Nick Nickson
{{short description|American sportscaster (born 1953)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
Nicholas R. Nickson (born December 21, 1953) is a retired American sportscaster who served as the television and radio play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.{{cite web|url=http://kings.nhl.com/club/page.htm?bcid=3742|title=Nick Nickson|work=Kings.nhl.com}}
Biography
=Early career=
A native of Rochester, New York, Nickson attended Ithaca College, where he served as the Sports Director and play-by-play announcer for the school's radio station, WICB. His professional broadcasting career began in 1975 with the Rochester Americans. From 1977 to 1981 he called games for the New Haven Nighthawks.
=Kings broadcasting career=
Nickson joined the Kings in 1981, calling games on TV and radio with Bob Miller. When the TV and radio broadcasts were separated in 1990, Nickson became the Kings radio play-by-play announcer. He has called all three of the Kings' appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals.
As such, he was the voice Kings fans heard on the radio when they won their first-ever Stanley Cup. At the end of that game, Nickson told the story of the franchise up to that point when he bellowed:
{{cquote|Ten seconds left. Puck behind the Kings' net, centered by Parise. The long wait is over! After 45 years, the Kings can wear their crown! The Los Angeles Kings are Stanley Cup champions!}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67YXZFVi0AE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/67YXZFVi0AE |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=The Play-by-Play Calls: 2012 Stanley Cup Moments, Episode 20|publisher=Los Angeles Kings|date=April 29, 2013|accessdate=March 31, 2020}}{{cbignore}}
Two years later, Nickson called Alec Martinez' goal in double overtime to give the Kings their second Cup.
{{cquote|Now the puck behind the net, centered by Brassard. Cleared by the Kings, picked up by Martinez. Martinez to Clifford, feeds it right side to Tyler Toffoli, with a shot–save, rebound, SCORE! Alec Martinez has won the Stanley Cup for the Los Angeles Kings! Alec Martinez on the rebound, and royalty reigns again in the NHL!}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoQzQQo9AfI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/hoQzQQo9AfI |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=Kings clinch Stanley Cup - Nick Nickson's Call|publisher=Los Angeles Kings|date=June 17, 2014|accessdate=March 31, 2020}}{{cbignore}}
Nickson later recalled that he and Miller had had time to pace themselves for their Cup-winning calls in 2012, as the Kings had put the game out of reach by scoring three unanswered goals on a five-minute power play in the first period. They didn't have that luxury in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wZagDBHI5s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/0wZagDBHI5s |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=The Voices: 2014 Stanley Cup Moments, Episode 11|publisher=Los Angeles Kings|date=January 16, 2015|accessdate=March 30, 2020}}{{cbignore}}
In June 2015, the Hockey Hall of Fame announced that Nickson would be the 2015 recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, officially being so honored on November 9, 2015. He becomes the third Kings broadcaster to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, following Jiggs McDonald (1990) and Bob Miller (2000).{{cite news|work=Los Angeles Times|first=Helene|last=Elliott|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-kings-nick-nickson-hall-of-fame-award-20150604-story.html|title=Kings radio voice Nick Nickson wins Hockey Hall of Fame award|date=June 4, 2015|accessdate=October 26, 2015}}
On June 5, 2023, the Kings announced the television and radio broadcasts would be merged, with Nickson remaining the play-by-play announcer after the contract of Alex Faust was not renewed by the team.{{cite news|work=LA Kings Insider|first=Zach|last=Dooley|url=https://lakingsinsider.com/2023/06/05/la-kings-announce-changes-to-broadcast-format/|title=LA Kings Announce Changes to Broadcast Format|date=June 5, 2023|accessdate=June 5, 2023}}
From 1983 to 1988, Nickson served as a public address announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. During that time, he called the National League Championship Series and World Series during the Dodgers' championship season of {{wsy|1988}}.
References
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Category:American Hockey League broadcasters
Category:Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winners
Category:Ithaca College alumni
Category:Major League Baseball public address announcers
Category:Los Angeles Dodgers personnel
Category:Los Angeles Kings announcers
Category:National Hockey League broadcasters
Category:Mass media people from Rochester, New York