Ulf Nilsson signed with the Winnipeg Jets along with fellow countryman Anders Hedberg in early May 1974 and centered the Hot Line, as it came to be known, with Hedberg on his right and Bobby Hull on his left. The line was dominant for its four seasons together and was one of the best trios in hockey history.
In playing the role of playmaker with two gifted scorers on either side, Nilsson racked up 344 assists over four seasons and recorded over 100 points in each of those seasons.
Nilsson was the most valuable player of the 1976 playoffs in leading the Jets to their first AVCO Cup championship and was also a First Team All-Star that season. He was a Second Team All-Star in 1976-1977, a First Team All-Star in 1977-1978, and played in the annual mid-season All-Star Game in each of his four seasons in the WHA.
Nilsson joined teammate Anders Hedberg in signing with the NHL's New York Rangers for 1978-1979, but a series of injuries cut his career short in New York. |
