Born into a large family on the Garden River First Nation in northern Ontario, Ted Nolan’s career in hockey included playing for his hometown Soo Greyhounds before an eight-year professional career with the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins.   After transitioning to coaching, Ted led the Greyhounds to three consecutive Memorial Cups and won the tournament in 1993. He became head coach of the Buffalo Sabres in 1995, and one season later took his team to a first-place finish in the Northeast Division and won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year. Ted established a foundation in 2004 to honour his late mother Rose. Since then, the foundation has raised nearly $2 million and awarded scholarships to over 130 First Nations women across Canada. Appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in June 2025, Ted has received four university honorary degrees and is the co-founder and president of 3Nolans, which operates hockey schools in First Nations communities.