Owen Nolan

Lore & Background

Owen Nolan was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and moved to Thorold, Ontario, at seven months old. He began skating at age nine and played minor hockey in Thorold before being selected in the second round of the 1988 OHL Priority Selection by the Cornwall Royals. Drafted first overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1990, he had a difficult rookie season but broke out the next year with 42 goals. He was part of the franchise's move to Denver, becoming a Colorado Avalanche player, but was traded to the San Jose Sharks in October 1995.

With the Sharks, Nolan was named captain and recorded his best season in 1999–2000 with 84 points and 44 goals. In the 2000 playoffs, he led the eighth-seeded Sharks to a first-round upset of the top-seeded St. Louis Blues, scoring a memorable goal from just past centre ice in Game 7. He later played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, and Minnesota Wild, and spent part of the 2010–11 season with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland. He retired in February 2012 at a press conference in San Jose.

Reader's Guide

Owen Nolan's significance lies in his role as a prototypical power forward of the 1990s and early 2000s, combining physical play with scoring ability. Drafted first overall, he lived up to expectations with multiple 40-goal seasons and five All-Star appearances. His 'called shot' in the 1997 All-Star Game—pointing to the top corner before scoring on Dominik Hašek—became one of the most iconic moments in All-Star history. Nolan's career also illustrates the volatility of the NHL: he was traded from a rising Avalanche team, dealt at the deadline to Toronto, and later faced a contract dispute with the Maple Leafs over a lockout-related option clause that went to arbitration. His later years saw him move through several teams, including a brief stint in Switzerland, before retiring. Off the ice, he owns two restaurants in San Jose and was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. Nolan is one of only six NHL players born on the island of Ireland.

Did You Know?

• Owen Nolan was born on the Falls Road in Belfast and moved to Canada at seven months old to avoid religious persecution during the Troubles.
• He scored a 'called shot' goal in the 1997 NHL All-Star Game, pointing to the top corner before scoring on Dominik Hašek.
• Nolan played his 1,000th NHL game on 22 October 2007 as a member of the Calgary Flames.
• He scored his 400th and 401st NHL goals on 10 March 2009 while playing for the Minnesota Wild against the San Jose Sharks.