Wait is over-Nolan returning to coaching

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After eight long and sometimes frustrating seasons, Ted Nolan is finally heading back behind the bench.

On April 26, Nolan, an Ojibway from Garden River First Nation near Sault Ste. Marie, was hired on to be the head coach and director of hockey operations for the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

Nolan has not had a high profile coaching job since the 1996-97 campaign. For his efforts in guiding the Buffalo Sabres that season Nolan received the Jack Adams Award, presented annually to the National Hockey League's (NHL) coach of the year.

But since turning down a one-year contract extension from the Sabres, Nolan has endured a lengthy wait for his next coaching gig.

He applied for various posts, both in the NHL and in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he had previously coached with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. But for whatever reason, Nolan, who enjoyed a successful five-and-a-half year stint coaching the Greyhounds, was never offered the jobs he wanted. He turned down ones he wasn't keen on, at times for family reasons.

For example, Wildcats' owner Robert Irving confirmed he first tried to hire Nolan back in 2000.

"The timing was such that we just weren't able to come to a deal," Irving said.

Nolan sometimes turned down job opportunities because he was not eager to relocate his family from their home in St. Catharines. Nolan and his wife Sandra have two sons, Brandon, 21, and Jordan, 15.

Brandon is a professional hockey player who toiled with the Manitoba Moose, the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, this past season.

And there's a good chance Jordan will be leaving home this fall. That's because he's expected to be chosen in the OHL priority selections draft scheduled for May 7. If he were to be drafted and crack the roster of an OHL club this September, the youngest Nolan would be billeted in the city he would be playing in.

Ted Nolan said the fact that both of his sons are now older and might not be living at home this coming season is one of the reasons he accepted the Moncton job.

Another appealing factor is that the Wildcats will play host to the 2006 Memorial Cup next May.

As host, Moncton is guaranteed a berth in the four-team tournament. Also taking part will be the OHL champions, as well as the Western Hockey League champs. The other entry will be the QMJHL playoff champs. But if the Wildcats win the league crown, then the QMJHL finalists will advance to the Memorial Cup tournament.

Nolan inked a one-year deal -terms were not disclosed-to guide the Moncton franchise. In all likelihood he would have joined the Wildcats even if they were not playing host to the Memorial Cup, he said.

"I probably would have accepted the job anyways just because of the way Mr. Irving presented himself," Nolan said. "I really felt he wanted me to do this. And I've always felt if you feel wanted, that's going to make you want to do it even more."

Irving said he's just as puzzled as many others are about why Nolan hasn't been coaching in recent years.

"I can't really comment on the hockey world," Irving said. "But I know I would have hired him back in 2000."

Though Nolan hasn't coached in recent years, Irving said he has a proven record.

"I think his track record speaks volumes in what he's been able to achieve," Irving said.

Nolan guided the Greyhounds to three Memorial Cup appearances and one win, a major feat considering the large annual turnover of players in the junior ranks.

Nolan's first NHL coaching job was as assistant coach with the Hartford Whalers during the 1994-95 season. He served as Buffalo's head coach for the following two years.

Nolan is also a former professional player. He spent the majority of his eight-year pro career in the American Hockey League, but he did appear in 78 NHL contests; 60 with the Detroit Red Wings and 18 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Nolan plans tomove to Moncton in July.

"My wife is the one who's going to be the frequent flyer this coming season as she'll be flying around keeping track of her three boys," Nolan joked.

Sandra Nolan already has some Maritime ties. Her sister Candice Paul is chief of Saint Mary's First Nation near Fredericton.