The best player in NY Islanders history from each country in the 4 Nations Face-Off

Sweden

Stefan Persson, Umeå, SWE

It’s been a while since the Islanders had a star player from Sweden, but turning back the clock, Stefan Persson was the perfect defenseman at the perfect time.

While Denis Potvin was the backbone of the Islanders' defense in the 80s, Persson complimented him as well as anybody could.

Selected by the Isles in the 14th round of the 1974 NHL Draft, Persson remained playing in Sweden until joining the Isles during the 1977-78 season.

Persson was an integral part of the Islanders' four Stanley Cups in the 1980s as a puck-moving defenseman, finishing his NHL career only playing for the Islanders and attributing 369 points (52 G, 317 A) in 622 games.

In a time when most players in the NHL were from Canada, Persson was one of the first Swedish players to have a major impact in the history of the league.

Other notables: Kenny Jonsson

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