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 on February 18, 1982 against the Calgary Flames to finish the season, where he had 32 points in 22 games, and was a contributor in the playoffs as the Kings upset the Edmonton Oilers to reach the second round. He also scored hat tricks in three straight home games in that rookie season. 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 (a team record 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 13 players in NHL history to record an eight-point game. However, with Stanley Cup aspirations, the Kings made the decision (during the 1989-90 season) to trade the star centre for a pair of wingers. Nicholls left the Kings as that franchise's fifth all-time leading scorer to join 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.

Nicholls won a silver medal in the 1985 World Ice Hockey Championships while playing for Canada.

In early 2012 he returned to the Los Angeles Kings as a coaching consultant.

Personal life

Nicholls married Heather in 1986, but they have since divorced. The marriage produced twins, son Flynn and daughter McKenna. They also had a son, Jack, born on November 25, 1992 who died six days before his first birthday on Nov. 19, 1993.

Awards

• Selected to three NHL All-Star Games: 1984, 1989 and 1990

Career statistics

				Regular season						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				135	99	133	232	194		17	9	10	19	27
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 the San Jose Sharks.

International play

Medal record
Representing Canada
Men's ice hockey
	1985 Czechoslovakia

Played for Canada in:

• 1985 World Ice Hockey Championships

[ Source: Wikipedia ]