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1976
AMATEUR DRAFT
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1976 NHL DRAFT PICK
Kent Nilsson
Selected in fourth round
No. 64 overall by Atlanta Flames

Born August 31, 1956
Position: Right Wing / Center
Height: 6-1   Weight: 185
BEFORE THE DRAFT
Last Team: Stockholm Djurgarden (Sweden)       
Birthplace: Nynashamn, Sweden
Hometown: Nynashamn, Sweden
PRE-DRAFT STATISTICS
Year TeamLeague GPG ATP PIM
1973-74 StockholmSweden 8 12 34
1974-75 StockholmSweden 2813 1225 14
1975-76 StockholmSweden 3628 2654 10

PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
World Junior Championships:
1975 (bronze medal), 1976 (fifth place) (both unofficial tournaments)
European Junior Championships: 1974 (gold), 1975 (bronze)
Sweden Points Leader: 1975-76 (Stockholm) (54 points)
Sweden Qualification Round Goals Leader: 1975 (Stockholm) (7)
Miscellaneous: Played in second World Junior Championships in Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba, and third World Junior Championships in Finland. Both were unofficial tournaments that helped set stage for first official World Juniors in 1977.
NHL CAREER
Debut: October 10, 1979 (Atlanta at Quebec)
Numbers:  14 (Atlanta/Calgary); 15 (Minnesota); 15, 14 (Edmonton)
Stanley Cup: 1987.  Playing Status: Retired for final time in 1998
CAREER NHL STATISTICS
Years TeamsGP GA TPPIM
1979-1995 ATL/CGY, MIN, EDM553 264422 686116
CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS
Years TeamsGP GATPPIM
1980-1987 ATL/CGY, MIN, EDM59 1141 5214

