Brandon Nolan, a proud Ojibway from the Garden River First Nation, played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Oshawa Generals, eventually becoming a two-time OHL All-Star and a consistent top scorer in his three years playing for the Generals. It was Nolan's strong play with the Oshawa Generals that helped him get drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the third round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, then again in the fourth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks.


Nolan played professional hockey for five years, playing for the Manitoba Moose (AHL), Columbia Inferno (ECHL), Vaxjo Lakers (Swedish League), Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL), Albany River Rats (AHL), and the Carolina Hurricanes (NHL). He eventually reached his boyhood dream of playing in the NHL when he was called up from the AHL’s Albany River Rats to the Carolina Hurricanes on December 22, 2007. Realizing a lifelong dream is not easy, and Nolan did it.


Nolan played six games for the Carolina Hurricanes that season, but on February 22, 2008, his life would change forever. He suffered a serious concussion during a game in the AHL and was forced to retire from the game he loved.


After taking two years off to recover from post-concussion syndrome, Nolan enrolled into Durham College hoping to obtain a diploma in Business Administration, specializing in marketing.


Putting forth his best effort and applying the skills he learned and the values that were instilled on him by his parents Ted and Sandra including hard work, perseverance, completing what you start, Nolan eventually graduated in 2012 as the highest ranking graduate in his entire program, as well as winning multiple awards, including the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for academic excellence.


Like his father Ted, giving back to First Nations and First Nations youth was very important to him. Having co-created the 3NOLANS First Nation Hockey School with his father and brother, and having directly affected the lives of over 2,500 youth, Nolan looks forward to continuing to be a positive role model for First Nations people for many years to come.