Cousins Nolan and Zack to be inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame

Ted Nolan would like to make one thing very clear. He is NOT a retired hockey coach.

Nolan, a member of Garden River First Nation in Ontario, last held a noteworthy coaching gig in 2015 as the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres in the National Hockey League (NHL).

A recent article about Nolan described him as a retired coach. He said that is inaccurate.

“I never retired,” said Nolan, who also had NHL coaching stints with the New York Islanders and Hartford Whalers, the franchise that relocated and became known as the Carolina Hurricanes. “I’d like to do it again. But nobody is calling me.”

Nolan, however, did receive a recent and much-appreciated call. Earlier this month it was announced he would be part of the Class of 2025 inductees for Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Induction ceremonies will be held at the Canadian Museum of History on Oct. 29 in Gatineau, Que.

Nolan played 78 games in the NHL. He dressed for 60 matches with the Detroit Red Wings and the rest with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He’ll be inducted into the national hall of fame via the Builder’s category, not only for his NHL successes but also for his advocacy work with Indigenous youth.

Since 2013 Nolan has operated a hockey skills development camp with his two sons called 3NOLANS. The camp operates in First Nations communities across the country.

Nolan’s sons, Jordan and Brandon, also played in the NHL. Jordan Nolan was on three Stanley Cup-winning squads, twice with the Los Angeles Kings and once with the St. Louis Blues.

Making Nolan’s upcoming induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame even more special is the fact his cousin, Darren Zack, a legendary softball player who is also a member of Garden River First Nation, will be inducted at the same time.

Zack is entering the hall of fame through the Athlete category.

“How often does that happen, having two people from the same First Nation and same family get inducted at the same time?” Nolan said.

After his own playing days were over, Nolan, who is now 67, began his coaching career during the 1988-89 season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, a team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

He spent six seasons with the Greyhounds before accepting his first NHL position as an assistant coach in Hartford.

Nolan’s most memorable season as an NHL coach was during the 1996-97 campaign with the Sabres. He led the Buffalo squad to 40-30-12 regular season record and was awarded the Jack Adams Award, annually presented to the NHL’s top coach.

After that memorable season, Nolan waited eight years until his next coaching gig with the Moncton Wildcats of the then called Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

After leading the Wildcats to a league championship in 2006, Nolan returned to the NHL when the Islanders hired him as their bench boss.

Nolan said he would welcome another opportunity to coach in the pro ranks.

“I’d love to do it again,” he said. 

But he said he would not entertain any offers to get behind the bench of a junior franchise again.

“It would be really, really tough to do junior,” he said. “It was a lot of work. You’re dealing with 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds and you’ve got to make sure they’re keeping up with their schooling. It’s much more than just hockey.”

Nolan realizes getting into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, established in 1955, is indeed a huge deal.

“This is all of the top builders and athletes in the nation,” he said. “It was established three years before I was born.”

Before he turned pro, Nolan, who was a left winger, played two seasons of junior with the Greyhounds, the closest OHL franchise to his First Nation.

His first pro season of hockey was with the Kansas City Red Wings of the defunct Central Hockey League. He also had minor pro stints in the American Hockey League with the Adirondack Red Wings, Rochester Americans and Baltimore Skipjacks.

During his coaching career Nolan also guided the national men’s teams of Latvia and Poland.

As for Zack, he was considered one of the top softball pitchers in the world. He began playing for his hometown men’s team, the Garden River Braves, when he was just 14.

He eventually graduated to the Canadian national men’s team. He helped Canada win the International Softball Federation’s world championship in 1992. 

Zack also led Canada to silver-medal finishes at the 1996 and 2004 world tournaments.

Local Journalism Initiative Reporters are supported by a financial contribution made by the Government of Canada.