Hall of Famer Nick Nickson and his LA Kings Entourage

I used to love the HBO show Entourage.  Sure it was crude and at times a silly show (the film version even more so), that was fully geared to a male demographic but the idea of a show about a bunch of guys whose friendship, respect and loyalty for each other that lasted over the years no matter what obstacle or temptation they faced pulled at my heartstrings.  In the beginning they had nothing but each other and when one of them got discovered, he went to Hollywood and became famous but made sure he brought his friends along with him.  They ended up with the world and still had each other.  I have no doubt if these characters lost it all somehow, and hit the lowest of the low, in the end, they would still have each other.

Real life, though as dramatic and crazy as it seems to get sometimes, is not an HBO show, (thank the hockey Gods because who would want to actually live in a crazy world like Game of Thrones, am I right? Right??? <he asks while secretly raising his hand while humming the catchy and epic theme song>), but the themes of the show Entourage, or another show from HBO like Sex and the City is that if you find the right people in your life, no matter what happens, they will have your back through thick and thin, for the rest of your life.

Like the main Entourage character of Vinnie Chase, long time Los Angeles Kings broadcaster Nick Nickson was from the east coast (Rochester, NY), who needed to move to Los Angeles to chase his dreams.  His dream … was to be the number 1 DJ in America! (Untz! Untz! Untz! … Actually back then in the mid-1970’s, it would’ve been disco music so it was more like Pew! Pew! Pew!).  Another dream of his was to own a radio station.  Neither ended up happening but what did happen was an opportunity to do the play by play radio broadcast of the hockey team of his attending school, Ithaca College (which also happens to be the school Kings’ Captain Dustin Brown and his wife Nicole attended. FATE!)  Thanks to a heads up by his father, Nick Sr (who inspired Nick Jr to follow a broadcasting career, as he was a broadcaster himself for 60 years!), Nickson landed a professional job doing the play by play for the AHL’s Rochester Americans. That opened another door to work for the New Haven Nighthawks.

It wasn’t a Hollywood agent like Entourage’s Ari Gold that discovered the talent that Nickson was, instead it was a business transaction beyond his control.  In 1981, the Nighthawks said “good-bye” to their NHL affiliate New York Rangers and said “hello” to the Los Angeles Kings.  Before he knew it, Nickson was living in California and working on television for the Kings, side by side with the future hall of famer Bob Miller (and with a killer mustache to boot!)

This started a 34 year (and counting) career with the Kings that led to Nickson achieving the acclaimed Foster Hewitt Award for Excellence in Hockey Broadcasting and a well deserved induction into the prestigious Hockey Hall of Fame.

A lot can happen in a 3 decades plus career, and a revolver of people can come in and out of one’s life in such a large amount of time but to show how loved and respected Nick Nickson is by his peers and to find out how loyal his closest friends are to him, became something even more powerful to tug at the heartstrings to me than anything on fictional television.  On the biggest day of his storied career, when Nickson was on the biggest stage of his life, about to be forever enshrined in the hall of legends, Nick Nickson’s entourage made the entire trip to Toronto, Ontario Canada.  Even if that meant they were only going to stay there for a short amount of time, just to support, celebrate and be there for their long time cherished friend.

One person who made the trip was Nickson’s radio broadcasting partner, LA Kings’ “Miracle on Manchester” hero himself, Daryl Evans, who spoke to me and my colleague Ryan Cowley of MakeWayForTheKings.Net after he returned from a luncheon held earlier in the day where Nickson was also honored, and talked about his long time colleague and friend,

“It is now my 17th year working with him on the radio broadcast, but I remember when I was a player getting to know Nick at that time just seeing where his career had come from and gone to, it’s great. So I’m happy, happy for him. He’s very proud today as he should be. His family’s here to share this with him and it’s great to be a part of it. Our Kings family is very proud of him.”

Evans continued, (and proved my entourage theory correct),

“He’s got some people from Rochester where he grew up that are here as well. I think the last day or two and even the next couple of days — tomorrow night in Los Angeles, we have a Legends Night and Nick is going to be our legend tomorrow night — so these next few days are going to be a little bit of a blur, but I think once you get a chance to sit down and digest, take a look at some of the pictures and tapes, to take in everything that happened, it’s got to be unbelievable for him. Standing up on that stage, he conducted himself with such great professionalism, so well-spoken, thanking all the people, and I know he took a lot of pride in being there and having as many people in the Kings family there, people who have been with him throughout his career. So, it’s a special time for him and I think he’s really enjoying it, but I think as time goes by, he’ll digest it even more and be able to take it in even more, to better understand the magnitude of it.”

