Nick Nickson is in his 35th season as the play by play voice of the Los Angeles Kings, joining the team in 1981. He began his broadcasting career at Ithaca College where he worked as the sports director and did play by play for the school radio station, WICB. Nick got his start behind a hockey microphone in 1975, doing play by play for the AHL's Rochester Americans. He then served as the voice of the New Haven Nighthawks from 1977-1981.
He got his big break into the NHL in 1981. Nick joined the Kings and was paired with longtime TV voice Bob Miller at that time. The Kings decided to separate their broadcasts in 1990, and at that time
he became the radio voice of the team. He was the first radio voice of Kings hockey and has been performing in that role ever since. The Rochester, NY native has been behind the mike for two Stanley Cup Championships.
Nick was awarded the greatest tribute that an NHL broadcaster could achieve when he was selected to receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in June of 2015. This award is given annually to a broadcaster who has demonstrated excellence at broadcasting the game of hockey over an extended period of time, and who also has contributed outstanding service to the game as well.
As a further tribute to Nick's outstanding achievements he was inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame in January of 2009 while then being inducted into the Frontier Field Hall of Fame in his hometown of Rochester, N.Y. in 2011.
Nick has also called games for the NHL Radio Network. He has been instrumental and developing and overseeing the Kings Radio Network, and he is a part of the Southern California Sports Broadcasters and NHL Broadcasters Association. He was honored with " Nick Nickson Day" at Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2006 as a tribute to his 25 years of service with the Kings and NHL broadcasting. The broadcast booth at Staples Center is named in his honor, and was dedicated to him during that tribute evening.
Nick has also done public address work for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1983-1989) and he called the National League Championship and World Series for the Dodgers in 1988.
The amazing thing about listening to Nick, as I have done for years, is the smoothness of his delivery. His crisp clear delivery really makes the game enjoyable to listen to. Here is Nick's call of the Stanley Cup clinching goal by Alec Martinez in the 2014 finals against the New York Rangers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoQzQQo9AfI
And his call of Alec Martinez's Game 7 OT winner to defeat Chicago in the Western Conference finals in 2014:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJKxHIdFkHk
And a flashback to Nick's career dating back to his DJ days in his hometown of Rochester, here is the theme song to Nick's radio show from WBBF radio in the days before his radio hockey tenure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0MG_TkXIBw
To tune in to the Kings radio broadcasts with Nick and color commentator Daryl Evans, the broadcasts are heard on flagship station KABC (790 AM) on the dial. All games are streamed live at www.kabc.com. Additionally, you can tune in via TuneIn radio and do a search for KABC.
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