Ted Nolan and his life-defining decision to persevere in the face of racism

Ted Nolan was just 16 years old when he moved from Garden River First Nation to Kenora, Ont. in order to play hockey for the Soo Greyhounds’ farm team for the 1975-76 season. 

He refers to that time as a defining moment in his life. It was the first time he had ever left home, and the first time he really faced any kind of racism.  

Nolan spoke about his brushes with racism in hockey during last week's free virtual event sponsored by Shingwauk Anishinaabe Students Association, Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig and the committee for diversity, equity and inclusion at Algoma University.

“Anybody leaving home for any reason, it’s tough. But when you throw name calling and racism and bullying and all those things on top of it, it was a very trying time,” recalled Nolan. “I used to cry myself to sleep for the first month I was on the team, and we didn’t play our opposition yet - this is just trying to play on that team.”

“And my two brothers came to town. We were all set for our first exhibition game, and my two brothers came to town, I thought, to watch me play. But in fact, they came to bring me home,” he continued. “I guess hearing one of the letters I wrote home, I kind of stated I wasn’t having a very good time playing there, and it was tough making friends. We fought at hockey a lot, I fought at school.”

Nolan told his brother, Steve, that he was going to stick it out instead of going back home. 

“I stayed not because I liked it where it was, but I stayed to prove that we can do anything we want to, and I wasn’t going to let anybody chase me from that except for myself,” he said. 

Nolan even stopped going to school that year because it was “worse than playing hockey.” But his decision to stick with the hockey team in Kenora ultimately paid off. 

“During the year, I got a little closer with some of the people on the team. I actually made some friends, and I won rookie of the year on the hockey team,” said Nolan. “And it really helped my development, because the next year I went back to my hometown in Garden River and went back out to Soo Greyhounds, and lo and behold, I made the team.”

Nolan would be drafted to the National Hockey League by the Detroit Red Wings in 1978. 

“And I always reflected back on that year in Kenora, because I think all the young people, when we go through certain things, there’s defining moments in our life that define us,” he said. “If I would’ve packed up and went home with my brother, I certainly wouldn’t be here today speaking with you, and I certainly wouldn't be able to accomplish some of the things I did in hockey.”

A hit at centre ice while playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins would rupture three disks in Nolan’s back, ending his career as a professional hockey player in 1986. 

“The day I got hurt was the day I was really happy, because I didn’t have to go through it anymore - I didn’t have to go through that name calling, I didn’t have to go through the prejudice anymore,” Nolan said. 

The retired hockey player would begin a new chapter in life as a hockey coach. Nolan would go from part-time assistant coach of the Soo Greyhounds to the team’s head coach - he would be awarded OHL coach of the year in 1991 - and later, NHL coaching stints with the Hartford Whalers and the Buffalo Sabres during his first run as a professional hockey coach. Nolan would claim the Jack Adams Award for NHL coach of the year in 1997. After a decade-long hiatus from coaching, Nolan would go on to coach hockey in the junior, professional and international ranks.

One time while coaching the Sabres, a Russian player asked Nolan if he was an ‘indian.’ The player was also curious about medicine men after watching the film Dances With Wolves, wanting to know if a medicine man could improve their chances with the Stanley Cup playoffs just around the corner. The Anishinaabe head coach used the interaction as an opportunity to teach his team about his culture.  

“I asked the players if he was really serious. He really wanted to have a medicine man come down and talk to us,” he said. 

Nolan asked the late Jake Pine to do a ceremony in the Sabres’ locker room before playing the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Pine would show up in full regalia. 

“Here I was in Joe Louis Arena with all the luxurious things around us, and Jake from Garden River was doing a ceremony in our locker room. It was one of those things that I’ll always remember,” he said. “Jake was speaking in the language, and he was showing the boys how to smudge.”

Pine captivated the locker room. 

“They had eyes like silver dollars, just staring at him - and he did a wonderful job. I mean, that’s part of diversity and inclusion - instead of being afraid, learn about someone,” Nolan said. 

Nolan would later sprinkle some tobacco on players’ sticks. Hockey players, Nolan says, are a very superstitious lot. 

“We won 17 of our next 18 games, we won the northeast division title - and people always ask me what’s your coaching style, or what’s your coaching philosophy,” said Nolan. “It’s always been, if you treat people good and you treat them with respect, things usually work out.”

“That’s why I’m a strong believer in the power of belief, because I really believe things will change if people have more understanding, people know who we are, and we know who they are.”

Nolan credits his upbringing in Garden River First Nation for his success.  

“My mother was a big influence on my life. She taught me who I was as Anishinaabe, to be very proud of who I am,” he said. “And I think those are the traits that really helped me when I was going through some of those moments when I was in Kenora, and people were bullying and picking on you because of the way you looked.”

“But I always felt strong because I was proud of who I was, and I got that from my upbringing. My parents really instilled in me how strong our people were, how strong we are.”