Nichol's Promotion to Assistant GM Perfect Fit as Preds Career Continues

Scott Nichol chats with David Poile a bit more often these days compared to when he was a player.
"Well, the only time I talked to David when I was playing was when we had my suspension calls," Nichol laughed. "I get a lot more conversation with him now, that's for sure."
Poile has appreciated what he's heard and seen from Nichol over the past 13 seasons, and on Monday, Nashville's general manager added another aide to the arsenal.

A former Preds centerman, Nichol has been promoted to Assistant General Manager with the Preds. In addition to his new role, Nichol will also continue to serve as General Manager of the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals and as the organization's Director of Player Development.
All of those titles may seem like a lot to handle, but Nichol is well-equipped thanks to his experience acquired over the past decade-plus. He's proven to be an invaluable member of Nashville's front office, and now, he's ready to take the next step.
"It's very exciting," Nichol said. "I think we have a really good management team, and we all bring a different skillset, for sure. You have David, just with his experience and knowledge, and that's really helped with just being a younger executive, but it's great. Nothing really changes for me, maybe just the title, but I'll still do my day-to-day stuff, and then in Milwaukee, take care of our prospects, develop these guys with our development team and our Milwaukee staff, and I'm excited. I'm excited for the change that we've made and where the team's going."
Nichol joins fellow Preds Assistant GMs Jeff Kealty - who oversees pro and amateur scouting - and Brian Poile - who runs Nashville's hockey operations department - to make up a trio of assistants for the NHL's winningest GM of all time.
"I love his resume," David Poile said of Nichol. "He's a player that probably was always somewhat of an underdog, drafted very late, played in the minors for six or seven years before he even got a chance to play in the National Hockey League, then ended up playing for a lot of years at the NHL level without having multi-year contracts - usually playing on one-year contracts - so the work ethic was always there. He had the roots and the foundation of what it takes to be a player and grow, and in this case, now in the business, it was always there. I love his resume for where he's been to where he's gotten to now."

For Nichol, the transition from the ice to the press box - and still occasionally with a pair of skates on - was somewhat of a natural one, especially considering how he operated during his playing days. Nichol has always understood what it takes to reach the NHL, particularly when things don't come easy.
In that way, a role in player development made sense, and once he excelled in that area, there was no slowing down.
"I think that's what my career was," Nichol said in regard to the player development aspect. "I always signed two-year deals, and then the second year, I'd always develop the next fourth liner or up-and-coming young guy to take my spot. That just kind of was my path. I signed two-year deals in Nashville twice, so I was there four years, and then two years in San Jose and two years in St Louis. I grinded through the American Hockey League and through the NHL, and then even after hockey, after my playing-days path kind of mimics a little bit of my playing days. I did player development and worked my way through that, and David involved me in some of the pro meetings, and then I do the amateur meetings and all development.
"I just want to do a good job of whatever level I'm at; if it was playing, I wanted to be the best fourth-line center, and then in this role, I want to be a developer of guys, help a lot of our guys help get these guys to the NHL help to get them to live their dream, and then just climb. In that way, it's been very rewarding. I love my job. It's hockey 24 hours a day."
As was the case when he was a player, Nichol has never stopped learning in this job either. He's figured out a system that works best for him while complimenting others on Nashville's staff - and Milwaukee's, too - in order to accomplish the long list of tasks each day. Every day is different too, and something unexpected will usually come up.
So, what has Nichol learned in the 13 seasons in a suit and tie?
"Probably patience," Nichol said. "Nothing really happens fast. In hockey, as a player, things happen quick. I think in the management role, there's a ton of thought, and especially with David, there's a ton of meetings, and that's probably the one thing is just being patient. On the player side of things, you forget that they're people, they have families; it's not just, 'OK, we're going to trade this guy, we're going to do this or that.' It's a ton of thought that goes in, and they're very hard decisions. And I think that's why David has been so successful and his career is Hall-of-Fame worthy, all the accolades he's had, because he does think about that stuff a lot before he does anything. That's probably the biggest thing is just patience, and communication, for sure."

Nichol has grown a passion for the player development side of the game, and the reward when a Nashville draft pick eventually makes his way onto the NHL roster never gets old - specifically when Nichol is the one to make the phone call.
"I'm sure they probably don't hear all of what I'm saying because they just go stark white and they're like, 'What?'" Nichol chuckled. "No, they get all excited, and they're very thankful… It's great, and that's the most enjoyable, for sure. Just seeing these guys grow - we spend so much time with them in Milwaukee and we spend so much time with them in college… and it's just exciting to see them on that stage and doing what they did in Milwaukee, doing what they did in junior, but just more polished and just heavier and stronger - that's what I enjoy watching, the young guys coming up and making an impact."
The main focus at the NHL level is the club itself, but the preparation for the future never stops. Because of that, Nichol has his pulse on what's next for Nashville better than just about anyone.
He'll never tire of that process, either. Because for everything Nichol got from the game in his playing days, he knows it's now time to pass it down to the next generation. For someone who grinded his way to stardom in his own right, there's nothing better.
"I'm excited," Nichol said of what's to come. "I'm excited for even last year when we saw the guys come up and have an impact on the season last year, along with the veterans, who I thought played very well. It was a good mix, but that was last year, and now there's expectations for these guys. They are not just feel-good stories - they have to produce; they're in the NHL now. I like our draft picks that we've had, we're starting to get some picks, and now we're starting to get some young players in Milwaukee and growing with these guys and grooming them, and then we also have some really good European prospects and we've got some good college prospects. So, the cupboards are starting to get full now, and we just have to help develop these guys and put them on a really good track and a really good path to be successful."