2 former athletes from Garden River First Nation to be inducted in Canada Sports Hall of Fame
Former NHL player and coach Ted Nolan and fastball pitcher Darren Zack to receive the honour
Two former athletes from Garden River First Nation in northeastern Ontario will be inducted into the Canada Sports Hall of Fame this year.
Former NHL player and coach Ted Nolan, and his cousin Darren Zack, a fastball pitcher, will both receive the honour at a ceremony in Gatineau, Que., in October.
"It's a big deal to have two people from the same First Nation community in northern Ontario," Nolan told CBC News.
"Who would ever think that we would get the highest honour in probably the most prestigious sports hall of fame in Canada?"
In 1997 Nolan was recognized as the NHL coach of the year when he was coaching the Buffalo Sabres.
Nolan said that growing up, his community had a baseball field and hockey rink to keep him and his friends active.
"I'm thankful for all the people who led the way for us," he said.
More recently he's been conducting hockey schools with his two sons, and doing public speaking engagements.
Nolan said things are better for Indigenous athletes today, compared to when he was growing up, but there's still a lot of room for improvement.
Zack played for the Canadian national fastball team and won three consecutive gold medals at the Pan American Games in 1991, 1995 and 1999.