Did we witness Ted Nolan's coronation on Thursday?

No doubt about it, Ernie Eves' visit to Sault Ste. Marie on Thursday looked, sounded and smelled like a pre-election whistlestop.

During a visit to a physiotherapy classroom at Sault College (with training dummies discreetly shoved in a far corner of the room) the Premier bestowed $1.6 million in funding on Sault College and Algoma University College.

At a packed press conference in the Roberta Bondar Building, Eves seemed relaxed and composed, even with Sault This Week's ace photographer Paul Norbo crawling under his table in search of the perfect camera angle.

But the clearest indication of the premier's hustings mindset came during his speech to a large party fundraising dinner that night at the Holiday Inn.

Election inside of one year?

One year from now, the premier announced, he wants to come back to Sault Ste. Marie with a new, Progressive Conservative MPP.

The premier has previously hinted he'd like to see a provincial election in the next 12-18 months.

Thursday was the first time he's indicated we could be heading to the polls before then.

Some long-time observers of the local political scene wondered whether Premier Eves was trying to tell us something when, in the middle of his Thursday-night speech, he started extolling the virtues of Garden River's Ted Nolan.

Singing Nolan's praises

Eves referred to the former NHL coach of the year as an exemplary party member, referring to Nolan's work as a professional sports consultant to the Assembly of First Nations, travelling across Canada to organize hockey clinics, delivering motivational talks to native children.

Some interpreted the plug as an outright anointing for Nolan, who's been widely discussed as a possible Tory candidate in the Sault.

Kim Zettler also at the forefront

However, others pointed to the prominent role played Thursday night by Downtown Association manager Kim Zettler, who's also being encouraged to run by party supporters who say she's indicated a definite interest.

Zettler was asked to lead a toast to the Queen at the premier's dinner, and she also presented Eves with a painting by local artist Zoey Wood-Salomon.

Immediately prior to the dinner, both Zettler and Nolan were among a select group of party faithful invited to a private reception with Eves in the Holiday Inn's ninth-floor presidential suite.

The two potential candidates were definitely on speaking terms and spent a fair time chatting among themselves while awaiting the premier's arrival.

Nolan getting media buzz

In any case, Ted Nolan seems to be getting more than his share of media attention in recent days.

Earlier today, the Buffalo News published a Christmas wish list pining for Nolan to return as coach of the Sabres.

Last week, the Globe and Mail mentioned him as a possible, but unlikely, replacement for Greg Gilbert, head coach of the troubled Calgary Flames.

Never opened box containing Jack Adams award

And Bob Duff, hockey writer for the Windsor Star, published one of the most revealing profiles of Nolan ever written, a 2,800-word opus that reveals, among other things, that his Jack Adams NHL coach-of-the-year award is somewhere in his basement, the box never opened.

"I got it a year after the fact and it came on a day when I wasn't feeling too good about what had happened, so I just threw the box downstairs," Nolan told Duff.

"It tumbled all the way down. It's down there somewhere. I don't know if it's in one piece, but it's down there."

Nolan visited Ontario Legislature last month

Duff mentions how, in October, Nolan was part of a small group of national First Nations leaders invited to meet Queen Elizabeth.

He doesn't mention how, on October 9, of this year, Nolan dropped in as a special guest in the member's gallery of the Ontario Legislature.

Tony Martin, the Sault's New Democratic MPP, didn't breathe a word about the visit.

But a member of Ernie Eves' Cabinet, David Young, minister responsible for native affairs, persuaded the assembly to give Nolan a round of applause.