NHL AWARDS AND HONORS
All-Star Game:
1980, 1981 (Atlanta/Calgary)
Calgary Molson Cup (Three-Stars Leader): 1980-81
100-Point Seasons: 1980-81 (131), 1982-83 (104)
Atlanta/Calgary Records: Most points in a season (131 in 1980-81), most assists in a season (82 in 1980-81), most shorthanded goals in one season (9 in 1984-85), longest consecutive-games goals streak (8 in 1983-84 , shared), longest consecutive games assists streak (9 in 1984-85, shared), most first goals in one season (14 in 1980-81), most game-tying goals in one season (4 in 1980-81, shared)
Atlanta/Calgary Points Leader: 1979-80 (93), 1980-81 (131), 1982-83 (104), 1983-84 (80), 1984-85 (99)
Atl./Cal. Goals Leader: 1979-80 (40), 1980-81 (49), 1984-85 (37, tie)
Atlanta/Calgary Assists Leader: 1979-80 (53), 1980-81 (82), 1982-83 (58, tie), 1983-84 (49), 1984-85 (62)
Atlanta/Calgary Playoffs Points Leader: 1982 (3, tie), 1983 (12)
Atlanta/Calgary Playoffs Assists Leader: 1982 (3), 1983 (11)
Scouting Career: Named Edmonton amateur scout, specializing in Swedish and European prospects, prior to 1995-96 season and remained in that position through 2006-07 season.
Miscellaneous: Had goal and two assists for Atlanta in first NHL game, which was also the first game in Quebec/Colorado franchise history. ... Set Atlanta/Calgary single-season record (since broken) for power play goals (14) in 1979-80. ... Played left wing for part of 1979-80 season. ... Was on Atlanta team that relocated to Calgary on June 24, 1980. ... Became first European-trained player to score 100 points in an NHL season when he achieved feat in 1980-81. ... Set Atlanta/Calgary single-season record (since broken) with 20 power-play goals in 1980-81. ... Missed most of 1981-82 season with separated shoulder, an injury suffered when he tripped over Mark Pavelich's stick and crashed into the boards during Calgary's Nov. 1, 1981, game at N.Y. Rangers. ... Missed part of 1983-84 season with back pain. ... Missed end of 1983-84 season and entire 1984 playoffs with broken left leg, an injury suffered during Calgary's March 29, 1984, game vs. Los Angeles. ... Left Calgary in 1985 with franchise records (since broken) for career points (562) and career goals (229). ... Missed part of 1985-86 season with back injury suffered in Minnesota's Nov. 9, 1985, game vs. N.Y. Rangers. He developed a viral infection following the injury and missed additional games. ... Missed parts of 1985-86 season with separated shoulder, an injury suffered during Minnesota's Jan. 7, 1986, game at N.Y. Islanders, and pulled groin, an injury suffered during Minnesota's March 21, 1986, game at Edmonton. ... Missed part of 1986-87 season with bruised ribs, an injury suffered during Minnesota's Dec. 15, 1986, game at N.Y. Rangers. ... Left NHL for first time when he accepted contract offer to spend 1987-88 season in Italy. ... Came back to NHL after eight-year absence when he signed with Edmonton as a 38-year-old unrestricted free agent on January 26, 1995. ... Retired as an NHL player on March 14, 1995.
NON-NHL CAREER
Post-Draft Teams: Solna (Sweden); Winnipeg (WHA); Bolzano (Italy); Langnau (Switzerland); Kloten (Switzerland); Graz (Austria); Oslo Valerengen (Norway); Nynashamn (Sweden); Majadahonda (Spain)
Canada Cup: 1981 (fifth), 1984 (second), 1987 (third)
World Championships: 1985 (sixth), 1989 (fourth), 1990 (silver)
NON-NHL AWARDS AND HONORS
WHA Avco Trophy:
1977, 1978 (Winnipeg)
Italian Championship: 1988 (Bolzano)
Swedish Championship: 1989 (Stockholm)
Spanish Championship: 1998 (Majadahonda)
Sweden Player of Year: 1988-89 (Stockholm)
WHA Kaplan Trophy (Rookie of Year): 1977-78 (Winnipeg)
WHA Daneau Trophy (Most Gentlemanly): 1978-79 (Winnipeg)
Sporting News WHA Rookie of Year: 1977-78 (Winnipeg)
World Championships All-Star First Team: 1985, 1989, 1990
Winnipeg (WHA) O'Keefe Trophy (Rookie of Year):
1977-78
Winnipeg (WHA) Molson Cup (Three-Stars Leader): 1977-78
Sweden Canada Cup MVP: 1984
WHA Draft Pick: 1976 (by Toronto, No. 11 overall in Round 2)
Solna Records: Most goals in one season (30 in 1976-77)
World Championships Points Leader: 1989 (14 points)
World Championships Assists Leader: 1989 (11 assists)
Italy Points Leader: 1987-88 (Bolzano) (158 points)
Italy Goals Leader: 1987-88 (Bolzano) (71 goals)
Italy Assists Leader: 1987-88 (Bolzano) (87 assists)
1977-78: Played on WHA regular-season champion (Winnipeg).
Miscellaneous: Stayed out of North American pro hockey during 1976-77 and became a free agent. ... Signed with Winnipeg as an unrestricted free agent in June 1977. ... Switched from right wing to center in his first pro season with Winnipeg. ... Retired for first time during 1995-96 season but came out of retirement to play in Spanish league in 1997-98 season. ... Returned to Nynashamn, Sweden, after his retirement and opened a hockey equipment dealership.
Personal: Nicknamed "Magic Man" and "Kenta." ... Father of Swedish junior Robert Nilsson, a top candidate for the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
HOW HE GOT AWAY
WHA/TRADE: Nilsson did not sign with Atlanta after the draft, instead choosing to remain in Sweden and later enter the WHA. When the NHL and WHA merged in 1979, Atlanta took Nilsson back in the NHL Reclaim Draft on June 9, 1979. Atlanta had made a pre-draft deal with the Jets to guarantee that Winnipeg would not try to protect Nilsson as part of its right to keep three players from its WHA franchise. Six years later, Calgary traded Nilsson and choice of 1985, 1986 or 1987 third-round pick (Minnesota exercised option in 1986 and chose Brad Turner) to Minnesota in exchange for 1985 second-round pick (Joe Nieuwendyk) and 1987 second-round pick (Stephane Matteau) on June 15, 1985. As part of the deal, Calgary agreed to pay $200,000 of Nilsson's $350,000 salary in 1985-86.

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SNAPSHOT '76
Total Selected: 135
Forwards: 83
Defense: 39
Goaltenders: 13
Major Junior: 97
College Players: 26
Canadian: 103
Euro-Canadian: 1
USA Citizens: 23
U.S.-Born: 23
European: 8
Reached NHL: 73
Won Stanley Cup: 8
Hall of Fame: 1
All-Star Game: 12
Year-end All-Star: 2
Olympians: 6
Picks Traded: 15
 
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