| Bernie Nicholls |
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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 (79gp, 70g, 80a, 150pts) coming after the acquisition of Wayne Gretzky . 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 Edmonton 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 . Now aged 36, and with a young, budding franchise, Nicholls took on more of an elder statesman role. At the end of the 1998-1999 NHL Season , Nicholls retired. TRANSACTIONS
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