"Never before or since did a player have the season Kenny had," added Podnieks. "He became a member of one of the rarest groups of players in history when he played at all three international tournaments within a span of weeks, winning medals at each."
That's precisely one -- of many -- things general manager Milbury was thinking about on March 13, 1996 when he pulled off one of the greatest deals in franchise history.
"I was talking trade with (Maple Leafs GM) Cliff Fletcher," Milbury recalled. "He wanted our Wendel Clark who had been a big favorite in Toronto. I told him he could have Clark but I definitely wanted Ken Jonsson."
Milbury held firm in his demand that no deal would get done without Fletcher including Jonsson as part of the package. Never budging, Mike finally forced Fletcher to capitulate.
"Besides getting Jonsson," Milbury remembered, "we acquired a young, high-scoring Junior, Sean Haggerty, a grinder, Darby Hendrickson, and a prized 1997 first round draft choice."
Wasting no time, late that winter of 1996, Mike dressed Jonsson against the formidable future Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux and the Penguins in Pittsburgh.
"They paired me with Darius Kaspairitis," Jonsson recalled. "That was quite an experience trying to shut down Mario; and we did a pretty good job of it at that."
For the Angelholm, Sweden blueliner, that night was just the start of something big as an Islander.
MAVEN'S MEMORIES
WRITTEN COVERAGE
Gerry Hart, Heart of the Original Isles
The Parise-Drouin Trades
The Great Smitty and Gretzky Battles
From Long Island Arena to UBS Arena
Isles-Rangers Feud: Heating Up Into the 1990s
Isles Sweep Rangers in 1981
Road to 1981 Cup, Round 2
First Steps Towards 1981 Cup
From Viking to Uniondale, the Sutter Bros
Maven's Haven
Writing in Hockey Digest magazine, author Karl Samuelson rated Jonsson "One of the NHL's Ten Most Underrated Players of His Era." He compared him to Hall of Famer Borje Salming and earlier Islander Stefan Persson.
Samuelson: "Kenny was a heady player with great mobility. He was relied upon by the Islanders as much as any of the other top defensemen in the league."
A Chicago Blackhawks scouting report on Jonsson offered this X-Ray:
"Jonsson is the Islanders go-to guy whether it's on the power play or when they're killing penalties. He's put it all together."
Some observers claimed that Jonsson's deportment reminded them of the legendary comic Rodney Dangerfield's favorite two words: "No respect."
Perhaps; but one thing was certain; From Ken's debut through retirement he was regarded as a perfectly positioned D-man who played equally smart on offense as well as in his own zone.
The late historian Ira Gitler once remarked, "The only problem with Ken Jonsson's career with the Islanders was the number of injuries he suffered while still in his prime. The term 'Underrated' fit him well."
Another reporter put it this way: "His quiet demeanor and low-key playing style kept him below the radar of many hockey writers."
A SportsChannel network commentator called Jonsson "One of everybody's favorites at the Coliseum. But, nationally, he was one of the most underrated players of his generation."
Jonsson's best season on the Island was 1997-98. Over an 81-game run, he tallied 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points.
He skated for four playoff teams, the best of which was the 2001-02 squad. Over 76 regular season games during that period, he went 10G, 22A, 32P and added a goal and two assists in five postseason matches.
Ken retired from NHL wars after the 2003-04 campaign. He ranks fourth all-time among Isles defensemen in points and third all-time in games played.
Frankly, I don't remember who said it, but my favorite line to sum up Ken Jonsson's laudable career as an Islander was summed up in eight little words:
"He spoke softly but carried a big stick!"
