Windspeaker Sports Briefs - April 2012

Another Nolan in NHL
Jordan Nolan has become the third member of his family to play in the National Hockey League. The 22-year-old Ojibwe, who is toiling for the Los Angeles Kings, is the youngest son of Ted Nolan. The Kings called up Nolan, who is from Garden River, Ont., from their American Hockey League affiliate Manchester Monarchs on Feb. 10. The forward had four points (two goals, two assists) in his first 17 games in Los Angeles.

The elder Nolan played 78 NHL contests. He appeared in games for the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1980s. But he’s better known for being an NHL coach. Ted Nolan coached for the Hartford Whalers, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders. He’s perhaps best known for winning the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year for his work with the Sabres during the 1996-97 season.

Jordan Nolan has already appeared in more NHL games than his brother Brandon did during his five-year pro career. Brandon Nolan played six matches with the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2007-08 campaign. He missed the entire next season due to a concussion and then retired.

Jordan Nolan was considered a longshot to make it to the NHL. He was not selected in the first two years he was eligible to be drafted. Then, during the third year he could be selected, the Kings chose him in the seventh round, 186th over-all, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Last year, his first as a pro, Nolan spent the majority of his time in the AHL with the New Hampshire-based Monarchs. He had 22 points in 40 games this season with the Manchester side before being called up by the Kings.

New program launched
Just Move It—Canada is the name of an online program that has been launched to improve the health and fitness among Indigenous communities in Canada. The Just Move It campaign, however, is not a new one. This marks the 20th year the health campaign will be run in the United States.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Mary Simon were among those that assisted with the Canadian national launch on March 19.

The Just Move It—Canada program will list and follow events, programs and projects that promote physical activity and wellness in First Nation and Inuit communities across the country. Also, by going to the Web site individuals can share their stories and plans about their fitness and wellness initiatives.

The Just Move It campaign was started in the U.S. by the Healthy Native Communities Partnership.

More information about the program in Canada is available at www.justmoveit.org/jmicanada.

Manitoba’s athletes named
A hockey player and a multi-sport athlete have been selected as Manitoba’s top Aboriginal athletes.

Winnipeg’s Julie Desrochers and Kiinnan Stevenson-French of the Peguis First Nation were announced as the province’s top Aboriginal female and male athletes for 2011 on March 12.

The Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council annually honors its top female and male athletes. They are chosen in part for their positive role in sports in their communities as well as their personal commitment to athletic development and achievement in sport.

Desrochers, who is Métis, was a member of the Winnipeg East Saints AA hockey team. She also represented Manitoba at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, which were held in Saskatoon last May.
Desrochers also was an assistant coach for a peewee hockey team that her sister played for. And she volunteered several weeks last summer at hockey schools.

Stevenson-French is also a hockey player. But he also competed in the following sports last year—wrestling, golf, street hockey, volleyball, softball and basketball.
He ended up winning numerous trophies and medals for his athletic endeavours.

Stevenson-French was a member of the team that captured the bronze medal at the Western Canadian Softball Championships and he also won three medals at the Manitoba Indigenous Invitational Games this past summer.

Stevenson-French is  also a member of the Peguis Youth Hunters and Gatherers Group.

Warriors don’t repeat
The Akwesasne Warriors were not able to defend their Federal Hockey League (FHL) championship.

The Warriors, who play their home contests in an eastern Ontario Mohawk community, captured the inaugural FHL title last season.

As for this year, during the regular season the Akwesasne side finished fifth in the eight-team league. The Warriors then had their season come to an end when they were downed 2-1 by the New York-based 1000 Islands Privateers in their best-of-three opening playoff series.