Percy Harold Nicklin (9 May 1893 – 1973) was a Canadian-British

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

who is best known for putting together and coaching the

Great Britain national ice hockey team The Great Britain men's national ice hockey team (also known as Team GB) is the national ice hockey team that represents the United Kingdom. A founding member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in 1908, the team is con ...

that won gold at the

1936 Winter Olympics The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936, were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 16 February 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Nazi Ger ...

Biography

Nicklin was born into a Scottish family in

Simcoe, Ontario Simcoe is an unincorporated community and former town in Southwestern Ontario, Canada near Lake Erie. It is the county seat and largest community of Norfolk County. Simcoe is at the junction of Highway 3, at Highway 24, due south of Brantford ...

in 1893.''U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1960'' He had had a successful coaching career in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

with the

Moncton Hawks The Moncton Hawks were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick. They played in the American Hockey League between 1987 and 1994, operating as a minor league affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets. Home games were played at the Mon ...

, leading them to

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the senior ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. It was most recently won by the Wentworth Gryphins ...

victories in 1933 and 1934. In 1935 he moved to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

where he coached for Richmond Hawks before taking up coaching duties for both

Harringay Racers Harringay Racers refers to multiple British ice hockey teams based in Harringay, London, United Kingdom. Harringay Racers The first team to use the Harringay Racers moniker was founded in 1936 and initially played alongside Harringay Greyhou ...

and

Harringay Greyhounds Harringay Greyhounds were a British ice hockey club based in Harringay, England. The side was founded in 1936 and initially played alongside Harringay Racers at the Harringay Arena. Both sides entered the English National League, which Greyho ...

. In 1936, Nicklin, together with J.F. Ahearne, put together a Great Britain national team from players who had learned the game in Canada but who were qualified by birth to play for Great Britain. The team managed to win the gold medal, beating Nicklin's home nation, favourites Canada, along the way. Introducing more British players, Nicklin coached Great Britain to two

European Championship A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...

titles in 1937 and 1938. He died in London in 1973.''England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007''

References

Ice Hockey Journalists UK

External links

British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame inductees 1893 births 1973 deaths Canadian people of Scottish descent Canadian emigrants to the United Kingdom Date of death missing Great Britain men's national ice hockey team coaches {{Canada-icehockey-coach-stub