Kent Nilsson

Kent Åke "Kenta" Nilsson (born August 31, 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 scout for the Florida Panthers, operating out of Europe.
==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, Atlanta 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==
*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).
==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)
== Career statistics ==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	+/- 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	+/- 	PIM
1973–74 	Djurgårdens IF 	SEL 		8 	1 	2 	3 	— 	4 		14 	8 	6 	14 	— 	2
1974–75 	Djurgårdens IF 	SEL 		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 	+27 	8 		9 	2 	8 	10 	+2 	10
1978–79 	Winnipeg Jets 	WHA 		78 	39 	68 	107 	+1 	8 		10 	3 	11 	14 	-1 	4
1979–80 	Atlanta Flames 	NHL 		80 	40 	53 	93 	-3 	10 		4 	0 	0 	0 	— 	2
1980–81 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		80 	49 	82 	131 	+15 	26 		14 	3 	9 	12 	— 	2
1981–82 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		41 	26 	29 	55 	-20 	8 		3 	0 	3 	3 	— 	2
1982–83 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		80 	46 	58 	104 	+5 	10 		9 	1 	11 	12 	— 	2
1983–84 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		67 	31 	49 	80 	-24 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1984–85 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		77 	37 	62 	99 	-4 	14 		3 	0 	1 	1 	-2 	0
1985–86 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		61 	16 	44 	60 	+4 	10 		5 	1 	4 	5 	+2 	0
1986–87 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		44 	13 	33 	46 	+2 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1986–87 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 		17 	5 	12 	17 	+10 	4 		21 	6 	13 	19 	+11 	6
1987–88 	HC Bolzano 	LIHG 		35 	60 	72 	132 	— 	48 		8 	14 	14 	28 	— 	?
1987–88 	SC Langnau 	NLA 		2 	2 	0 	2 	— 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1988–89 	Djurgårdens IF 	SEL 		35 	21 	21 	42 	— 	36 		1 	0 	1 	1 	— 	0
1989–90 	EHC Kloten 	NLA 		36 	21 	19 	40 	— 	— 		5 	4 	5 	9 	— 	—
1990–91 	EHC Kloten 	NLA 		33 	37 	39 	76 	— 	— 		8 	3 	8 	11 	— 	—
1991–92 	EHC Kloten 	NLA 		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 	Graz EC 	Alp 		30 	15 	33 	48 	— 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	Graz EC 	AUS 		27 	8 	9 	17 	— 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	Vålerengens IF 	NOR 		6 	1 	1 	2 	— 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 		6 	1 	0 	1 	-5 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1995–96 	Nynäshamns IF 	Sweden-3 		2 	2 	3 	5 	— 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	CH Majadahonda 	ESP 		6 	8 	12 	20 	— 	— 		2 	3 	8 	11 	— 	—
SEL totals	SEL totals 	SEL totals		183 	104 	100 	204 	— 	102 		21 	10 	10 	20 	— 	2
WHA totals	WHA totals 	WHA totals		158 	81 	133 	214 	+28 	16 		19 	5 	19 	24 	+1 	14
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		553 	264 	422 	686 	-20 	116 		59 	11 	41 	52 	+11 	14
NLA totals	NLA totals 	NLA totals		88 	71 	72 	143 	— 	8 		15 	7 	13 	20 	— 	2
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	
==International play==
*Played for Sweden in the 1973 European Junior Championships.
*Played for Sweden in the 1974 European Junior Championships.
*Played for Sweden in the 1975 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
*Played for Sweden in the 1976 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
*Played for Sweden in the 1981 Canada Cup.
*Played for Sweden in the 1984 Canada Cup.
*Played for Sweden in the 1985 World Ice Hockey Championships.
*Played for Sweden in the 1987 Canada Cup.
*Played for Sweden in the 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships.
*Played for Sweden in the 1990 World Ice Hockey Championships.
International statistics
Year 	Team 	Event 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM	
1973 	Sweden 	EJC 	5 	8 	7 	15 	2 	
1974 	Sweden 	EJC 	5 	5 	5 	10 	0 	
1975 	Sweden 	WJC 	6 	3 	3 	6 	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 	
International totals	International totals	International totals	67	39	50	89 	28 	
==Family==
Nilsson has been married since 2005 to Swedish golfer Helen Alfredsson. He occasionally caddies for Helen in professional events. He is also the father of Robert Nilsson, a former Edmonton Oilers player.
 
Category:Atlanta Flames draft picks
Category:Atlanta Flames players