Chris Nilan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chris Nilan |
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| Born | February 9, 1958 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Montreal Canadiens New York Rangers Boston Bruins |
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| National team |  United States |
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| NHL Draft | 231st overall, 1978 Montreal Canadiens |
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| Playing career | 1979–1992 | ||
Christopher John Nilan (born February 9, 1958) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played as a right-wing in the National Hockey League (NHL). Nilan played 688 regular season games for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Boston Bruins. His career lasted from 1980 to 1992. He won the Stanley Cup in 1986 with the Montreal Canadiens.
Nilan was known by the nicknames "Knuckles" or "Knux". He was famous for his tough style of play and often got into fights on the ice. He holds a record for the most penalty minutes by an American-born player in the NHL. His life and hockey career are shown in the 2011 documentary film The Last Gladiators.
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Playing Career
Chris Nilan grew up in Massachusetts. He looked up to hockey legend Bobby Orr. He dreamed of playing for the Boston Bruins. He played youth hockey with the Parkway team in the Greater Boston Youth Hockey League.
Later, he played college hockey for Northeastern University from 1976 to 1979. He was known for getting many penalty minutes even in college.
Nilan was chosen 231st overall in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft. He became well-known as a "tough-guy" for the Montreal Canadiens. A tough-guy in hockey often protects teammates and stands up to opponents.
He is one of only nine players in NHL history with over 3,000 career penalty minutes. He holds the record for the highest average penalty minutes per game (4.42 minutes). He also has the most penalty minutes in a single playoff season (141). On March 31, 1991, Nilan set a record for the most penalties in one game. While playing for the Bruins, he received ten penalties, totaling 42 penalty minutes.
Nilan faced many injuries during his career. He missed over 200 games in his last five seasons. He retired after the 1991–92 season.
Some big moments in his career include winning the Stanley Cup in 1986. He was also chosen for Team USA in the 1987 Canada Cup. He was selected for the 1991 NHL All-Star Game by his coach, Mike Milbury. Nilan missed the game due to a broken ankle. This selection led to new rules for how players are chosen for All-Star games.
Life After Hockey
After retiring from hockey, Nilan moved back to the Boston area. He worked in the insurance business for a few years. He also worked as a community relations consultant.
He later returned to hockey as a coach. He was an assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils from 1995 to 1996. After that, he became a head coach for the Chesapeake Icebreakers.
Chris Nilan is involved in many social and charity activities. He also talks to students in Montreal. He shares his life experiences and lessons learned with them.
Nilan lived in Oregon for two years. He moved back to Montreal in 2011. He currently lives there.
He started hosting his own radio show, Off the Cuff, in 2013. The show aired on TSN Radio 690 Montreal. Today, Chris Nilan hosts his own podcast called "The Raw Knuckles Podcast."
Awards
- Won the Stanley Cup in 1986 with the Montreal Canadiens
- Selected to one NHL All-Star Game: 1991
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Bold indicates led league
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1975–76 | Northwood School | Prep | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Northeastern University | ECAC | 20 | 3 | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Northeastern University | ECAC | 20 | 8 | 9 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Tri-Valley Squares | NEJHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Northeastern University | ECAC | 32 | 9 | 17 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Nova Scotia Voyageurs | AHL | 49 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 304 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 50 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1980–81 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 57 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 262 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1981–82 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 49 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 204 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22 | ||
| 1982–83 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 66 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 213 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 1983–84 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 76 | 16 | 10 | 26 | 338 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 81 | ||
| 1984–85 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 77 | 21 | 16 | 37 | 358 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 81 | ||
| 1985–86 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 72 | 19 | 15 | 34 | 274 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 141 | ||
| 1986–87 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 44 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 266 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 75 | ||
| 1987–88 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 50 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 209 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | New York Rangers | NHL | 22 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | New York Rangers | NHL | 38 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 177 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 38 | ||
| 1989–90 | New York Rangers | NHL | 25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 59 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19 | ||
| 1990–91 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 41 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 277 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 62 | ||
| 1991–92 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 39 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 186 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 74 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | ||
| NHL totals | 688 | 110 | 115 | 225 | 3,043 | 111 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 541 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | United States | CC | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 |
See also
- List of NHL players with 2000 career penalty minutes
