Chris Nilan

Chris Nilan is a former ice hockey player born on 9th of February, 1958 in Boston, Massachusetts. Chris Nilan played his “Junior Hockey” with the local “Northeastern University Huskies” in the NCAA. Chris Nilan was drafted in the 19th round, 213st overall in the 1978 NHL amateur entry draft by the “Montreal Canadiens”.

Chris Nilan played “688 NHL” regular season games for the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers as a “right-wing” between 1980 and 1992. The hard forward found his place throughout his first pro-season with the “Nova-Scotia Voyageurs of the American Hockey League” (AHL) racking up 304 penalty minutes.

Chris Nilan was up with the big club playing in fifteen regular season games by 1980. At present, Chris Nilan had no more problems while playing the hard guy role on the canadiens as a regular on the Canadiens. Chris Nilan lead the “NHL” in penalty minutes in the 1983 to 1984 and onward 1984 to 1985 regular seasons with 338 and 358 minutes consecutively.

Chris Nilan was traded to the “New York Rangers” in 1988 in a deal which also saw the 2 teams trade 1st round draft picks in 1989 after nine seasons in “Montreal”. Chris Nilan also played in parts of three seasons with the “Rangers” before being on the move again but on this occasion traded to the “Boston Bruins” for future considerations and “Greg Johnson”. Approximately after playing a year and a half in “Boston”, when he was claimed by the Montreal Canadiens in 1992 then his career came full circle. Chris Nilan wedged around in pro-hockey for a couple of seasons as an “Assistant Coach” with the “New Jersey Devils” and afterwards with the “Chesapeake Icebreakers” of the “East Coast Hockey League” (ECHL).

Chris Nilan

Chris Nilan

Chris Nilan