Chris Nilan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chris Nilan |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | February 9, 1958 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
||
| 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 |
||
| National team |  United States |
||
| NHL Draft | 231st overall, 1978 Montreal Canadiens |
||
| Playing career | 1979–1992 | ||
Christopher John Nilan, born on February 9, 1958, is a former professional ice hockey player from the United States. He played as a right-wing in the National Hockey League (NHL) for many years. Nilan played 688 regular season games for teams like the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Boston Bruins. He played from 1980 to 1992. He achieved a major victory by winning the Stanley Cup in 1986 with the Montreal Canadiens.
Nilan was often called "Knuckles" or "Knux" because he was known for his tough style of play. He holds a record for the most penalty minutes by an American-born player in the NHL. His life and hockey career were shown in a 2011 documentary film called The Last Gladiators.
Contents
Becoming a Hockey Player
Chris Nilan grew up in Massachusetts, a state in the United States. As a young boy, he looked up to famous hockey player Bobby Orr. Nilan dreamed of one day playing for the Boston Bruins team. He started playing youth hockey with the Parkway team in West Roxbury, Massachusetts.
College Hockey Years
After playing youth hockey, Nilan went on to play college hockey. He played for the Northeastern University Huskies from 1976 to 1979. During his last year in college, he averaged 3.5 penalty minutes per game. This showed his tough playing style early on.
Joining the NHL
In the 1978 NHL Entry Draft, Chris Nilan was chosen as the 231st player overall. He became well-known as a tough player for the Montreal Canadiens in the mid-1980s. Nilan is one of only nine players in NHL history to have over 3,000 career penalty minutes. He holds records for the highest penalty minute average per game, which is 4.42 minutes. He also has the record for the most penalty minutes in a single playoff season, with 141 minutes.
A Record-Setting Game
On March 31, 1991, Nilan set another record. While playing for the Boston Bruins against the Hartford Whalers, he received ten penalties in one game. These penalties included six minor penalties, two major penalties, one misconduct, and one game misconduct. This added up to a total of 42 penalty minutes in that single game.
Career Highlights and Challenges
Nilan won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1986. This was a major highlight of his career. He was also chosen to play for Team USA in the 1987 Canada Cup. Another notable moment was his selection to the 1991 NHL All-Star Game. His coach, Mike Milbury, chose him, which caused some discussion. Nilan could not play in the game because he had a broken left ankle. This event led to new rules for how players are chosen for All-Star games.
Towards the end of his career, Nilan faced many injuries. He missed more than 200 games in his last five seasons. He retired from professional hockey after the 1991–92 season.
Life After Hockey
After retiring from playing, Chris Nilan returned to the Boston area. He worked in the insurance business for a while. He also spent three years helping with community relations for a large insurance company.
Coaching and Family Life
Nilan later returned to the world of hockey as a coach. He became an assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils in 1995. He stayed in that role until May 1996. After that, he became a head coach for the Chesapeake Icebreakers team.
Chris Nilan married Karen Stanley in 1981. They had two daughters, Colleen and Tara, and one son, Christopher. They later divorced in 2006.
Current Activities
Today, Chris Nilan is involved in many social and charity activities. He often speaks to students in Montreal. He shares his life experiences and talks about learning from past mistakes.
Nilan lived in Oregon for two years. There, he met his current girlfriend, Jaime Holtz. In 2011, Chris and Jaime moved back to Montreal, where they live now.
He started hosting his own radio show called Off the Cuff on TSN Radio 690 Montreal on March 18, 2013. The show was on weekdays and was also streamed online. In 2022, he stopped hosting the show. Currently, Chris Nilan hosts his own podcast called "The Raw Knuckles Podcast."
Awards and Achievements
- Won the Stanley Cup in 1986 with the Montreal Canadiens
- Selected to one NHL All-Star Game: 1991
