Kent Nilsson

Date of Birth: Aug 31, 1956
Age: 70
Place of Birth: Nynäshamn, SWE
Nation: Sweden
Youth Team: Ösmo IF
Position: C
Height: 184 cm / 6'0"
Weight: 85 kg / 187 lbs
Shoots: L
Status: Retired

Kent Nilsson Facts

Player Type: Cerebral TacticianDanglerOffensive Center
Drafted: 1976 round 4 #64 overall by Atlanta Flames

Sons: Robert Nilsson, Anders Nilsson

One of the most underrated players in NHL history. Nilsson ranks 10th all-time in both points per game (1.241) and shooting percentage (19.2%). He won back-to-back WHA Avco Cups in 1978 and 79 after scoring 107 points in each season. He made his NHL debut with the Flames in 1979-80 and scored 93 points. The following year, Nilsson set multiple records with 131 points, including the Flames single-season points record and the NHL's single-season points record for Swedish players. He later won a Stanley Cup with the Oilers in 1987 and began playing overseas until 1994-95 when he returned to the NHL with 1 goal in 6 games. He retired with 264 goals and 686 points in 553 games.

Team Staff profile also available: Kent Nilsson

Kent Nilsson Statistics

S	Team	League	GP	G	A	TP	PIM	+/-	Post	GP	G	A	TP	PIM	+/-
1973-1974	Djurgårdens IF	Division 1	22	9	8	17	6	-
1973-1974	Sweden U19	EJC-19	5	8	8	16	2	-
1974-1975	Djurgårdens IF	Division 1	28	13	12	25	14	-
1974-1975	Sweden U19	EJC-19	5	5	5	10	0	-
1974-1975	Sweden U20	WJC-20	5	4	2	6	-	-
1975-1976	Djurgårdens IF	Elitserien	36	28	25	53	10	-
1975-1976	Sweden U20	WJC-20	4	1	3	4	2	-
1975-1976	Sweden (all)	International	6	0	1	1	0	-
1976-1977	AIK	Elitserien	36	30	17	47	18	-
1976-1977	Sweden (all)	International	8	3	1	4	-	-
1976-1977	Sweden B (all)	International	4	4	-	-	-	-
1977-1978	Winnipeg Jets	WHA	80	42	65	107	8	27	Playoffs	9	2	8	10	10	2
1978-1979	Winnipeg Jets	WHA	78	39	68	107	8	1	Playoffs	10	3	11	14	4	-1
1979-1980	Atlanta Flames	NHL	80	40	53	93	10	-3	Playoffs	4	0	0	0	2	-
1980-1981	Calgary Flames	NHL	80	49	82	131	26	15	Playoffs	14	3	9	12	2	-
1981-1982	Calgary Flames	NHL	41	26	29	55	8	-20	Playoffs	3	0	3	3	2	-
1981-1982	Sweden	CC	5	0	2	2	4	-
1981-1982	Sweden (all)	International	6	5	1	6	-	-
1982-1983	Calgary Flames	NHL	80	46	58	104	10	5	Playoffs	9	1	11	12	2	-
1983-1984	Calgary Flames	NHL	67	31	49	80	22	-24
1984-1985	Calgary Flames	NHL	77	37	62	99	14	-4	Playoffs	3	0	1	1	0	-
1984-1985	Sweden	CC	8	3	8	11	4	0
1984-1985	Sweden	WC	8	6	5	11	6	-
1984-1985	Sweden (all)	International	21	11	16	27	12	-
1985-1986	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	61	16	44	60	10	4	Playoffs	5	1	4	5	0	-
1986-1987	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	44	13	33	46	12	2
1986-1987	Edmonton Oilers	NHL	17	5	12	17	4	10	Playoffs	21	6	13	19	6	-
1987-1988	HC Bolzano	Italy	35	60	72	132	48	-	Playoffs	8	14	14	28	10	-
1987-1988	HC Lugano	NLA	2	2	0	2	4	-
1987-1988	Sweden	CC	6	0	4	4	0	3
1987-1988	Sweden (all)	International	13	3	5	8	4	-
1988-1989	Djurgårdens IF	Elitserien	35	21	20	41	36	-	Playoffs	1	0	1	1	0	-
1988-1989	Sweden	WC	10	3	11	14	0	-
1988-1989	Sweden (all)	International	21	10	18	28	2	-
1989-1990	EHC Kloten	NLA	33	21	21	42	14	-	Playoffs	5	5	5	10	2	-
1989-1990	Sweden	WC	10	10	2	12	6	-
1989-1990	Sweden (all)	International	15	12	7	19	12	-
1989-1990	Sweden B (all)	International	1	2	1	3	-	-
1990-1991	EHC Kloten	NLA	34	37	40	77	30	-	Playoffs	7	4	8	12	18	-
1991-1992	EHC Kloten	NLA	17	11	14	25	8	-	Playoffs	2	0	0	0	2	-
1992-1993	Djurgårdens IF	Elitserien	40	11	20	31	20	-	Playoffs	6	2	3	5	0	-
1993-1994	EC Graz	Austria	57	23	42	65	-	-
1994-1995	Vålerenga	Norway	6	1	1	2	8	-
1994-1995	Edmonton Oilers	NHL	6	1	0	1	0	-5
1995-1996	Nynäshamns IF	Division 2	2	2	3	5	6	-
1996-1997	EC Stuttgart	Germany3	1	0	0	0	0	-
1997-1998	S.A.D. Majadahonda	Spain	6	8	12	20	-	-	Playoffs	2	3	8	11	-	-

