About Bernie Nicholls
Bernard Irvine Nicholls (born June 24, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks, and San Jose Sharks from 1981 to 1999. Born in Haliburton, Ontario, Nicholls played hockey from the age of four and excelled in amateur leagues before he was drafted in the fourth round of the 1980 NHL draft by the Los Angeles Kings. After a record-setting season for the Kingston Canadians in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League with over 60 goals, Nicholls signed a contract with the Kings, who did not promote him to the NHL until February 1982. Playing 22 games that year, he recorded fourteen goals and eighteen assists as he stayed in the major leagues for good. The 1983–84 season saw Nicholls record 41 goals to lead the team in goals as the fourth player with a 40-goal season. The 1984–85 season saw him record his first 100-point season on the heels of a 25-game scoring streak to go along with being the first player to score a goal in every regulation period and overtime. After five straight 75-point seasons, Nicholls, moved to the second-line at center with the acquisition of Wayne Gretzky in the offseason, had his peak with the 1988–89 season that saw him score 70 goals to go with 150 points to make him the eighth (and currently last) player with 70 goals and 150 points in one season. In the middle of the 1989–90 season, having recorded 75 points in 47 games, Nicholls was traded to the New York Rangers, where he recorded 37 points in 32 games for his final 100-point season. In his only full season with the Rangers the following years, he recorded 73 points in 71 games before being traded after one game into the 1991–92 season. Honing his skills to be more of a defensive forward in his later years, Nicholls reached the Conference Finals with the Oilers, Devils, and Blackhawks but lost each time. Nicholls 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 for the fourth line before being cut in November of the 1998–99 season. In 1,127 games, Nicholls recorded 475 goals with 734 assists for a total of 1,209 points, which at the time was 27th most in league history. He currently has the most points of all eligible players that is not in the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2011, Nicholls joined the Los Angeles Kings as a coaching consultant and was on the staff when the team won the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, which earned Nicholls a Stanley Cup ring. During his sole season with the Vets, Nicholls set a franchise rookie record with 41 goals and 79 points through 40 games. He finished the regular season with a franchise-record 63 goals, 89 assists, and 152 total points. On February 26, Nicholls broke Tony McKegney's franchise record for most points in a single season. Nicholls is one of only eight players in NHL history to score 70 goals in one season, and one of six to score 150 points.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.