsson was way, way more talented then Kessel

[@filipnassen9076]

Sure, but still.

[@jacked6]

Kent Nilsson took way more abuse than he should of. The Flames got lucky those draft picks turned out.

[@holoholopainen1627]

Who were They ? Any Good ?

[@jacked6]

@@holoholopainen1627 I mean they got 2 2nd round picks from the North Stars. They just got lucky Joe Nieuwendyck was available at 27th overall whom would be traded to Dallas years later anyway. The other was another 2nd round pick who was Stephane Matteau who played a long career but no where near Kent Nilsson's skill level. For such a talented player Nilsson definitly should be remembered with the all time greats had he not gone to Europe after he won the cup. Thanks to the negative media on him we will never know how many points he would have had had he stayed. It was a STUPID trade for the Flames to make who got extremely lucky how it turned out.

[@Xmenorigins500]

@@jacked6 you can say that about pretty much any team that made a trade involving picks which turned out. By this logic, every draft pick is simply lucky bc the team got the player where they did. It takes a ton of skill to scout players as well, and I dont think ur giving those scouts enough credit.

[@misguidedangel6550]

yup Kent Nilsson was one of the best players of the 80s, he had the two,100+ point years with the Winnipeg Jets in the WHA as well, its a shame those stats don't mean squat. Nilssons 131 points season was magical. Only a handful of players have ever scored more then 130 points in the NHL

[@Doorsofprcptn]

I think you shouldn't forget how outsiders of Canada/US were hunted down and intentionally injured, including Salming who were injured and speared in a way that no American player endured. European players have no place in the NHL players and others said. Attitude have changed a bit since then but it was not a welcoming that awaited a European coming to the NHL.

[@niklaslundh8944]

This is what baffles me, he don't mention it at all. There was a reason he just left. Sure I agree he was one of those players that wasn't on all the time but that's a signi'm of a genius more often than not.

[@kylexinye1990]

Been missing career videos Shannon! My favorite thing you do!

[@drwoo007]

I liked Nlsson when he was in the league. In a way, he was more suited for today's game. A comparative player might be Alex Kovalev. His skill set was second to none, but his heart/commitment was inconsistent which meant post-season and at times regular season disappearing acts.

[@jessandcolinmcfarland7964]

Very comparable to Kovalev.

[@tomharrison6607]

very astute comparison

[@EternalBreton82]

Thanks for these facts about Kent Nilsson! It is hard to find video of his time as a player. And I always wondered what happened to him in his career.

[@kimcauchy]

He's in a top 10 of point per game (career at least 500 games). The famous Forsberg Olympic's goal was a Kent Nilsson one. A famous video of him just shooting from his own blue line trying to hit the hig post - guess what, he did it with his old wooden stick. TSN ranks the TOP 10 skills players of all time, he was there. So, you're pick is great !

[@Bjornontour]

Awesome as usual,Shannon!

[@phillytheflyerable]

did gretzky check???

[@jb0579]

This was the most unexpectedly coherent and detailed take on ANYTHING associated with the NHL that I've seen in years. I mean I wish I had heard a few more of your OWN observations and opinions because all we got here was that he was an underachiever. And thats true, he was, but there's more, so here's my take: I grew up in Minnesota and I couldn't have designed a better childhood immersed in winter sports. My pop always bought the Spectrum sports Minnesota North Stars season package and those years were among the best NHL years in my opinion. It was after leagues had merged and become more stable and mutually competitive, but before the money grubbing element got their grubby fingers dug into it and transformed it into a "show" with lights and music piped through billion-watt speakers. And while nobody was looking, all the pretty blinking lights and loud music and flashing million dollar high-def scoreboards distracted people from the fact that the sport was beginning to lose its charm. Instead of a tough physical game of speed, with discernable offensive schemes and the occasional savant like Gretzky or Mario Lemieux, it became ALL about the speed, money, flashing lights and, oh yeah, players. But I digress. After Lake Placid, where Herb Brooks found good players and built a great team, the NHL saw its opportunity while all eyes were upon it, so this to me anyway was the sweet-spot. Every fan KNEW who Nilsson was because of his speed, puck handling etc., and everyone knew exactly what Greatzky said - that Nilsson was an untapped hockey superstar just waiting for his time. When we (MN) picked him up, I thought he would absolutely uncork. We had a great core of players and not many chinks in the armour. It was a wonderment that this guy's star hadn't risen yet but we were sure it would! It didn't. The speed was there. The pure as spring water skating was there. The puckhandling, passing, positioning, etc...it was all there. It just wasn't all there at the same time. Soon he was atop a pile of potentially great players who never would achieve the greatness that could've been. For me with Nilsson it always felt like he was purposely holding back for some inexplicable reason - but it just as easily could've been a pressure-choke type thing. It was frustrating because guys like Acton, Mccarthy, maxwell, payne...always always gave you what you expected -their best - Kent was always just a bit short of becoming explosive. I saw him as a guy like Modano would become. Fast, Smooth, Athletic, instinctual....but it never quite came to pass.

