PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Kenta Nilsson was known as “Magic Man” in the USA.
The story behind it is a funny one.
– Everyone just stopped there and then, says TV commentator Peter Young in the SVT program “Hockeyns Historia”.
Kent Nilsson is one of the greatest talents Swedish hockey has ever produced. During the 80s in particular, Kenta was one of the world’s greatest players and was compared to greatness Wayne Gretzky. He made a big impression in the NHL where he played most of the time for the Calgary Flames.
Kenta’s magic
The merit list for Kenta Nilsson consists, among other things, of a WC silver in 1990, EC gold in 1990, Italian champion 87/88, and a Stanley Cup victory with the Edmonton Oilers 86/87. In Tre Kronor, he played 94 games in 15 years. In three WCs, Kenta became the highest scoring Swede in all of them. In 2006, he was inducted into the hockey Hall of Fame.
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Here in Sweden, Kenta Nilsson was also known as “Mr Magic”. A nickname that is mainly traced to his participation in a television report. During a challenge, he scored two out of three pucks straight into the crossbar right from the blue line with his fantastic shot. Something that felt magical.
The origin of the nickname
In the USA, the nickname “the Magic Man” was more common for Nilsson. And the reason is incredible.
During his time with the Winnipeg Jets, Magic Man participated in a penalty shootout during the taping of the program “Winnipeg Jets Shootout”. It was the players against the former goalkeepers Joe Daley and Marcus Mattson. Finally it was just Kenta and Ulf “Lill-Pröjsarn” Nilsson left by the penalty takers.
– Kent Nilsson was, in addition to Wayne Gretzky, the most skilled player I have personally ever seen. He did something that was totally unimaginable. “Ulfie” came in and Joe blocked him, so Kent needs to score to win the contest, says the American TV commentator Peter Young in SVT’s “Hockey’s History”.
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Then Mr Magic stepped onto the ice and went straight towards the goal. At the blue line, he hit the puck so that it was on its edge. On the edge, the puck remained until Kenta was a few meters away from goalie Daley.
– Then he flicked the puck up in the air and as with a baseball bat, he hit it into the crossbar. Everyone just stopped there and then. Joe picked up his stick and started chasing him around on the ice, because he had embarrassed him! That’s how skilled Kent Nilsson was. We called him “the Magic Man”, he was the magic man, he could do things that no one else could ever do, says Young.
READ MORE: Niklas Wikegård’s beautiful giant tribute to Kenta Nilsson – which all Swedish hockey fans must hear: “Deserves it”
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