| Bob Nystrom | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Nystrom with theNew York Islanders in 1973 | |||
| Born | (1952-10-10)October 10, 1952 (age 73) Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | New York Islanders | ||
| NHL draft | 33rd overall,1972 New York Islanders | ||
| Playing career | 1972–1986 | ||
Robert Thore Nystrom (born October 10, 1952) is a Swedish–Canadian former professionalice hockeyright winger. He played for theNew York Islanders of theNational Hockey League (NHL) from1972 to1986. He is best remembered as having scored theStanley Cup-winning goal at the 7:11 mark of overtime during game six of the1980 Stanley Cup Finals. This signaled the first of four straight championships for the Islanders. He was also among the last NHL players to not wear a helmet during a game.
Playing his minor hockey inHinton, Alberta, Nystrom is immortalized on the town's wall of fame. He is arguably the most successful NHL player from the geographical area that yielded the likes ofDave Scatchard andDean McAmmond.
His sonEric last played professional hockey for Norway'sStavanger Oilers, and previously played for theNashville Predators,Calgary Flames,Minnesota Wild, andDallas Stars of the NHL.
Born Thore Robert Nyström inStockholm, Sweden, Nystrom moved toHinton, Alberta as a four-year-old[1] and later starred for theBCJHL'sKamloops Rockets in 1969–70. He was an emotional sparkplug on theCalgary Centennials of theWCJHL for two seasons, and was claimed 33rd overall by the Islanders in 1972. He played half a season for minor league affiliateNew Haven Nighthawks of theAmerican Hockey League before being promoted to the Islanders in March 1973, wearing number 5.
Nystrom's first full season with the Islanders was 1973–74, when he tallied 41 points as a rookie, garneringCalder Memorial Trophy consideration as rookie of the year (the award eventually went to teammateDenis Potvin). As Potvin now used number 5, Nystrom wore number 23.
Over the next four seasons, as the Islander team improved, Nystrom became one of the steadiest two-way forwards in the league. In each of his first five seasons he collected over 20 goals, including a career-high 30 in1977–78, while playing a strong checking and defensive game as well. He was also selected to play in the1977 NHL All-Star Game.
Nystrom was one of the hardest working, if not the most talented, members of the New York Islanders, who were quickly becoming one of the most feared and respected clubs in theNHL. Although Nystrom, who was nicknamed "Thor" by his teammates,[2] had developed into a very skilled and respected fighter with a physical edge to his game, Nystrom took it upon himself to improve his skating ability.[3] He regularly took power skating classes, including training with pioneering instructor Laura Stamm[4] and in time, became a fairly fluid skater with strong hockey instincts.
As with many of the Islanders of the early 1980s, those instincts seemed to be more in tune when the playoffs rolled around. Nystrom has been known as one of the all-time clutch players in NHLStanley Cup playoff history. He tallied 39 goals and 83 points in 157 playoff games; however he is most noted for his knack forsudden death overtime winners. Nystrom ended playoff overtime games four times in his career. On May 24, 1980, in game six of theStanley Cup finals against thePhiladelphia Flyers, Nystrom scored the game winner at 7:11 of overtime on an assist fromJohn Tonelli to secure the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Nystrom was part of the first NHL team (1979–80 New York Islanders) to win a Stanley Cup with Europeans on its roster.[5] Nystrom is still able to speak a little Swedish, and he was invited to play for Sweden in the1981 Canada Cup. He was however forced to decline as he had not yet negotiated a new contract with the Islanders and hence did not want to risk injury.[6]
Nystrom embraced theLong Island community, contributing to various charities in the area and promoting the local businesses whenever possible. By virtue of these distinctions, and coupled with the most famous goal in team history, Nystrom was nicknamed "Mr. Islander".
Nystrom continued to be an effective winger through the Islanders' Stanley Cup run, but by 1985, his rugged, aggressive play began to wear his body down. He played only 36 games in1984–85, managing only two goals, though he matched that total in only ten postseason games.