[@samuelfrick3475]

Would like to see you discuss every teams leading scorer since either 1967 or when you started hockey. I think it would be fascinating

[@TEXTMANNEN]

The time we are talking about did not suit all players who tested in the NHL. As a Swede, we have had lots of players in history who did not fit into the NHL ... but were brilliant players in the Olympics or the World Cup. Players like Kenta did not fit into the American way of playing. And the coaches then just wanted one type of player. Today he had fit in better in the NHL. You should listen to the players instead if you want to know how good he was. There are certainly a lot of top American players who had not made a career in Europe or Russia at that time .... wrong type of player.

[@Doorsofprcptn]

They were playing in hostile territory back then, players were going after them without penalties from the referees. Just ask Salming how the games were, I'm shocked that people have forgotten this. I can understand that Americans forgotten about it but considering the abuse without even the referee acting on the obvious open season on outsiders is shocking.

[@janchobot9191]

Hi, you could do more of those. I am from Czech republic, so I would love to hear about some our players. But not like Hasek or Jagr. But about our most talented guys and how or why it did not worked out for them. I have in my mind players like Havlat, Hemsky, Stefan, Brendl. Or underrated players like T. Kaberle, Hamrlik, Smehlik, Turek, Hlavac, Rucinsky, Reichel, Lang, etc. We were best hockey team in late 90' and it last till mid 2000, but our players were still underrated in NHL.

[@rogerc23]

You forgot Jiri Hrdina. Flames players loved him from what I remember. And he was a stud despite not getting huge ice time if I remember. We used to love Reichel too. He had such a wild European game back then. Super skilled too. But the Europeans always got a hard wrap back in those days for not being tough. Reichel was tough but he got hit a lot of I recall and it the nhl at that time it meant you had to fight back. He just kept to his game and so the flames eventually moved him. But all the fans I knew loved him.

[@rogerc23]

Oh and Frank Musil. Solid D. Was huge in many oilers battles

[@misguidedangel6550]

I was a big fan of Robert Reichel when he was with the Flames back in the day. He was very talented.

[@michaelclausen2146]

Loved this piece! got a fun fact about him. His last years he bounced around Europe, I at that had just moved to Spain(my dad was a GM in a big american company) from Denmark, eventhough I was only 17 at the time, you still knew Kent Nilsson. The year prior Kent Nilsson had played in Majadahonda in Spain, secured the spanish championship for the club first time ever, and then he finished his career. On another note I had a peculiar coach named Graham James, which after the first practice I decided to google.... I was never the last kid to leave the locker room :-)

[@moimolina7919]

..., and they only flew him in --to Majadahonda, a suburb of Madrid-, for home games.

[@michaelclausen2146]

@@moimolina7919 , didn't know that fact! I played there 1999 and a few years more. love the place.

[@WarioSaysSo]

"Mr. Magic" Kent Nilsson was truly indeed an ARTIST on the ice. The way he could handle a stick skillfully at high speed with the puck and score points was on a rare level. He had an awesome tallent...but sadly he was not playing well defense hockey and that "drive" at all cost was something he did not have on the same level as other greats, something he have even admited himself by his own words he felt he never really manage do develop and could understand fans/critics frustration. Regardless, he won a lot of league championship titles and is described as "The Champion of 6 Countries/Leagues" # WHA = 2-time Avco Cup Champion - 1978 & 1979. # NHL = Stanley Cup Champion - 1987. # Sweden = Swedish Elitserien Champion "SM-Guld" - 1989. # Swizerland = Swiz National League Champion - 1988. # Italy = Italian Serie-A League Champion - 1988. # Spain = Super Liiga Espanola League Champion - 1998. # IIHF World Championship silver medalist - 1990. # Canada Cup silver medalist - 1984. # Canada Cup bronze medalist - 1987. # IIHF European Championship gold medalist - 1990. # IIHF European Championship bronze medalist - 1989. # Lou Kaplan Trophy (WHA Rookie of the Year) - 1978. # Paul Daneau Trophy (WHA Most Gentlemanly Player) 1979. # Guld Pucken (Swedish MVP of the Year) - 1989. # Swedish Elitserien League Scoring Champion - 1976. # Italian Serie-A League MVP - 1988. # Italian Serie-A League Scoring Champion - 1988. # Inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame - 2006. # Most points scored by a Swedish born 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). # # SPA totals: 6 games, 8 goals, 12 assists = 20 / 2 games, 3 goals, 8 assists = 11. # ITA totals: 35 games, 60 goals, 72 assists = 132 / 8 games, 14 goals, 14 assists = 28. # SNL totals: 88 games, 71 goals, 72 assists = 143 / 15 games, 7 goals, 13 assists = 20. # SEL totals: 147 games, 90 games, 86 assists = 176 / 7 games, 2 goals, 4 assists = 6. # WHA totals: 158 games, 81 goals, 133 assists = 214 / 19 games, 5 goals, 19 assists = 24. # NHL totals: 553 games, 264 goals, 422 assists = 686 / 59 games, 11 goals, 41 assists = 52. # Internationals: 47 games, 22 goals, 32 assists = 52.

