Chris Nilan fights his demons in new one-man show
The Corner Booth
Chris Nilan has never turned down a battle — on the ice and in life.
Now, that fearlessness is extending to the stage for the first time.
The former Montreal Canadiens player and 1985-86 Stanley Cup winner, known affectionately to Habs fans as Knuckles, will be telling the story of his remarkable life from West Roxbury in Boston to the NHL — as well as to hell and back — in the new one-man show Knuckles: The Chris Nilan Story.
Knucks joined this week's episode of The Corner Booth with hosts Aaron Rand and Bill Brownstein at Snowdon Deli to talk about his theatre debut and what compelled him to lay bare his mental and physical struggles in such an intimate setting.
'There's one thing I've never been and never will be is an actor,' Nilan said. 'I'm telling my story, I'm telling it from the heart, and I'm going to be upfront, raw and personal. People are probably going to be mad at me, people are probably going to cry.'
Nilan has long been open about his demons, from fighting drug and alcohol addiction to the toll his body took from years of being one of hockey's most respected enforcers. He might be an open book, but his new show, directed by Vittorio Rossi and coming to Maison Principale on May 28, 30 and June 3, 5, still has some secrets that might surprise even the most passionate Habs diehards.
'We come into the hockey world, become a Montreal Canadien, and you get introduced on the ice and everybody stands up clapping,' Nilan said. 'But who are they clapping for? They really don't know.'
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