Alumni Corner: Stefan Persson

All NHL players dream of winning the Stanley Cup. For 16 New York Islanders, that dream was a reality, not once, but four times during the team's dynasty from 1980-83.
It's almost impossible to replicate that success today, not only to win an NHL record 19 straight playoff series, but also to keep 70% of the team intact in the process.
Many notable Islanders players from the dynasty are heavily involved with the day-to-day operations of the team. Clark Gilles and Bobby Nystrom often attend games and team-related events. Butch Goring works as the color analyst alongside Brendan Burke for the MSG television broadcasts.

Stefan Persson isn't as visible around Long Island - albeit because he lives in Sweden - but he's another "core of the four" Islander who played a key role in the four straight Cups. He may be lesser known to the average/younger fan, but he was a solid defenseman and someone who was just as integral as some of the more well-known Islander legends of the early 80's.
For the uninitiated, Persson was drafted by the Islanders in 1974 and played nine seasons with the team from 1977-86. He racked up 369 points (52G, 317A) and is second-highest scoring defenseman in Islanders history, trailing only Denis Potvin.

Persson made a rare appearance recently, as he attended the team's second annual alumni weekend in November. He was alongside Islanders from every era and was excited to reconnect with old teammates from one of the greatest dynasties the sport has ever seen.
"I enjoyed going back to the Island so much," Persson said. "We had a few beers and sat at the bar and traded stories, it was really great to talk with everyone and reminisce about old memories."
Persson was around for plenty of historic moments in Islanders history. He recalled Bobby Nystrom's famous overtime Stanley Cup winning goal in 1980 - the goal that started a dynasty - as one of his all-time favorite moments as an Islander.
"That last goal, the deciding goal, I wasn't involved in the play but I was on the ice," Persson explained. "And truth be told I hardly remember that, I sort of went blank in the head before I had even realized that we had won the game. That was a really special moment."
That said, some of his favorite memories were just the day-to-day life in the locker room.
"Just the way we bonded with the guys. I mean, how we really, genuinely liked each other," Persson said. "You travel so much and you're together for so many hours each week. I think the way we handled each other and treated each other, it couldn't have been a better experience."
After retiring from the NHL during the 1985-86 season, Persson returned to Sweden to play for Boräs HC. After three seasons with Boras, he then retired from playing hockey all together.

Persson's hockey story didn't end there. Following his retirement, Persson served as the team's general manager for four seasons. He then worked with Sweden's Junior National Team for about five years where he had the opportunity to work with some of Sweden's young, elite hockey talent.
"I worked with the Sedin twins (Daniel and Henrik), (Henrik) Zetterberg, and a lot of good players came through at the time and it was really enjoyable to see how they developed as young hockey players," Persson said. "That's what was great about working with kids who are 18-19 years old, they can improve their games so much in a short amount of time."
For the last 15 years, Persson has been working with the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation, focusing primarily on player safety. This federation works in collaboration with the top hockey clubs in Sweden, so it's not often he can carve out the time to come and take in an Isles game with some old teammates.
That's the beauty of alumni weekend, a chance for Persson to come in and reconnect with the core of the dynasty and meet all the guys who came after.
"Many of these guys, probably 70 percent of them, I've never met, and it's a great time shaking hands and trading stories, finding out more about them, what they're doing and where they've been," Persson said.
And of course a chance to reflect on being one of the 16 players to win those four titles.
"We had 16 guys that stuck around for all four Stanley Cups, and that is something that just won't happen today for a number of reasons," Persson said. "Maybe some team will win three or four cups, but I don't think anyone will win 19 playoff series in a row like we did back in the day."