[@havardmoen6423]

Loved watching Kenta in the WC.

[@peterlee4682]

Actually, the Flames drafted him as Torbjorn Nilsson who was, in fact, a soccer player so the league invalidated it but the Atlanta Flames drafted him under his proper name the next year and that held up.

[@willdawg0053]

Last time i was this early, the Canucks were pretty good Wasn’t that about a few years ago?

[@daledemanchuk7920]

i remember they put a water bottle on the crossbar and asked him how many shots to hit it from center ice-he said 'one'....took the shot and hit it. the magic man....the swede who dissappeared in the playoffs....too bad....

[@holoholopainen1627]

Isnt that on KZbin ?

[@daledemanchuk7920]

@@holoholopainen1627 it might be...i remember watching it in my much younger days on hockey night in canada between periods feature but i will check it out-thanks!

[@vasterasgurkan]

Ösmo-sonen, han var min idol när jag växte upp.

[@tarpsoff57]

Can you do a review series for the play-in matchups? That’d be great

[@wilhelmh9495]

Kenta! The only one better in my childhood was Loob.

[@leevanderwaskewitch7858]

I wonder if his son Robert is still playing over seas. Liked him in Edmonton when he played on the kid line

[@Khorney]

He does not unfortunately, too many injuries. I liked him too, such a down to earth guy, I remember he used to hang out with us (online) and play Quake around the early 2000's even after he turned pro. Always felt that was kind of cool.

[@bjornengqvist9629]

Excellent analysis, going back to NHL yearbook is clever, as historians go back to the primary sources for information!

[@SonOfTamriel]

Sounds like Patty Kane really (doesn't check, doesn't go in the corners etc).

[@jonasmoller4752]

Son of Tamriel exactly my thought as well. Better to let some guys be creative and use there talent in the best way possible and let other guys do the hard work in the corners. Gretzky didnt get in many corners honestly!

[@SLTravel11]

when is the Stanley cup finals live stream?

[@Robban.D.Jonsson.]

Sounds like people desperate to pass the blame rather than admit that they themselves had a flawed strategy.

[@PAARYNASOSE-om7is]

ONE OF MY IDOLS WITH HIS SON

[@Sweedtrader]

Kent Nilsson was an Artist playing against goons. The same goes for Gretzky but with one big difference, when the goons came after Gretzky his own goons protected him, when the goons came after Nilsson he was merely a soft European that needed to be tought the Canadian game and no one cared. That's what the NHL was back then, a parody pretending to be a sport, a Shakespeare act gone mad. Kent moved back to Sweden because he realized that magic hands aren't much of a use if you are a criple or when you are put in a wooden box.

[@gordonwhitney6052]

Kent Nilsson could be maddening, but when he was on it was obvious where he got the nickname "Magic". There was one game I attended live that I remember more as the Kent Nilsson skating show, because it was like he was on the ice with 9 pylons rather than NHL players. I'm still more than half convinced that, if he'd wanted to, he could have shattered Sittler's single game points record that night. But, he was Kent Nilsson, and I guess he didn't really feel like it. The other thing I remember about Nilsson is he was absolutely the worst 1-on-1 defender in the history of the sport. Every player who wound up 1-on-1 on Nilsson scored a goal. Not 80%. Not 90%. 100%. You only think I'm exaggerating. Sadly, that happened far too often, since every new Flames coach decided they had to try using Nilsson on the point on the power play. Understandable in a way, since Nilsson was a fantastic passer with a tremendous, if underused shot. But when you tried it you were practically guaranteed to give up a shorthanded goal every second or third game. A very memorable player. For reasons both good and bad.

[@roberteinarsson3353]

Kent Nilsson on the point! LOL! Coach should be fired and forbidden to ever work with anything to do with hockey again! Sounds like a Monty Python joke! :)

[@LETZGONHLdraft]

you should do a Maurice Richard career video

[@OttawaNow]

"When He Wants To Be" is what will get him inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He didn't want to carry the whole team on his back. He didn't want to be a superstar. He wanted other players to pull their weight.

[@juliangarcia1221]

When is the live stream

[@kmol71]

Players like Nilsson might not have been good for coaches in the NHL back then (and the negative and brutal style of hockey) but he is to the game of hockey what air is to humans: no Nilssons - no game of hockey - and therefore no coaches, commentators nor statistics.

