Robbie Nichols (ice hockey)
| Robbie Nichols | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
August 4, 1964 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Right Wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Kalamazoo Wings Fredericton Express Adirondack Red Wings Phoenix Roadrunners San Diego Gulls | ||
| NHL draft |
181st overall, 1983 Philadelphia Flyers | ||
| Playing career |
1985–1998 2019 | ||
Robbie S. Nichols (born August 4, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who competed in the American Hockey League (AHL) and International Hockey League (IHL).[1] He currently serves as the head coach of the Topeka Scarecrows in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)[2] and is also a co-owner of three collegiate summer baseball teams, the Elmira Pioneers, Niagara Falls Americans, and Batavia Muckdogs, in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.
Career
Nichols was chosen by the Philadelphia Flyers in the ninth round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.[1] Although he never appeared in an NHL game, he went on to have a productive playing career that spanned nine seasons in the AHL and IHL. Known for his gritty and hard-nosed style of play, Nichols suited up for several teams, including the Adirondack Red Wings, the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. One of the highlights of his career came in 1989 when he helped lead the Adirondack Red Wings to a Calder Cup championship.[3]
After retiring as a player, Nichols transitioned into coaching, spending seven seasons as head coach of the Flint Generals.[1] He also served as general manager of the ECHL's Elmira Jackals from 2007 to 2013.[3] Nichols went on to own the Elmira Enforcers of the Federal Hockey League and is currently a co-owner of three collegiate summer baseball teams in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League: the Elmira Pioneers, Niagara Falls Americans, and Batavia Muckdogs.[4] In 2019, at age 55, he made a rare appearance as an emergency player for the Enforcers.[5] The team ceased operations after the 2020–21 season. On May 5, 2025, Nichols was named head coach of the FPHL's Topeka Scarecrows.[2]
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1982–83 | Dixie Beehives | OJHL | 14 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 54 | 17 | 26 | 43 | 208 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 58 | ||
| 1983–84 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 12 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | North Bay Centennials | OHL | 46 | 36 | 32 | 68 | 98 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 | ||
| 1984–85 | North Bay Centennials | OHL | 41 | 27 | 39 | 66 | 72 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 14 | ||
| 1984–85 | Kalamazoo Wings | IHL | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Fredericton Express | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Kalamazoo Wings | IHL | 73 | 38 | 41 | 79 | 406 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 28 | ||
| 1986–87 | Kalamazoo Wings | IHL | 71 | 29 | 27 | 56 | 357 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Adirondack Red Wings | AHL | 65 | 21 | 16 | 37 | 256 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 38 | ||
| 1988–89 | Adirondack Red Wings | AHL | 56 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 154 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 30 | ||
| 1989–90 | Phoenix Roadrunners | IHL | 69 | 25 | 25 | 50 | 265 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | San Diego Gulls | IHL | 50 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 216 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | San Diego Gulls | IHL | 77 | 30 | 35 | 65 | 228 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 1992–93 | San Diego Gulls | IHL | 72 | 18 | 32 | 50 | 261 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 34 | ||
| 1994–95 | Detroit Falcons | CoHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Flint Generals | UHL | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | ||
| 2019–20 | Elmira Enforcers | FPHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| IHL totals | 420 | 147 | 168 | 315 | 1733 | 19 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 70 | ||||
| AHL totals | 122 | 29 | 23 | 52 | 412 | 20 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 68 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| IHL Man of the Year | 1992–93 | [6] |
| UHL Coach of the Year | 1996–97 | [1] |
References
- ^ a b c d "Robbie Nichols Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
- ^ a b "News: Multi Time Champion and NHL draftee Robbie Nichols Set To Lead Topeka Hockey's Inaugural Season - Topeka Scarecrows". topekakansas.hockeyshift.com. May 5, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ a b "Robbie Nichols at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
- ^ Legare, Andrew; Renko, Amanda (July 14, 2017). "No deal for pro hockey team in Elmira". Star-Gazette. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ Greg Wyshynski (December 29, 2019). "Hockey owner, 55, suits up as emergency player for his team". ESPN. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
- ^ "1983 NHL Entry Draft -- Robbie Nichols". HockeyDraftCentral.com. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database