There was also Tricky Nicky, Nick the Quick - and, with a surname like that, you just know the local newspaper offered plenty of variations on the ‘‘Good Evans’’ headline.
Mostly, Highlanders fans liked to describe Nick Evans as an excitement machine.
He was a heart-in-mouth rugby player at a time, without sounding cruel, when there were more tradesmen than artists in the southern club.
Evans was a born entertainer.
He had plenty of rugby nous - something highlighted when he pursued a coaching career in later years - and a fine all-round kicking game, exemplified when he slotted a late drop goal against the Hurricanes to guide the Highlanders to a sixth consecutive victory in 2005.
But the people loved it most when he had the ball in his hand and half a gap in front of him.
Evans did not run so much as glide. He was a willowy character with a sensational turn of pace, and when he put the foot down, you simply had to gasp and wait for the magic to happen.
He had come south from North Harbour in search of more opportunities and enjoyed it so much he signed for Otago as well.
It was not a long Highlanders career - Evans played just 32 games over four seasons after battling hamstring, collarbone and leg injuries - but it was an impactful one.
Our 30 Greatest Highlanders series considers only a player’s performance for the club, but it is impossible to talk about Evans’ contribution without using an All Blacks context.
He got just 16 test caps, including eight starts, and played both first five and fullback, shuffled around thanks to the presence of arguably the greatest No 10 of all, Dan Carter.
Had his path to regular game time at first five at the top level not been blocked by Carter, it is likely Evans would not have left New Zealand after the 2008 season, by which time he was at the Blues.
Evans went on to play over 200 games, scoring a record 2217 points, for English club Harlequins and forge a solid coaching career that included a stint on the England staff.
