Bernie Nicholls

Bernard Irvine Nicholls (born June 24, 1961 in Haliburton, Ontario) is a former professional ice hockey centre. His junior career was spent with the Kingston Canadians, where he established himself as a dynamic scorer and a multi-faceted talent. He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, 73rd overall. Over his 17 year playing career, Nicholls would play 1127 games for The Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks, scoring 1209 points. He is one of only 8 players in NHL history to score 70 goals in one season, and one of 5 to score 150 points.
== Playing career ==
After Nicholls was drafted, he played one more year of junior before making his professional debut with the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL. He scored 41 goals in 55 games as a rookie, and was recalled to the Kings to finish the season, where he had 32 points in 22 games, and was a contributor in the playoffs, where the Kings upset the Edmonton Oilers to reach the second round. Nicholls would never again play in the minor leagues.
For the next six-and-a-half years, Nicholls was a key offensive talent for the Kings, with his best year (70 goals and 80 assists for 150 points in 79 games played) coming in 1988–89 after the team's acquisition of Wayne Gretzky. During that season, he became one of only 12 players to ever record an eight-point game in NHL history. However, with Stanley Cup aspirations, the Kings made the decision to trade the star centre for a pair of wingers. Nicholls joined the New York Rangers, helping to propel his new club to the second round of the playoffs.
Although Nicholls performed well for the Rangers, he was dealt after less than two full seasons to the Oilers, as part of a blockbuster deal that saw Mark Messier join the Rangers. After just over a year with the Oilers organization, Nicholls saw himself traded again, this time to the New Jersey Devils, as Edmonton attempted to rebuild their team.
Nicholls adapted his game to become more of a defensive forward in the tight-checking system of then-Devils coach Jacques Lemaire. When his contract expired, Nicholls signed a two-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he was allowed to take more offensive liberties. He averaged better than a point-per-game in Chicago.
Nicholls finished his NHL career with the San Jose Sharks. At the age of 36, and with a budding, young franchise, Nicholls took on more of an elder statesman role. At the end of the 1998–99 NHL season, Nicholls retired.
==Career statistics==
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1978–79 	Kingston Canadians 	OMJHL 	 	2 	0 	1 	1 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1979–80 	Kingston Canadians 	OMJHL 	 	68 	36 	43 	79 	85 	 	3 	1 	0 	1 	10
1980–81 	Kingston Canadians 	OHL 	 	65 	63 	89 	152 	109 	 	14 	8 	10 	18 	17
1981–82 	New Haven Nighthawks	AHL 	 	55 	41 	30 	71 	31 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1981–82 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	22 	14 	18 	32 	27 	 	10 	4 	0 	4 	23
1982–83 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	71 	28 	22 	50 	124 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1983–84 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	78 	41 	54 	95 	83 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1984–85 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	80 	46 	54 	100 	76 	 	3 	1 	1 	2 	9
1985–86 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	80 	36 	61 	97 	78 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1986–87 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	80 	33 	48 	81 	101 	 	5 	2 	5 	7 	6
1987–88 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	65 	32 	46 	78 	114 	 	5 	2 	6 	8 	11
1988–89 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	79 	70 	80 	150 	96 	 	11 	7 	9 	16 	12
1989–90 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	47 	27 	48 	75 	66 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1989–90 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	32 	12 	25 	37 	20 	 	10 	7 	5 	12 	16
1990–91 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	71 	25 	48 	73 	96 	 	5 	4 	3 	7 	8
1991–92 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1991–92 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	49 	20 	29 	49 	60 	 	16 	8 	11 	19 	25
1992–93 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	46 	8 	32 	40 	40 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 	 	23 	5 	15 	20 	40 	 	5 	0 	0 	0 	6
1993–94 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 	 	61 	19 	27 	46 	86 	 	16 	4 	9 	13 	28
1994–95 	Chicago Blackhawks 	NHL 	 	48 	22 	29 	51 	32 	 	16 	1 	11 	12 	8
1995–96 	Chicago Blackhawks 	NHL 	 	59 	19 	41 	60 	60 	 	10 	2 	7 	9 	4
1996–97 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 	 	65 	12 	33 	45 	63 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 	 	60 	6 	22 	28 	26 	 	6 	0 	5 	5 	8
1998–99 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 	 	10 	0 	2 	2 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
OHL/OMJHL totals	OHL/OMJHL totals 	OHL/OMJHL totals	 	135 	99 	133 	232 	194 	 	17 	9 	10 	19 	27
NHL totals 	NHL totals 	NHL totals 	 	1127 	475 	734 	1209 	1292 	 	118 	42 	72 	114 	164
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
== Transactions ==
*January 20, 1990- Traded by the Los Angeles Kings to the New York Rangers in exchange for Tomas Sandstrom and Tony Granato.
*October 4, 1991- Traded by the New York Rangers, along with Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk, to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Mark Messier and future considerations 
*January 13, 1993- Traded by the Edmonton Oilers to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Zdeno Ciger and Kevin Todd.
*July 14, 1994- Signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks
*August 5, 1996- Signed as a free agent with San Jose Sharks.
== External links ==
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Category:Born in 1961
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Chicago Blackhawks players
Category:Edmonton Oilers players
Category:Kingston Canadians alumni
Category:Los Angeles Kings players
Category:New Jersey Devils players
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:San Jose Sharks players
Category:NHL All-Stars
Category:NHL players with 50 goal seasons
Category:NHL players with 100 point seasons
Category:Retired in 1999