Former Nashville Centerman Now Excelling in Roles Across Predators Front Office
Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced that Scott Nichol has been promoted to Assistant General Manager. In addition to his new role, Nichol will continue to serve as General Manager of the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals and as the organization’s Director of Player Development.
“I’m proud to announce Scott’s deserved promotion to Assistant General Manager,” Poile said. “In the last few years, he has taken on more and more responsibility – from running our player development, to being in charge of our team in Milwaukee – and I feel this next step is right for both Scott and our organization. When you combine Scott’s work ethic and foundational understanding of what it takes to work in the NHL, you can see why he has been able to be successful at this level. With Scott joining our two other Assistant General Managers in Jeff Kealty, who oversees our pro and amateur scouting, and Brian Poile, who runs our hockey operations, I’m proud of the homegrown management staff we have assembled.”
The 2021-22 campaign will be Nichol’s 13th with the Predators organization, having been Director of Player Development since 2013-14, GM of the Admirals since 2018-19 and a player from 2005-09. During his eight seasons as Director of Player Development, Nichol has played a prominent role in helping players secure full-time spots in the NHL with the Predators, including Filip Forsberg, Colton Sissons, Eeli Tolvanen, Alexandre Carrier, Yakov Trenin, Tanner Jeannot and Mathieu Olivier. Since he joined the Predators in a management role, the franchise has qualified for the playoffs in seven of eight seasons, all coming consecutively, a streak that is tied for the second-longest in the NHL.
“I’m very excited and honored by this announcement,” Nichol said. “I think we have a really good management team here in Nashville, and we each bring a different skillset. I’d like to thank David for sharing his experience and knowledge with me – he has helped me work toward this point in my career, and he runs a team that has an inclusive environment with a lot of communication and trust. I’ve been very lucky to have been able to join the Predators organization after the end of my playing career and I’m excited to see what the future has in store.”
In 2020-21, with the Admirals opting out due to COVID-19, the Chicago Wolves served as Nashville’s AHL affiliate, sporting a roster split with prospects from the Carolina Hurricanes. With help from 16 players on NHL contracts with Nashville, including forward Philip Tomasino, who tied for the team lead in points with 32 (13g-19a) as a rookie, the Wolves went 21-9-3 and won the Central Division title. The previous campaign, Nichol engineered a Milwaukee club that went 41-14-5-3 (90 points) and won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as AHL regular-season champions. The Admirals had the AHL’s best defense, allowing just 2.24 goals per game, and the team’s offense ranked seventh in scoring (3.35). A testament to Nichol’s proven track record of developing NHL talent, 21 players who skated for Milwaukee and Chicago over the past two seasons also competed in an NHL game for the Predators in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
Nichol hung up the skates and rejoined the Predators organization in May 2013 after completing a 20-season professional career that spanned from 1994-95 to 2012-13. The Edmonton, Alta., native played four seasons with the Predators, posting 47 points (24g-23a) in 209 games. A veteran of 662 career NHL contests, Nichol tallied 127 points (56g-71a) and 916 penalty minutes with Buffalo, Calgary, Chicago, Nashville, San Jose and St. Louis and scored a career-best 10 goals in 2007-08 with the Preds. Nichol also compiled 211 points (90g-121a) and 1,029 penalty minutes in 398 games at the American and International Hockey League level with Rochester, Detroit and Milwaukee. He helped the San Jose Sharks advance to back-to-back Western Conference Finals in 2010 and 2011 and won the AHL’s Calder Cup as a member of the Rochester Americans in 1996.
Perennially one of the NHL’s top face-off men, Nichol, led the League in face-off efficiency in 2007-08 with Nashville and during the 2009-10 season with San Jose. He also holds a Nashville franchise record for shorthanded goals in a game and period with two in the second period of a 5-2 victory at St. Louis on Jan. 19, 2008.
