People who followed Hockey Canada closer than I did told me that Nicholson was toxic. Not because he's a bad man, per se, but because he's very self-focused on looking after Bob Nicholson first - then his buddies, then Hockey Canada, then hockey in Canada.
Katz made a PR hire with Nicholson that looked good cosmetically, but the downward trajectory of Hockey Canada since 2010 can be traced to the people running the organization. Truth be told, the fact that Lowe and other Edmonton Oiler "brass" spent so much time around Hockey Canada in the years before Nicholson's departure should have been a tip-off that Nicholson was setting himself up for a nice, lucrative landing spot in Edmonton while Canadian hockey burned.
I've referenced some of the same concerns before. That Nicholson did more to promote high level sporting hockey competition than fulfilling mandate to promote hockey, in general, in this country and yet per capita enrolment in hockey programs diminished under his leadership. He made high profile plays through uber promotion of highest level of hockey and paying less attention to hockey at all levels.
Now obviously Nicholson is a hanger on. His tenure with Hockey Canada suggests that. He held his position there for 16years. This being a position that should rotate with fresh blood, energy, ideas. For Nicholson it was a well paying gig. He wasn't going anywhere.
Next Nicholson is 65 this month. I have no take on his acumen say 15 yrs ago but mental and energy decline certainly occurs with age. Nicholson simply associated himself with high level hockey success, by Team Canada, and parlayed that to longterm tenure with Hockey Canada. Frankly I'd love a job where my performance, be what it may, was tied to some trout pond like Canada succeeding in international hockey competition. I guess I'd look like a genius too with Pronger, Doughty, Crosby, Toews on the ice..
The bigger concern that I expressed at the time regarding the hire was that Nicholson was intight with Oilers OBC at the time of his hire here. Given that Oilers brass had been so involved in Hockey Canada. By the time he got here Nicholson had ongoing familiarity, relationship, attachment, to the OBC here.
A third concern often expressed is that Nicholson left Hockey Canada with several pressing lawsuits that are still being fought and with Hockey Canada long ignoring such things as CTE, injury concerns, incidents and accepted play that promote serious irreversible injury etc. Hockey Canada, like the NHL, has largely turned a blind eye to claims and need to improve the safety of the game. For this Hockey Canada is in increasing financial trouble.