Scott Nichol
Scott B. Nichol ( born December 31, 1974 in Edmonton, Alberta ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player on the position of the center, who, during his playing career from 1992 to 2013 among others for the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues was active in the National Hockey League.
Career
Nichol played as a teenager in the 1991/92 season first for the Calgary Flames in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League, before moving into the higher class Western Hockey League in the summer of 1992. There he joined the Portland Winter Hawks. The striker was left a total of two seasons in Portland and was named after the first year in the league - selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 1993 in the eleventh round at 272 instead of the Buffalo Sabres - despite its small for a hockey player body height of 1.73 meters. Previously Nichol had lost the final of the Winter Hawks, the WHL championship in the seventh game against the Swift Current Broncos. Also in the next game year the team reached the playoffs sovereign, could the championship win after leaving the semi-finals but do not realize. The Center gathered in the two seasons in a total of 158 games 184 points scorer and 347 penalty minutes.
After the 1993/94 season the 19 -year-old joined the professional field after he had signed a contract in franchise the Buffalo Sabres in the off-season. This was valid for both the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League. For the most part came Nichol in the following six seasons in the AHL with the Sabres farm team, the Rochester Americans, used and developed there into a solid scorer with the features of a so-called agitator. The greatest successes in this period were his debut for the Sabres in the NHL during the 1995/96 season, when he was used in two matches, and winning the Calder Cups with the Rochester Americans at the end of the same season. His personally successful year for the Americans graduated Nichol in the following season, in which he was able to contribute 43 points in 68 games. He also came in the 1997/98 season to a further three NHL appearances for the Sabres. After the game in 1999/2000, in which the striker had fallen out due to a knee injury long, his engagement ended in the organization of the Sabres. The FreeAgent joined then for one year the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League, which functioned at this time as a farm team of the Tampa Bay Lightning. For Tampa Nichol, however, was not used.
In the summer of 2001, the contract of the Canadian ran out again, after which he moved to the Calgary Flames, where he had signed a two year contract. The Flames managed the now 26 -year-old the breakthrough when he was able to work out a place in the NHL squad of the team. In the following two seasons between 2001 and 2003 he played 128 games for Calgary and reached 27 points scorer, though had several injury thrown back him. His contract was not renewed in the summer of 2003, and the Chicago Blackhawks secured for one year the services of the diminutive center. Knew Even with the Blackhawks Nichol convince and put new Karrierebestmarken on the categories games, templates, and points. His negative plus / minus balance sheet showed - as in Calgary - weaknesses in the defensive game.
As the NHL season 2004/ 05 failed because of the lockout, Nichol moved to Europe, where he had signed a contract with the London Racers from the British Elite Ice Hockey League on 26 October 2004. In various competitions on the island of Canadians came to a total of 24 appearances in which he collected 28 points and 102 penalty minutes. For 2005/ 06 the game operation in the NHL was resumed and the Nashville Predators secured in August 2005, the services of Nichols. First, the forward part of the permanent staff of the team, then broke off but in November 2005 the foot. He returned after a two-month injury lay-off in January of the following year and played six times for the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL to gain match practice. For Nashville, it was enough to 34 inserts, after he had to temporarily pause again because of a head injury. From the season 2006/ 07 he was used regularly since he was injured less often. Only a broken thumb was the end of the regular season expose him to eleven games. However, an incident overshadowed the season, as Nichol was suspended on 21 December 2006 for nine games after he, who had previously checked him hard Jaroslav Spacek, as revenge hit from behind on the head. In the following years, Nichol rehabilitated and equalized in the 2007/ 08 season, his point yield from the game in 2003/ 04 when he had accrued for the Blackhawks. In addition, his plus / minus balance improved. A concussion limited him in the 2008 /09 season on 43 missions, after he had remained largely injury-free in the previous year. Since his contract expired after the season, committed him on July 15, 2009, San Jose Sharks for a year.
On July 5, 2011 Nichol signed a contract for one year with the St. Louis Blues. After playing the 2012/13 season with the Blues, he announced on June 5, 2013 announced that he would end his career and from then on his former club, the Nashville Predators, will join as director of player development.
Awards and achievements
Career Stats
( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )