Following a successful coaching career in his native Canada, where he had guided the Moncton Hawks to Allan Cup victories in both 1933 and 1934, Percy Harold Nicklin arrived in Britain in the autumn of 1935.
In London, he took charge of the Richmond Hawks whom he guided to second place in the English National League, although they finished on the same points total (33) as the winners, Wembley Lions.
The following season, began an association with the newly opened Harringay Arena that spanned twenty-two years, until the arena closed its doors to ice hockey. Nicklin coached both Harringay teams, Racers and Greyhounds, and in 1938 added the job of rink manager to his coaching duties. After second and third place finishes respectively in his first season as coach, Racers once and the Greyhounds twice lifted the league title under his guidance.
In 1946, Percy Nicklin became General manager of the Harringay Arena, a job he held until its closure in 1958. Despite no longer coaching, his shrewd recruiting of players and coaches ensured that over the years, the Racers had their fair share of success. The Autumn Cup was won on three occasions, 1947, 1950 and 1953; the English League was won in the 48/49 season and the inaugural British League crown and another Autumn Cup triumph were added in the 54/55 campaign.
However, it is not only as the driving force behind the great years of ice hockey in North London that Percy Nicklin is honoured. In 1936, he brought together the team that was to give British ice hockey its finest hour. Together with J.F. ‘Bunny’ Ahearne, he carried out a widespread search in Canada for players who had learned their hockey in that country, but who had a birth qualification to play for Great Britain – the rest as they say, is history. Backed by the outstanding netminding of Jimmy Foster, who had played for Nicklin in Moncton and who was to later join him at both Richmond and Harringay; and with a couple of the better home-based players, the Ahearne managed, Nicklin coached Great Britain team pulled off the biggest shock in ice hockey history, winning the 1936 Olympic, World and European titles in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. With more homegrown talent replacing some of the British Canadians, Great Britain under Percy Nicklin completed a hat trick of European titles winning both the 1937 and 1938 tournaments.
Nicklin's later life was overshadowed by the tragic loss of his son, Jeff Nicklin, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the First Canadian Parachute Battalion, who was killed in action landing in enemy territory on March 24 1945. His son had been an outstanding defensive end for the Grey Cup-winning Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, and he is commemorated by the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the MVP of the CFL's West Division.
Percy H.Nicklin, who passed away in the early 1970’s has a unique place in the history of British ice hockey and fully deserves his place among the immortals.
Compiled with research, provided by Martin C.Harris – April 1988.
(Additional research by David Gordon, February 2006.)
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