Owen Nolan

Lore & Background

Nolan grew up in Thorold, Ontario playing minor ice hockey for Thorold in the OMHA. After playing A hockey for the Thorold bantam A's, Nolan was selected in the second round of the 1988 OHL Priority Selection by the Cornwall Royals of the Ontario Hockey League. He was drafted first overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1990 NHL entry draft. After a difficult rookie season at age 18 in 1990-91, when he tallied only 13 points, he burst out the next year with 42 goals and 73 points in 75 games. He was part of the franchise's transfer to Denver where the Nordiques were rebranded as the Colorado Avalanche. He began the 1995–96 season with four goals and four assists in nine games for the Avalanche before being traded to the San Jose Sharks for Sandis Ozoliņš on 26 October 1995. During his tenure with the Sharks he was named captain, and registered his best career year in 1999–2000, finishing with 84 points, and tied for second in the NHL with 44 goals. During the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs, the eighth-seeded Sharks took out the first-seeded St. Louis Blues in seven games with Nolan leading the way with six goals. In game seven, Nolan scored with 10 seconds left in the first period from just past centre ice, beating goaltender Roman Turek to give the Sharks a 2–0 lead. The goal propelled them to a 3–1, game seven victory and first-round upset of the Blues. Nolan was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs just before the NHL trade deadline on 5 March 2003, for players Alyn McCauley and Brad Boyes, and Toronto's first-round pick in the 2003 NHL entry draft. However his performance in Toronto was disappointing, he suffered from a series of injuries and never played at the same level as he had in San Jose. Nolan broke new ground in contract negotiations, having a clause put in that stated if the 2004–05 NHL season was cancelled, then he would gain a player option for an additional year in 2005–06. However, with the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement in place, this option became a topic of debate. With the new NHL salary cap, the Maple Leafs deemed Nolan's salary too high, and refused to recognize Nolan as under contract. Nolan argued that the option was valid, that he would play, and be paid, for the Maple Leafs, and that he deserved to be paid during the 2004–05 NHL lockout due to injury. The Maple Leafs, who deemed Nolan as healthy just after the lockout, claimed that t

In Their Own Story

The arena lights hummed a low amber glow over the ice as the third period ticked toward its final minutes. Nolan, stick low, crouched behind the blue line, reading the opposing defenceman's shoulder. The puck dropped, and for a heartbeat the whole building seemed to hold its breath. Then the pass came—clean, crisp, right to his tape. He didn't accelerate; he simply *was* fast, a blur of Kings purple and gold cutting through the neutral zone while two defenders scrambled to close the gap. He dropped his shoulder, threaded a no-look pass across the slot, and the puck kissed the back of the net before the goalie even turned his head. The crowd roar hit the glass, and Nolan, already skating back on defence, barely glanced over his shoulder. That was just another Tuesday for the kid from Ottawa who had decided Los Angeles was his home for three unforgettable years.

Reader's Guide

Nolan has played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1992, 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2002. He was the runner-up to Mark Recchi for the All-Star Game MVP in 1997, during which he performed a memorable 'called shot', pointing to the top corner of the net on a breakaway and promptly scoring there against Dominik Hašek to complete a hat trick. Nolan is one of six players in NHL history to be born on the island of Ireland (Sid Finney, Bobby Kirk, Jim McFadden, Sammy McManus and Jack Riley are the others). Nolan's Catholic family lived on the Falls Road but moved to Thorold, Ontario, when he was seven months old to avoid religious persecution during the Troubles. He grew up playing baseball and soccer; it was not until he was nine that he began skating. He attended Denis Morris Catholic High School in St. Catharines, Ontario. Nolan owns two restaurants called Britannia Arms in San Jose, California. He and his wife have two children. Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame inductee (2014).

Did You Know?

• Owen Nolan was drafted first overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1990, not by the Ottawa Senators in 1992.
• He never played for the Los Angeles Kings or the New York Rangers.
• Nolan scored a famous 'called shot' goal in the 1997 NHL All-Star Game, pointing to the top corner before scoring on Dominik Hašek.
• He is one of only six NHL players born on the island of Ireland.
• Nolan played his 1,000th NHL game on 22 October 2007 as a member of the Calgary Flames.