[@SverigeiSverige]

Kenta Nilsson!

[@stanthemn]

Nilsson -> Nieuwendyk -> Iginla

[@chainsherlock6268]

Cool video…hakan loob brought me here, lol

[@OttawaNow]

He won the Avco Cup twice with the Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association.

[@damonwebb813]

Fun to watch, enigmatic at worst, but he always skated, avoided corners But there was always effort in some form I'll always remember Willie Plett, who often played with him, who could be domineering in the early years of power forward, but he would often, lollygag, on the ice, and leisurely skate back, at the end of the shift He was the anchor of laziness on that line

[@mosesbacke2311]

Kent Nilsson couldn't perform his best if he didn't have fun. Playing and winning wasn't enough, he had to have fun too. He had fun in the WHA with Winnipeg and the first years with the Flames, but the pressure took the fun out of hockey. He really wanted to win the Stanley Cup, but after that he was done with the NHL. It was no fun for him. In Sweden he was a great entertainer in the late 80's , both in the league and the National Team. But the goalie Peter Lindmark summed it up: "He's fantastic with the stick and on the skates, but every time he crosses the defensive blue line, I want to shot him". Magic Man was the last bohemian in the NHL.

[@mazukakai]

Finally

[@jimbombadill]

thing is i get that nilsson was different and that even if realy skilled lacked some other traits of the game...BUT here is were i can find many coaches and "knowers" to be anal and single minded. With the right direction, some thinking a bit out of the box...maybe nilsson could have been guided to be even greater....it clearly didnt work with the usual methods...and the coashes clearly failed with a huge talent.

[@feeneysmechanical6215]

I am surprised he didn't make the top 100. My question is the same for mogily

[@joshcateyes]

He should be a HHOFer

[@kerrycampbell6797]

Hard to believe Joe Newendyke didn't have over 130 points in a season with the Flames

[@SverigeiSverige]

95 points was his highest.

[@niklaslundh8944]

And that should tell you something about Mr Magic's probably unbeatable record in the Flames. There are those who are more than just simple stars or superstars, Mr Magic... pure talent and fun.

[@colecojohnny8095]

No mention was made of the circumstances prior to the North Stars giving him to the Oilers on March 2 1987 for "Future Considerations." Why is that? You left a major gap of Nilsson's story out.

[@durbanbudz]

Yep, spot on.

[@dsc4178]

Great pure skill. But drive, not as much. But so skilled.

[@Powderkegable]

Nilsson, Yashin?

[@oldone8251]

Do one for Bernie Nichols!

[@schnitzler5844]

Is there a particular reason why he hd such a bad Faceoff stat in NHL 20 or is EA just wrong ?

[@samwalenius9578]

Career if Jaromir jagr?

[@phillytheflyerable]

do you have 2 hours?

[@BrettHornby]

Kent Nilsson filled the net in the regular season but wasn't a game time player when it mattered. Bob Johnson knew what he was talking about then and the trade worked out very well just on the pick used on Joe Nieuwendyk alone.

[@perirgensolsson3673]

He was one of the best ever offensive players ever,but defensive not that hot

[@jameskoelbli9769]

Sounds like Kovalev

[@pumpkinking5174]

Hey Kent, Ron Hextall says hello

[@Nickleblanc41]

Because who in Dallas doesn't remember Kent Nilsson

[@dftmmwgitd]

flames should retire his jersey

[@niklaslundh8944]

Imagine not celebrating and honoring your record holder that probably never ever will be beaten. What's wrong with these ppl?

[@wikingandersson2561]

Third.. 😢

[@Detector1977]

He was a bit like a modern day Kessel.

[@jb0579]

Sooo.......whats your cat's name?

[@DARK24-7]

Jets win 2 titles in a row in WHA-since then well...

[@holoholopainen1627]

Tiny City - Had so MUCH TALENT !

[@OttawaNow]

Harry Nilsson is not in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and Kent Nilsson is not in the Hockey Hall Of Fame.

[@jasongraham1651]

Hextall showed him ;)

[@leafsaredabestteam4847]

When nhl20

[@maverik094]

So he was just Mario Balotelli of NHL

[@ZyXxOmAn]

Obviously better than Balotelli lol

[@Zamppa86]

Kent Nilsson, the living example of empty stats. Regular season points don't win Stanley Cups! Reminds me of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl...

[@griechland]

So he never won the cup in 1987? Or the two times in the WHA? We need to adjust the history books folks! Zamppa86 clearly has new information.

[@bigboi7227]

First

[@MJ-fh9hj]

That pretty much sums it up, every year he was getting worse of doing hard work, therefore he only went to clubs who have a good golf course. Amazing talent, no effort. Became a stuck up motherf...later on.