Nicholls: Sutter `wears his heart on his sleeve’

In my feature story on Darryl Sutter this week, Dean Lombardi talked about how Sutter’s former players speak highly of him. Bernie Nicholls can be included in that group. Nicholls played 118 games under Sutter, during parts of three seasons with Chicago (1994-95) and San Jose (1997-98). After practice today, Nicholls laughed when asked if he thought Sutter was the same coach he remembered from the 90s.

NICHOLLS: “I love Darryl. I had him in Chicago when he was a little younger. You guys will see that side too, at times. The one thing I’ve always said about Darryl is that he wears his heart on his sleeve. When you get him around the rink, and it’s hockey time, he’s as intense as anybody. My favorite story with Darryl, we had a game and it’s a quarter to 10 in the morning. We always had a stretch, and we were on the ice at 10:30. I’m there, I’m half-asleep, I think I’ve got a milkshake in my hand, I’m stretching. He comes in and he’s screaming. `You guys aren’t ready for the game. Look at you guys.’ And I’m going, `Hell no. It’s eight, 10 hours before I’ve got to play.’

“But that’s Darryl. You get him away from the rink and he’s the greatest guy in the world. But he’s intense. He’s got one thing in mind, and it’s to win and work hard. That’s what I love about him. That’s what these guys [Kings players] love about him. Talking to guys today, everybody, man-to-man, they love what he’s all about. He’s passionate. How could you not like someone who is passionate about the game? Every sport, your best players are the ones that work the hardest, and that’s what Darryl is. He makes these guys work. You see it out there. There’s flow, it’s fun. It’s always fun, but you work hard and good things will happen.’’