Chris Nilan Delivers a “Tour de Force”

The one-man show KNUCKLES: The Chris Nilan Story drew more than 1,000 people to four sold-out performances last month at Montreal’s Maison Principale in support of the Barry F. Lorenzetti Foundation’s mental health initiatives.

An Ambassador with the Montreal Canadiens, Chris Nilan played 10 seasons with the team, winning a Stanley Cup in 1986. KNUCKLES traces his troubled family roots and reckless youth in Boston, tough-guy role in the NHL, and subsequent battles with opioid addiction and the hard road to recovery.

“Chris is not an actor; he is a storyteller, and this is a story that needed to be told!” says the show’s Executive Producer, Barry Lorenzetti.

Still, even seasoned thespians consider lengthy monologues a tough test of the craft. This former hockey player, however, passed with flying colours, keeping audiences engaged for two full hours.

“Chris speaks from his heart,” says Vittorio Rossi, the acclaimed Canadian playwright who directed the show. “When it came to telling his story, the fact that he was honest and openhearted is what made it totally engaging. “We weren’t working with a defined script, which is not what I’m used to. Every word you heard was improvised around our story points. That was a great challenge – and I was impressed by how Chris had the audience in the palm of his hand. It comes down to the honesty.”

“This was one of the thrills of my career,” adds Rossi. “It’s good to know that even at my age, I can still learn a new way to work!”

As Chris reminded us with his stellar performance, it’s never too late.

KNUCKLES: The Chris Nilan Story Highlight Reel