Bernie Nicholls

NEWARK, N.J. - The Happiest King cannot be found on the roster, behind the bench, or even among the 126 names in the staff directory. The Happiest King is rarely seen outside of the practice rink, rarely heard outside the dressing room, and still exists almost entirely in your memory. Nobody with a crown on his sweater has ever scored more goals in one season. Yet no King is more invisible as he tries to prod this latest bunch into making a different sort of history. Quick, show of foam fingers, how many knew that Bernie Nicholls was back?

Our series counting down the fans' choices for the top 10 Kings of all time continues with the man who made the "Pumper-Nicholl" famous. No. 9: Bernie Nicholls (seven first-place votes, 3,124 points) Nicholls was an offensive force for the Kings from the day he arrived from the minors during the 1981-82 season, to the day he was traded in 1990. He had his greatest success in 1988-89, scoring 70 goals and having 80 assists playing alongside Wayne Gretzky.  During that season, he became one of only 12 players to ever record an eight-point game in NHL history.

Our series counting down the fans' choices for the top 10 Kings of all time continues with the man who made the "Pumper-Nicholl" famous. No. 9: Bernie Nicholls (seven first-place votes, 3,124 points) Nicholls was an offensive force for the Kings from the day he arrived from the minors during the 1981-82 season, to the day he was traded in 1990. He had his greatest success in 1988-89, scoring 70 goals and having 80 assists playing alongside Wayne Gretzky.  During that season, he became one of only 12 players to ever record an eight-point game in NHL history.

NEWARK, N.J. - The Happiest King cannot be found on the roster, behind the bench, or even among the 126 names in the staff directory. The Happiest King is rarely seen outside of the practice rink, rarely heard outside the dressing room, and still exists almost entirely in your memory. Nobody with a crown on his sweater has ever scored more goals in one season. Yet no King is more invisible as he tries to prod this latest bunch into making a different sort of history. Quick, show of foam fingers, how many knew that Bernie Nicholls was back?

Just because he lives at one, life is not a country club for Bernie Nicholls. It can be a real bore. Nicholls, who has moved from a Connecticut hotel to a suite at the Westchester Country Club, is close to the New York Rangers' Rye practice rink, but far away from his wife, Heather, who remains at their home in California. "After practice I just go home," he said. "I used to just kind of lay around the hotel."

Wayne Gretzky ruined McDonald's for Bernie Nicholls. More than 20 years ago, when they were Kings teammates, Nicholls says that he and Gretzky were nearly inseparable off the ice, Nicholls unexpectedly discovering the Great One's unwavering loyalty to a certain fast-food hamburger chain. "Every day after practice: ‘Let's go to McDonald's and have lunch,' " Nicholls says. "I can't stand McDonald's now." In virtually every way other than gastronomical, however, Nicholls relished their short-lived collaboration.

As Wayne Gretzky emerged from the Los Angeles Kings' bus and walked into Jennines Rink at Avon Old Farms, the prep school kids gathered around to get a peek. "There he is," one boy whispered with dutiful prep school reverence. A few strides later, in walked a dude with a full-length fur coat. Head up, Bernie Nicholls' hair shone California blond in Tuesday's grayness. "Whoa. Nice coat, man," the boy said, reverting to rad teen-age form. Gretzky is hockey's Great One.

Who better to help a goal-starved team than the man responsible for scoring 70 in one season? No, former Kings star Bernie Nicholls isn't coming out of retirement. After all, the guy is 50 and his last NHL tour of duty was during the 1998-99 season with the San Jose Sharks. But Nicholls played for new Kings Coach Darryl Sutter in Chicago and later with the Sharks. After his retirement, he assisted, informally, in San Jose, and Nicholls was more than happy to leave the Ontario winter chill behind when Sutter invited him to Southern California.

New York Ranger forward Bernie Nicholls was suspended for three games for swinging his stick at Montreal defenseman Jean-Jacques Daigneault last weekend.

