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New York Rangers Alumni Bernie Nicholls Talks Hockey with Blue Line Station

By Jessica Joy Curtin

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What does former NHL player and New York Rangers alumni, Bernie Nicholls, think of the 94′ Blueshirts and the Rangers of today?

Bernie Nicholls spent three seasons with the New York Rangers in which he tallied more than a point per game with 37 goals and 73 assists over 104 games played. But that’s not what he’s best known for, of course.

The Ontario native spent nine years with the Los Angeles Kings, racking up an outstanding 327 goals and 431 assists over 602 games. And most impressively, he currently holds the franchise record for most goals scored in a single season: 70 goals in the 1988-89 season.

He then went on to play for the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks, and San Jose Sharks before retirement in 1998.

Bernie Nicholls is, no doubt, an accomplished hockey player. So who better than him to offer some insight on the Rangers of today and yesterday?

What are your thoughts on the New York Rangers’ performance in the regular season and their potential in the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Who do you see winning the Cup? -Blue Line Station

The Rangers had a good season. They were fortunate that Talbot was able to come in and play [in] net as well as he did when Lundqvist was hurt. Well with the teams that are left, I really think that the Ducks and Rangers have the best chance…but Tampa looks strong too. Should be a good finals regardless of who makes it. – Bernie Nicholls

What is your involvement in the sport and the discussion of hockey today? Would you invest in the NYR stock in the ASM app? Tell us a little bit about ASM, and how a reader can get involved with it.

…playing in the Big Apple was one of the coolest more memorable times of my life – Bernie Nicholls

I’m mostly involved in charity events and kids summer camps. I love the sport and really always try to give back in any way I can. I would invest in the Rangers on AllSportsMarket, not just because I played there but more because I believe they are always going to put a winning team on the ice. With AllSportsMarket being a performance based sports stock market, they are one of the better buys in the NHL. With ASM being a game right now, its easy for fans to get involved and have some fun buying and selling shares in sports teams. As an added bonus, if you sign up now, and use the Promo Code DELOREAN, you will be entered into winning a brand new $90,000 DeLorean (car from Back to The Future). It’s a ton of fun and who wouldn’t want a chance at winning the car! [Go to] www.allsportsmarket.com to get started.

How would you describe two seasons (1989-90 and 1990-91) spent with the New York Rangers? And how did that compare to your time in Los Angeles?

Playing in the NHL is a dream come true. Honestly, I loved playing in LA. It was my first team and its one place I consider home. Now having said that, playing in the Big Apple was one of the coolest more memorable times of my life; from doing photo shoots with Upper Deck for the Broadway Bernie series to playing in front of the best fans in the sport.

New York Rangers
New York Rangers /

New York Rangers

What was the mood like during the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals when you played for New Jersey? What was going through your mind on the ice and in the locker room having to face your former team, especially being one of the guys traded to Edmonton for Mark Messier?

Well we knew it was going to be tough. But with Marty Brodeur in net, you always had a chance. The Rangers were a bit of a team of destiny that year and even though they beat us, we knew we gave it our all. If anything good come out of it, it was that they won the Cup, so we lost to the team that won it all; no shame in that.

What was your most memorable moment playing in the NHL? And in the playoffs? Was it the 1988-89 season scoring 70 goals while playing with Wayne Gretzky?

Scoring 70 goals and having 150 points is hard to beat as far as a season goes. Wayne and I didn’t play on the same line together, as we were both Center, but having him on the ice with the same jersey was amazing. We did play the power play together and I know I was very lucky to have played with him. He is the greatest [hockey player] in the world, how could you not love playing with him.

Special thanks to Bernie Nicholls and AllSportsMarket for making this interview possible.

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