After playing sparingly through the first three months of the1985–86 season, Nystrom was accidentally struck in the eye by a high stick from teammateGerald Diduck in practice on January 5. Unable to play due to the severity of the injury (he suffered two tears of theretina, which nearly cost him his eye and later required surgery), he was thought to have retired, and he served as an assistant coach for the remainder of the season.
Nystrom had played in 899 regular season games at the time. The Islanders' coach,Al Arbour, who considered Nystrom one of his favorites, approached Nystrom prior to the Islanders' last home game of the 1985–86 season on April 5, and asked him if he would like to dress one more game, in order to make it an even 900 games played and to give Islanders fans a chance to say a proper good-bye. Nystrom accepted, and was added to the starting lineup. He took the opening face-off to a surprised and appreciative home crowd's roar. After skating around for about five seconds, he returned to the bench, never to play again.
Nystrom remained an assistant coach the next two seasons, then served as radio analyst for the Islanders. He was named Islanders director of corporate affairs in 1988 and remained in that position through 1988–89 season, when he took a position as Islanders director of special projects in 1989 and remained in that position through 1990–91 season. He was named Islanders director of community relations in 1991 and director of amateur hockey development and alumni relations in 1992. In 1997 he added the title director of corporate relations and remained in that position through 2001–02 season.
The Islanders retired his No. 23 on April 1, 1995, although three other players had worn it after Nystrom.
In 2003, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame. He is also a member of theNational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He received the George Young Award, given to that individual, Jewish or non-Jewish, who has best exemplified the high ideals that George Young displayed, from the U.S.National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2003.[7][8][9][10][11]
A resident ofSyosset, New York, Nystrom has two children – Marissa[12] andEric, who was drafted by theCalgary Flames as the 10th overall pick of the2002 NHL entry draft. Ericis Jewish as is his mother.[13][14][15]
In 1991, the Islanders began presenting theBob Nystrom Award to the player "who best exemplifies leadership, hustle, and dedication".[16]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1969–70 | Kamloops Rockets | BCHL | 48 | 16 | 17 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | Calgary Centennials | WCHL | 66 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 153 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 32 | ||
| 1971–72 | Calgary Centennials | WCHL | 64 | 27 | 25 | 52 | 178 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 27 | ||
| 1972–73 | New Haven Nighthawks | AHL | 60 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 114 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | New York Islanders | NHL | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | New York Islanders | NHL | 77 | 21 | 20 | 41 | 118 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | New York Islanders | NHL | 76 | 27 | 28 | 55 | 122 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 27 | ||
| 1975–76 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 23 | 25 | 48 | 106 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 30 | ||
| 1976–77 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 29 | 27 | 56 | 91 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 1977–78 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 30 | 29 | 59 | 94 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 14 | ||
| 1978–79 | New York Islanders | NHL | 78 | 19 | 20 | 39 | 113 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1979–80 | New York Islanders | NHL | 67 | 21 | 18 | 39 | 94 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 50 | ||
| 1980–81 | New York Islanders | NHL | 79 | 14 | 30 | 44 | 145 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 20 | ||
| 1981–82 | New York Islanders | NHL | 74 | 22 | 25 | 47 | 103 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 32 | ||
| 1982–83 | New York Islanders | NHL | 74 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 98 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 15 | ||
| 1983–84 | New York Islanders | NHL | 74 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 80 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 1984–85 | New York Islanders | NHL | 36 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 58 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 29 | ||
| 1985–86 | New York Islanders | NHL | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 900 | 235 | 278 | 513 | 1,248 | 157 | 39 | 44 | 83 | 236 | ||||
Nystrom is the son of retired pro hockey great Bobby Nystrom, who was not born Jewish. Eric's mother is Jewish and Eric was raised Jewish. Bobby has been involved with the Jewish community on Long Island, where he lives. At one point, I got what I considered a reliable report that Bobby had converted to Judaism after his retirement. But another usually reliable source told me that this isn't true. I haven't been able, yet, to run this "issue" down to my satisfaction.
As a non-Jewish member of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, call Bobby Nystrom...
Though his dad is a native of Sweden – his family moved to Canada when he was four – his mom comes from Long Island. Eric was raised Jewish, attended Hebrew school weekly and had a bar mitzvah.