'I love back home': Ted Nolan returns to Garden River for book signing fundraiser

It was only fitting that Ted Nolan held the first book signing for his new book, Life in Two Worlds, in his hometown of Garden River First Nation. 

It’s where his love of the game of hockey began, the catalyst for a storied career that took him to the Soo Greyhounds as a player — and later coach of the franchise’s 1993 Memorial Cup squad — before making it to the ranks of the National Hockey League as both a player and coach.

And it’s still very much home for Nolan after all these years.  

“I love back home,” he told reporters following Tuesday’s book signing. “Even when I played, all the people that I played with didn’t think I liked being around where I played. 

“It wasn’t that I didn’t like where I was playing; it’s just I loved home more, and I couldn’t wait to come home.”

Tuesday’s book signing event, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada, raised more than $10,000 for Miijim Gaamig, the community food bank for the First Nation.     

“I was one of those kids who woke up in the morning sometimes with not too much to eat,” Nolan said.

The idea for Nolan's book came into being after Nolan opened up to TSN’s Rick Westhead about his experiences with racism in hockey for what would eventually become a documentary entitled The Unwanted Visitor.   

Nolan’s powerful interview caught the attention of Penguin Random House Canada, which approached him to write a book based on his lived experiences. 

The end result, Life in Two Worlds, was released this past October.       

“It’s way more than just hockey, and I didn’t want to write just for hockey,” Nolan said of the book. “I wanted to use hockey as just a metaphor for life itself, because sometimes people get judged for the way they look, what kind of income they’re coming from and what have you — and the only thing the kids want to do when they’re little children, they just want to play. 

“They want to feel part of a team, and when you don’t feel part of the team, it’s just very devastating.” 

The feeling of pride was palpable in Garden River during the book signing event, and it wasn’t lost on the former National Hockey League coach of the year afterwards. He said it made him recall his first game with the Detroit Red Wings during the 1981-1982 season, which saw him taking photos and meeting up with family members.

“The pride when you see one of your own achieve certain successes — I don’t care what venue it is — but there’s just a sense of pride,” he said. 

Garden River First Nation Chief Karen Bell, who presented Nolan with a beaded medallion of the community logo and the First Nation’s flag during the event, said Nolan has always been a proud member of his community.  

“He never forgot about Garden River, he never forgot about where he came from — never forgot about his roots, and he mentions it all the time,” she said. “I know that when I was younger and I went to an NHL game, all you had to look for was Ted; as soon as he saw you, he would make sure that he stopped everything, and he would make you feel welcome.” 

Nolan made his return to Garden River as a survivor: it’s the first time he’s been home since being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer that forms from white blood cells called plasma cells, about seven months ago. 

He’s now on the mend after undergoing chemotherapy treatment for nearly five months. Nolan has been living at his second home in St. Davids, a small village in the Niagara on the Lake area, while undergoing treatment.

Nolan said his blood is back to normal and he is starting a new form of medication to ensure that the cancer “stays where it is,” but he’s still waiting for the nod to “ring the bell” — a term used when cancer patients successfully complete chemotherapy or radiation treatment — from medical staff. 

“I’m hoping I get to ring the bell pretty soon, but he says everything is looking good,” he said. 

Nolan credited the support of his wife, Sandra, and the medical care he’s received for his progress. Without that, he said, he doesn’t believe that he “would’ve made it through.”

“Anytime anyone hears that word ‘cancer,’ I mean, it sets you back a little bit, and you’re scared — you don’t know whether you’re going to live for a year or two, or two weeks,” Nolan said. “It’s really tough mentally, and like I said, I’ve fought a lot of battles in my life, but none like this. 

“This was all mental, and anybody who’s ever been through it, I’ll tell you they’re my new heroes, because fighting cancer is one of the toughest things I personally ever went through in my entire life — and I’m just so thankful for the medical people who do this work, and the care and what they give, and how much work there is involved.”

Nolan’s toughest battle to date has left him with an even deeper sense of gratitude, which was on full display as he happily signed dozens upon dozens of books and photographs for his fans. 

And the community reciprocated that goodwill: Jingle dress dancers and a youth drum group performed a traditional Anishinaabe healing song as part of the book signing event, while a handful of Nolan's supporters had their heads shaved Tuesday in order to raise funds for the local food bank. 

“I just cross my fingers every day,” he said. “Sometimes we take the simple things in life for granted — just life in general — so I’m just happy to be here today.”