This left me to ponder on who else from the King’s family made the trip in support of Nick Nickson? (MY READERS MUST KNOW! OKAY FINE, MY FAN BOYisms MUST KNOW!) Mr. Evans finished the interview off with a beautifully honest sentiment about what Nick Nickson truly meant to him,

“Again, just being part of things with Nick here is very special. It seems like it was just yesterday when we started but time has gone by, a lot of years have gone by, a lot of games have gone by, and you approach every one like it’s going to be your last one. I just cherish each and every day that I get to call games and to be able to call them with Nick.”

Before he left (and took a selfie with us),

Evans also made mention that Bob Miller and Jim Fox had also made the trip to Toronto in support of Nick.  Very fitting that Nickson’s fellow broadcasting teammates would travel across the continent to show their support, especially when Evans mentioned that they couldn’t stay long and could only stay for the friday night NHL Professional Broadcasters’ Association banquet. The first event of six in total that was held on that Hall of Fame induction weekend, (this particular banquet was just in honor of Nick and fellow Hall of Fame inductee, TSN hockey analyst Bob McKenzie. The rest of the inductee’s were honored that same day at the Hockey Hall of Fame in a press conference hosted by TSN, (which Ryan and I got to cover), where the inductees received their Hall of Fame rings. Still with me? Okay hold on. Let me take out my Back to the Future part II chalkboard to figure this all out.

Friday, November 6th was the HHoF inductees (players and builders) press conference at the Hall,  It was also the day of the Professional Broadcaster’s banquet where Nickson was honored and where Evans, Miller and Fox (as well as the Los Angeles Time’s Lisa Dillman) were to support Nick in his first moment of glory (so that’s 2 events so far).  There was a fan forum and autograph signing at the Hall on Saturday, November 7th (which is event number 3 and an event that Nick was not a part of) and then the Legend’s Classic Alumni game at the Air Canada Centre on the Sunday (event number 4 where I’m not sure if Nick was there or not as I was too busy complaining about Valeri Bure not playing a single game for the Kings!) Monday, November 9th, was the official (LIVE) Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony but there was also a luncheon earlier that day (events number 5 and 6!).  Soooo … … Bob and Jim flew all the way to Toronto from Los Angeles to be there for Nick at his first Hall of Fame ceremony.  Then they had to jump back on a plane and fly back to LA immediately after so they could prepare for the upcoming Kings game.  That’s 2 long flights across the continent for such a short period of time but it just goes to show you how highly they think of Nick Nickson!  Like how many people in this world would put themselves through such a rigorous journey just for one person?  Not many!  Now that’s true friendship, respect and loyalty! Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled article).

<Photo Credit to Lisa Dillman of the LA Times and yes she gave me permission>

I figured the appearance of Bob Miller and Jim Fox were the Kings family that Evans had been referring to but at the official live Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony, on the red carpet at the Allen Lambert Galleria on a cool night in Toronto and in the stunningly dressed up and architectural marvel of Brookfield Place, right near the entrance to the Hall itself,

Ryan and I found out who else from the Kings family had also made the long trip for Nick. It was none other than Los Angeles Kings legends and fellow Hall of Famers, Luc Robitaille and Rob Blake, along with Fox West Sports co-host and former 2 time King, Sean O’Donnell (or a 3 time King if you count the gig at FWS). When Daryl Evans mentioned that the Kings family had come out, he wasn’t kidding!

We spoke to the legendary Luc Robitaille (who by the way, along with Wayne Gretzky was my CHILDHOOD HERO!!! AND UNLIKE THE GREAT GRETZKY, LUC IS THE MAIN REASON WHY I BECAME A KINGS FAN TO BEGIN WITH!!! AND NOW HE’S STANDING HERE IN FRONT OF ME!!!) …

<clears his throat and tries his hardest to keep his inner LA Kings fan boy under control before continuing>

… Mr. Robitaille, who is the current LA Kings’ President of business operations, spoke to us about Nick on behalf of the Kings’ organization,

“For us, it’s very special because we’re in California and we’re always trying to sell the game. We love what we do there and to see how it’s growing, so to have a gentleman like Nick Nickson to get acknowledged, to get in the Hall of Fame, in Toronto, it’s very special and it’s something our fans are very happy about and we’re going to celebrate with him tomorrow night at our game, so it’s pretty neat.”