Kent Nilsson Tournament Statistics

S	Team	League	GP	G	A	TP	PIM	+/-
1976-1977	Sweden	Izvestia Trophy	-	2	0	2	-	-
1988-1989	HC Davos Loan	Spengler Cup	-	6	2	8	-	-
1989-1990	HC Davos Loan	Spengler Cup	4	6	2	8	-	-
1990-1991	EHC Kloten	Spengler Cup	-	-	-	-	-	-
1991-1992	HC Lugano Loan	Spengler Cup	5	1	2	3	4	-

Kent Nilsson Career Totals

League	Seasons	GP	G	A	TP	PPG	PIM	+/-	Seasons	GP	G	A	TP	PPG	PIM	+/-
Austria	1	57	23	42	65	1.14	-	-	0
CC	3	19	3	14	17	0.89	8	3*	0
Division 1	2	50	22	20	42	0.84	20	-	0
Division 2	1	2	2	3	5	2.50	6	-	0
EJC-19	2	10	13	13	26	2.60	2	-	0
Elitserien (SHL)	4	147	90	82	172	1.17	84	-	2	7	2	4	6	0.86	0	-
Germany3	1	1	0	0	0	0.00	0	-	0
International	7	95	50	50*	100*	1.05*	30*	-	0
Italy	1	35	60	72	132	3.77	48	-	1	8	14	14	28	3.50	10	-
Izvestia Trophy	1	-	2	0	2	-	-	-	0
NHL	9	553	264	422	686	1.24	116	-20	7	59	11	41	52	0.88	14	-
NLA (NL)	4	86	71	75	146	1.70	56	-	3	14	9	13	22	1.57	22	-
Norway	1	6	1	1	2	0.33	8	-	0
Spain	1	6	8	12	20	3.33	-	-	1	2	3	8	11	5.50	-	-
Spengler Cup	4	9*	13*	6*	19*	2.11*	4*	-	0
WC	3	28	19	18	37	1.32	12	-	0
WHA	2	158	81	133	214	1.35	16	28	2	19	5	19	24	1.26	14	1
WJC-20	2	9	5	5	10	1.11	2*	-	0

Kent Nilsson Career Highlights

Season	Awards
1973-1974	U18 EJC Gold Medal U19 EJC Most Points (16)
1974-1975	U18 EJC Bronze Medal U19 EJC Most Points (10)
1977-1978	WHA Avco World Trophy WHA Rookie of the Year (Lou Kaplan Trophy)
1978-1979	WHA Avco World Trophy WHA Most Gentlemanly Player (Paul Daneau Trophy)
1979-1980	NHL All-Star Game
1980-1981	NHL All-Star Game NHL Best Swedish Player (Viking Award)
1982-1983	NHL Gentleman Conduct (Lady Byng Trophy) Finalist
1984-1985	Canada Cup Runner-Up Sweden All-Star Team
1986-1987	NHL Stanley Cup Champion
1987-1988	Italy Champion
1988-1989	Elitserien Best Player (Guldpucken) Elitserien Champion Sweden All-Star Team World Championship Most Points (14)
1989-1990	Sweden All-Star Team World Championship Silver Medal
2005-2006	IIHF Hall of Fame
2012-2013	Sweden Hockey Hall of Fame (#61)

Kent Nilsson Biography and Trivia

Drafted 1976, 1 #11 by Toronto Toros in the WHA Amateur Draft
Cult/Star player for Atlanta Flames
Cult/Star player for Calgary Flames
Cult/Star player for Djurgårdens IF
Cult/Star player for EC Graz
Cult/Star player for EHC Kloten
Cult/Star player for HC Bolzano
Cult/Star player for Nynäshamns IF
Cult/Star player for S.A.D. Majadahonda
Cult/Star player for Sweden
Cult/Star player for Winnipeg Jets