Bernie Nicholls

Lore & Background

Nicholls began playing ice hockey at age four in Haliburton, Ontario, where his father built a community rink behind the town schoolhouse. He played junior hockey with the Haliburton Huskies and Woodstock Navy Vets before being drafted by the Kingston Canadians of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League. In his final amateur season, he set franchise records with 63 goals, 89 assists, and 152 points. Drafted in the fourth round of the 1980 NHL draft by the Los Angeles Kings, Nicholls was assigned to the AHL's New Haven Nighthawks at the start of his pro career due to arriving at training camp overweight and out of shape. He was called up to the NHL in February 1982 and scored his first two career goals in his ninth game. In the 1984–85 season, he became the first player in NHL history to score a goal in all four periods of a game (including overtime). His peak came in the season after Wayne Gretzky joined the Kings, when Nicholls scored 70 goals and 150 points, becoming the eighth and last player to reach those thresholds in one season.

Reader's Guide

Nicholls' career is marked by both offensive brilliance and a later shift to a defensive role. After five straight 75-point seasons with the Kings, he was moved to second-line center following the acquisition of Wayne Gretzky, which led to his historic 70-goal, 150-point campaign. He was traded mid-season to the New York Rangers, where he recorded his final 100-point season. In his later years, he honed his skills as a defensive forward and reached the Conference Finals with the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, and Chicago Blackhawks, losing each time. He became the 39th player to reach 1,000 career points in 1994 with the Devils. He closed his career with the San Jose Sharks as a checking center on the fourth line before being cut in November of that season. In 1,127 games, he recorded 475 goals and 734 assists for 1,209 points, which at the time ranked 27th most in league history. He currently holds the record for most points among all eligible players not in the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2011, he joined the Los Angeles Kings as a coaching consultant and was on the staff when the team won the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, earning him a Stanley Cup ring.

Did You Know?

• Nicholls was born pigeon toed and wore corrective braces as a toddler.
• He set a franchise rookie record with the Woodstock Navy Vets with 41 goals and 79 points in 40 games.
• He scored his first career NHL hat-trick on March 17 against the Calgary Flames.
• He was inducted into the Haliburton Highlands Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.