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Fighting Back: The Chris Nilan Story

Chris Nilan was a hard man for the Habs in the 1980s, a kid who couldn't let an insult pass even if it led to injuries that would outlive his playing days. "Knuckles" Nilan brings his A-game and that thirty-pound Stanley Cup ring into our studio for a peek behind the armor of an Enforcer....
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The Current24:00Fighting Back: The Chris Nilan Story - Nov 8, 2013
Chris Nilan was a hard man for the Habs in the 1980s, a kid who couldn't let an insult pass even if it led to injuries that would outlive his playing days. "Knuckles" Nilan brings his A-game and that thirty-pound Stanley Cup ring into our studio for a peek behind the armor of an Enforcer.


He was a formidable fighter on the ice, but even when he took off his NHL jersey, Chris Nilan's struggles continued.


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Montreal Canadiens' Chris Nilan gets a grip on Buffalo Sabres' Larry Playfair along the boards
during first period NHL action in Montreal on April 5, 1983. (CP/Bill Grimshaw)

Mention Chris Nilan's name in hockey circles, you get a clear-- and frankly aggressive-- portrait. 

• Nilan has fought the hard fight, in and out of hockey — The Telegraph

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Thirteen years in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers, "Knuckles" Nilan is one of only a handful of players to rack up more than three-thousand penalty minutes. He also holds the record for the most penalties in a single game.

Chris Nilan also battles off the ice as a recovering addict. He recounts his journey on and off the ice in his book Fighting Back: The Chris Nilan Story, and he was in our Toronto studio.

Have any hockey memories you want to share on Chris Nilan?

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This segment was produced by The Current's Josh Bloch.

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