A few years have passed since the icon Kenta Nilsson left ice hockey altogether.
Today, he has a completely different interest.
– I have been selfish all my life and didn’t care about anyone. Until now, he tells Expressen.
When Wayne Gretzky was asked a few years ago about the most skilled player he had seen, he surprised everyone by saying: “Kent Nilsson”. The Swedish icon dominated for a few years in the NHL, and won the Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers, led by Gretzky, during the 80s.
Incredible career
After the long and successful playing career, Nilsson started as a scout, first for the Edmonton Oilers from 1992 to 2010, and then for the Florida Panthers. But after the 2019-2020 season, Nilsson had to leave, and since then he has left hockey behind. Last year, he also separated from golf star Helen Alfredsson, something he describes as a “difficult period”.
But Nilsson also found a lot of interest last year. One Sunday he entered Katarina’s church on Södermalm in Stockholm, and since then he has visited fifty churches in the Stockholm area, and add a number on Gotland. It has become his new hobby, maybe even obsession, to visit a church every Sunday.
– You are in another world when you are in church on Sundays. I wish I had started walking much earlier. It takes an hour out of the week and gives so much. The young priests are good, I like to hear them speak, he tells Expressen.
“I have been selfish”
He says that he started to think in a different way since he started going to church. But he hasn’t thought about confessing.
– Some of my friends have asked that very question when they hear about my newfound interest. But if I were to confess it would take a few months. I have been selfish all my life and didn’t care about anyone. Until now, he says.
Kenta Nilsson is therefore not a Christian, but finds peace in just being in church.
– I am not a Christian and do not take communion. But I love listening to the music and hearing other people tell about their lives on Sundays in Katarina. It’s relaxing and really good times. What I like is that everyone gets to be there. Everyone can participate, he says.
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