TORONTO -- Ted Nolan鈥檚 love of hockey began with filling pails of water thousands of times to create his own ice rink in the backyard of his home outside Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. At 16, he moved to Kenora, Ont. to play junior hockey. Nolan recalls how he was subjected to racial taunts in his early years of the game.
鈥淚t went from loving the game to just trying to survive in the game. They鈥檇 bump you and call you names I鈥檇 never heard before. They鈥檇 call me a prairie n word, and I thought 鈥業 never heard that before.鈥� You鈥檇 hear 鈥榦ahu鈥� and 鈥榞et back to the reservation鈥� and 鈥榳hat are you doing here you stinking Indian,鈥� all those types of things.鈥�
Nolan played professional hockey in the NHL and AHL for a combined eight seasons before retiring in 1986. That鈥檚 when he discovered his true calling as a head coach. He led the Ontario Hockey League鈥檚 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds to three consecutive Memorial Cup tournaments, and won the National Junior Championship in 1993. Colleagues and players praised Nolan for his deep understanding of how to motivate his players.
鈥淭eddy was what you call a 鈥榩layer鈥檚 coach,鈥� but he understood personalities. He met with them a lot, he really understood his players鈥� he got them to work hard,鈥� says long-time junior hockey executive Sherry Bassin.
Nolan鈥檚 success in the OHL eventually led to opportunities in the NHL, including a head coaching job with the Buffalo Sabres for which he won the Jack Adams Award as the league鈥檚 coach of the year in 1997.
鈥淲hen Teddy spoke a pin would drop and you could hear that pin 鈥榗ause guys were mesmerized by his ability to motivate and share stories,鈥� remembers Hall of Famer and former Sabres鈥� captain Pat LaFontaine.
Despite his successes, Nolan鈥檚 time as a NHL head coach was short-lived and he believes his race is the reason. 鈥淚f I was white, I鈥檇 be coaching for sure.鈥�
鈥淭he NHL likes to stick to what they know, and who they are, who their buddies are, who鈥檚 in the inner circle, who鈥檚 going to golf tournaments in the summer, who鈥檚 going to the coaching clinics,鈥� says Nolan鈥檚 son Jordan, a former NHL player himself. 鈥淎nd just 鈥榗ause you don鈥檛 go to all these events, that doesn鈥檛 mean you don鈥檛 care. It鈥檚 just we value going home in the summer more, we value being around our people, going to pow wows.鈥�
Today, much of Nolan鈥檚 focus is on his work with the Ted Nolan Foundation 鈥� an organization that encourages Indigenous youth to pursue academic growth. He also founded 3 Nolans with Jordan and his other son Brandon, also a former NHLer. The goal of 3 Nolans is to help Indigenous youth with hockey and life skills.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to try and share my story with as many people as I possibly can, particularly the First Nations kids. When you leave, it鈥檚 not going to be the most accepting places that you鈥檙e going to go to, you might cry yourself to sleep, but it teaches you that not everything is going to happen overnight. If you persevere and you fight, things happen.鈥�
