They might be a few years removed from their National Hockey League careers, but Glenn Anderson and Bernie Nicholls showed they still have plenty of jump in their legs last week.
The pair were the two highest profile members of a team comprised of former NHL players and a few others who took on the Bienfait Coalers in a charity hockey game April 15 at Affinity Place.
Led by Nicholls and Anderson, the NHL alumni squad skated to a 10-5 win over the Coalers before a crowd of around 700. Not surprisingly the two former all-stars were front and centre on the scoresheet.
Their involvement in games such as the one played in Estevan last week and other projects have allowed both men to stay involved with the game that brought them fortune and fame.
Nicholls spent parts of 17 seasons in the NHL, the bulk of them with the Los Angeles Kings. He finished with 1,209 points in just over 1,110 games and had one of the best seasons in league history when he recorded 150 points during the 1988-89 campaign on a Kings squad that included Wayne Gretzky.
After spending the past two seasons working as an assistant coach for the Kings, Nicholls took a step back from hockey and spent much of his winter hunting. Still, hockey remains a big part of his life as he plays in charity games and was part of the Kings and San Jose Sharks fantasy camps.
"It was amazing being with the guys again," Nicholls said of his stint with the Kings. "I was on the ice every day with the guys, I'd hunt with the guys; it was really cool.
"The Kings are a good team, their goaltender is as good as any, really solid defensively and they are skilled up front."
Though he never won a Stanley Cup during his playing career, Nicholls was part of the Kings staff when they shocked the hockey world in 2012 and won the cup despite entering the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
"It was really special. That was my first team and it's the team I am probably closest to, so to see them finally get there was really cool and great for the fans, they have really great fans there."
With his playing days behind him, Nicholls said he looks back with fond memories and realizes how lucky he was to play in the world's top league.
"You really understand how amazing it was just to play in the league, all the great people you play with, the people you meet. There is nothing better than going out in front of 18,000 fans and playing the game you love."
While Nicholls had to wait until his coaching career began before sipping from the cup, Anderson had plenty of occasions to get up close and personal with the most recognized trophy in professional sports.
The Vancouver native won the cup an incredible six times - five of them with the Edmonton Oilers - during a career which saw him rack up 1,099 points with four clubs.
His continued involvement in the game includes movies, running hockey schools and working with the New York Rangers in a corporate relations role, all of which has helped him and others develop the game further.
"Something like the hockey schools, the junior teams we are involved with and just the push to develop the game in general are important and you can see the end result. That is important to me," Anderson said.
Known as one of the game's top goal scorers during the peak of his career, Anderson also had a knack for scoring some big goals in the playoffs. All of those attributes and his involvement with some of the greatest teams in NHL history helped him capture a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
"It's humbling because you are hanging out with the best of the best. You are in a club with very few people in it."
Anderson said he remains a fan of the game and has been troubled somewhat by the lack of success of Canadian NHL teams. However he has been pleased to see the Rangers enjoy a bounce back year and reach the playoffs.
"I really like our team and I think they've really come together," he said.
Among the other former NHL players skating in last week's game were Saskatchewan product Jeff Odgers and Dwayne Hay, who spent time with Calgary and Tampa Bay.
