Bernie Nicholls brought his billet, Verne Walters, to a Kingston ceremony Nov. 18 – at which the Haliburton County hockey legend saw his number 16 jersey raised to the rafters.
Nicholls played with the Kingston Canadians from 1979-1981, and was one of the team’s most prolific scorers.
He told The Highlander he left home at 16 to join the Canadians, and stayed with the Walters family for two years. He spoke about the importance of hockey billets during the ceremony.
“I really believe that what they do, even in Haliburton with the kids there, I think it’s so important to be put with a good family,” he said.
Nicholls said Walters has suffered a stroke and is in a wheelchair but he and fiancee, Amanda, visited him last year for the first time in a long time. “He was so excited, and we were excited to see him.”
He reminisced how Walters owned a fur store and a drive-in movie theatre.
Now named the Frontenacs, the Kingston club recounted via its website how the West Guilford product scored 36 goals and 79 points in his 1979-80 rookie season. He followed with the greatest season the franchise has ever seen. In 65 games in 198081, Nicholls scored an astonishing 63 goals and 89 assists for a team record 152 points.
Nicholls was selected in the fourth round of the 1980 NHL entry draft by the Los Angeles Kings. Following the 1980-81 season, he began his pro career.
The talented forward went on to have a 17-year career with the Kings, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks.
Nicholls appeared in 1,127 NHL games and had 475 goals and 734 assists for 1,209 points. He is one of only eight players in NHL history to score 70 goals in one season, and one of only six to score 150 points.
Nicholls said he was in Kingston last year doing a book signing for his biography From Flood Lights to Bright Lights, and the Frontenacs approached him about last Saturday night’s event.
“Obviously you’re thrilled to death. It’s a great honour, so I’ve been excited about it,” he said of his reaction.
Nicholls said junior hockey seems like a long time ago but “it was the last step before the NHL. So, when people ask about when I really felt I was going to make it to the NHL, it was when I was playing in Kingston.”
Nicholls appreciated the Canadians’ coaches at the time, but always credits his father for his success.
He said he was probably more excited, than emotional, to see the jersey raised, and it brought back memories.
“I worked at the fur store. I bought either two or three, three-piece suits. I was like 18 years old. You just think you’re really doing it,” he said with a laugh.
“And I bought a full-length wolf coat. Later, I bought a full-length otter coat from him, and that coat did make it to California.”
