Former NHL coach and player Ted Nolan delivers keynote speech on education

By Rick Garrick

THUNDER BAY—Former National Hockey League coach and player Ted Nolan spoke about the importance of education at the 10th Annual Matawa Education Conference, held March 7-9 in Thunder Bay.

“Education is what I say is almost like the new buffalo,” Nolan says before delivering his speech at the March 8 evening banquet. “We have to get ourselves educated in order to move forward.”

Nolan says his two sons, Jordan and Brandon, both finished high school while they were pursuing their hockey goals.

“We stressed education throughout their careers,” Nolan says. “Fortunately, Jordan turned pro really quick and he’s still playing, but he took a couple of courses here at college. And Brandon, after his playing career was over, went back to school and got his business [administration] and marketing [diploma].”

Nolan says there are a lot of similarities between ‘coaching and teaching and educating’.

“It’s about empowering the people that you work for and we are very blessed to have a whole bunch of people here that work specifically with our youth,” Nolan says. “It’s so important now that they get the message across to them to influence them, to encourage them and to motivate them.”

Nolan believes that people often reflect back to that special teacher they had while going to school.

“I remember that one hockey coach that made a difference in my life, that one teacher who made a difference in my life,” Nolan says. “So what they do is very crucial and very important.”

Nolan says he emphasizes the importance of education during the 3|NOLANS First Nation Hockey School he runs each summer with Jordan and Brandon for boys and girls aged seven to 15 years old.

“The hook is the hockey,” Nolan says. “The kids all like to play hockey or sports in general, and during that time we try to encourage them about the importance of healthy living, good decisions, staying in school and making sure you do get yourself an education because it is so important.”

Nolan says he played his first NHL game when he was 23 years old with the Detroit Red Wings against the Chicago Blackhawks.

“I still remember it like it was yesterday,” Nolan says. “The one thing I wanted to do was to one day come back to our communities and share my story with as many people as I possibly can. If this skinny little Ojibwa kid from Garden River could play in the National Hockey League with the best in the world, anybody can do anything. So I really want to share that story and share how to do it. Doing it is about making the right sacrifices, making the right decisions and choices. If you do that and put in the right work and gain some knowledge and you really believe, certain things can happen.”

Nolan says times were ‘lean’ when he was growing up in Garden River.

“We didn’t get indoor plumbing until I was 14 years old,” Nolan says. “I didn’t play AAA hockey, I didn’t play AA hockey. I played house league hockey. Today I look back at my childhood and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Former Long Lake #58 Chief Allen Towegishig says it is important to have role models like Nolan at the conference, noting that he first met Nolan about 20 years ago at a youth conference in Long Lake #58.

Long Lake #58 is one of the Matawa communities.

“He’s a good role model and motivational speaker,” Towegishig says. “We want our young people to have someone they can look up to.”