(When Mr. Robitaille mentioned the word, “celebrate,” I immediately thought that RYAN AND I WERE INVITED TO THE NICKSON PARTY!!! WOOOOO!!! …

… of course he hadn’t but he did politely thank me after I told him he was “The Man” 20 times and allowed us to take a selfie with him).

Walking along the red carpet next, with his lovely wife Carolyn by his side, a very honored and proud Nick Nickson made his way towards the ceremony that he was about to be honored in.  On the grandest day of his career and being the gentleman of gentlemen, he took a quick (not the 2012 Conn Smythe trophy winner) moment of his time to speak to Ryan and I for our respected articles (and take a selfie of course), about his experience of being inducted into hockey’s greatest house, and the friend’s and family that were there for him, and he said it with a certain touch of heart-warming pride but with yet with such class, like listening to him on the Kings radio broadcast, you are just mesmerized by his articulate, calming voice,

“It was a wonderful experience today. Something obviously I’ll never forget. It was great to have all the people that have meant so much to me over the years. My former partners were there that I worked with on the broadcast — Yeah, Daryl Evans was there. Brian Engblom, Mike Allison, Bob Miller, Jim Fox, Daryl, you mentioned him. I saw Cammi Granato in the lobby of the hotel; She worked with me for a year. So, I got to see everybody. Got to see everybody, and it was great to have my sisters there, my good friends from back home in Rochester. It was great.”

Along with Robitaille, Blake and O’Donnell. That is quite the Entourage.

When the interview was completed (and we took our selfie), Nick and his wife walked towards the end of the red carpet and into the blocked off ceremony room, where on that stage, he would go on to become more that just a man. He would become immortal. A legend. A Hall of Famer.

After the ceremony, the party continued into the Hall of Fame itself for some sort of after-party (event number 7 maybe???).  Sadly, Ryan and I and most of the media were not allowed to participate in it.  Instead we were relegated to the “media center” downstairs (*cough* food court *cough*) where I got tired of sitting around and decided to go back to the empty red carpeted Brookfield Place by myself to just walk around and take in my last sights and sounds of this amazing Hall of Fame experience.

Thinking about Nickson’s (and Vinnie Chase’s) own experience with chasing their dreams, I suddenly realized that one of my own long life dreams had just been realized as well on this same Hall of Fame weekend, where I got accepted for media credentials to cover this whole weekend event and celebration for CaliSports News! This made me start shuffling my feet down the red carpet and pretending that I was some hockey big shot who was about to be inducted into the grand Hall of Fame, until when I heard some voices and laughter in the near background.  I struggled to adjust my eyesight to see who it was, as the lights of the galleria were starting to dim to help end the night, I noticed a tall figure walking out of the darkness and walking right towards me, (a nicely dressed up Walker from the Walking Dead???)

It turned out to be Kings Legends Rob Blake! And right behind him was Luc Robitaille (OHMYGAWD!) and then following along was also Sean O’Donnell, Nick and Carolyn Nickson and someone who I didn’t immediately recognize but was instantly jealous of. Building up the courage to talk to them (and trying to act professional), I slowly approached them and asked if I could take a photo of all of them together for CaliSports News?  They agreed and instantly posed, with the added surprise of most of them holding up a “Thumbs up!”  I snapped the photo and asked them if they were leaving the party? Blake informed me that they all had a plane to catch because the Kings had a game the next night at the Staples Center, which was also going to be Nickson’s Legends night, (which Mr. Evans explained above. Speaking of which, when I asked them where Mr. Evans had gone to, they explained that he was still at the party because he was making sure to go around and shake everyone’s hand and speak with them!  Oh that Daryl Evans, a class act in every way!).

I decided to watch the six of them leave towards the exit, chatting and laughing at the top of their lungs, walking side by side, enjoying each other’s company like the true friends they were until they seemed to have faded out of existence in the distance and there was nothing left but the sound of silence. Whether it was at a Hall of Fame ceremony, or a Kings game at home, from what I saw with my own eyes and experienced in person that weekend, I knew in my King of Hearts, that whatever the achievement, or the occasion or even the reasoning, it didn’t matter at any to them. What mattered was that they would always have the long-lasting friendship, the loyalty for each other and the respect for one another. But even better yet, no matter what happens in the future … they would still have each other.

Beat that Vinnie Chase.