Bernie Nicholls will be out of the New York Rangers' lineup for three to four weeks after separating his left shoulder Tuesday night, the Rangers announced.

Who better to help a goal-starved team than the man responsible for scoring 70 in one season? No, former Kings star Bernie Nicholls isn't coming out of retirement. After all, the guy is 50 and his last NHL tour of duty was during the 1998-99 season with the San Jose Sharks. But Nicholls played for new Kings Coach Darryl Sutter in Chicago and later with the Sharks. After his retirement, he assisted, informally, in San Jose, and Nicholls was more than happy to leave the Ontario winter chill behind when Sutter invited him to Southern California.

Wayne Gretzky ruined McDonald's for Bernie Nicholls. More than 20 years ago, when they were Kings teammates, Nicholls says that he and Gretzky were nearly inseparable off the ice, Nicholls unexpectedly discovering the Great One's unwavering loyalty to a certain fast-food hamburger chain. "Every day after practice: ‘Let's go to McDonald's and have lunch,' " Nicholls says. "I can't stand McDonald's now." In virtually every way other than gastronomical, however, Nicholls relished their short-lived collaboration.

The Sharks haven't staged a retirement ceremony for Bernie Nicholls. If they offered to throw him a party, he would probably decline. "It's kind of funny," he said. "When you're asked to retire, it's different than when I decide it's time. I don't necessarily want it right now because I was told to retire and I wasn't ready. Am I supposed to ask the guy who retired me to make some kind of speech?"

Bernie Nicholls accepted a job Wednesday with the San Jose Sharks. He just doesn't know what he'll be doing. "I just have to figure out what my title is," he said. Nicholls, an 18-year veteran let go by the Sharks late last month, joins assistant coaches Paul Baxter and Bob Berry. By accepting the offer, Nicholls has decided not to try to play for another team. Nicholls, 37, was a three-time All-Star, playing for the Kings, the Rangers, Edmonton, New Jersey, Chicago and San Jose.

When doctors told Bernie Nicholls he had a tumor in his bladder, he was sure it was cancer. Perhaps it was his doctor's dire prognosis, or the history of cancer in Nicholls' family. No matter what the reason, the death of his baby boy years ago had steeled the San Jose Sharks forward for the crisis. His fears, however, were soon allayed: The tumor was benign. "You put life in perspective when something like that comes calling," Nicholls said.

San Jose Sharks, the NHL's worst team, lost center Bernie Nicholls for the remainder of the season because of hernia surgery. The Sharks placed Nicholls, 35, on injured reserve, retroactive to March 11th, when he played his last game. He joins defenseman Al Iafrate as Sharks who have undergone season-ending surgery. Nicholls, signed away from the Chicago Blackhawks as a free agent on July 30th, is San Jose's third-leading scorer with 12 goals and 33 assists in 65 games.

Bernie Nicholls of the Kings and Tim Brown of the Raiders will be honored as men of the year in their respective sports at the fourth annual Sports Spectacular Dinner July 16 at the Century Plaza Hotel.

The Kings will open a four-game East Coast trip tonight with a game against the Quebec Nordiques at the Colisee de Quebec. With center Bernie Nicholls scoring four goals, the Kings beat Quebec in overtime last November, 5-4.

Bernie Nicholls is returning to California, but he will be playing a few hundred miles north of where he had hoped to be. With no offer in hand from the Mighty Ducks, whom he had favored because he lives in Brea, Nicholls on Tuesday signed a two-year, $4.4 million contract with the San Jose Sharks. The deal includes an option for a third year if he meets certain performance levels. Nicholls, 35, began his career with the Kings in 1981-82.

Free agent Bernie Nicholls has made no secret of his desire to play for the Mighty Ducks and center for wingers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne. But Nicholls may want to play for the Ducks more than Duck executives want him. Frustrated over the club's apparent lack of interest in signing him, Nicholls scheduled a meeting today with representatives of the San Jose Sharks to discuss a tentative offer they have made to him.