This year’s success is welcome news to the Amerks, since it follows two dismal seasons. The Amerks were the second-worst team in the American Hockey League last season, and had the worst record the year before. So far this season, the Amerks lead the league with 25 points.

The Amerks’ Vice President of Hockey Operations, Ted Nolan, says the team is enjoying the wave of success, because no one knows when it will happen again.

Attendance was down during the Amerks’ disappointing seasons the last two years. Nolan is hoping the team’s performance this year will make a difference in the stands. He says it’s tough to win back the trust of the community, but the Amerks are doing it one fan at a time.

Nolan gives credit to owner Curt Styres for turning the team around. Styres took over the team last year.  Nolan was signed on as vice president last summer. He played on the 1984-85 team that set the record of 11 consecutive wins.  Win or lose Thursday night, Nolan thinks the organization has already made a statement that the Amerks are a good team.

Source Article: WXXI (Peter Iglinski)

A special thank you to Orlando Rosa for making this partnership possible!

Proceeds from the event will benefit charitable organizations supported by the CN Employee’s and Pensioner’s Community Fund: including, The Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation, The Marie-Vincent Foundation and the Ted Nolan Foundation. Approximately $250,000 has been raised to date.

Watch CN’s own hockey team, coached by Ted Nolan, battle Richard Sévigny, Patrice Brisebois, Enrico Ciccone, André Dupont, Karl Dykhuis,Gaston Gingras, Larry Robinson, Gilbert Delorme, Normand Dupont, Guy Lafleur, Yvon Lambert, Sergio Momesso and Stephane Richer.

There will be a cheque presentation ceremony during the game with hockey legends, Luc Jobin, CN’s executive vice-president and chief financial officer and representatives from the event’s beneficiaries.

Ted also discussed the importance of; Education, Responsibility, Leadership and Believing in yourself.  The Ted Nolan Foundation would like to thank the students and staff at St. Alexander School.

Photo by: Welland Tribune.

Photos below by: St. Alexander School

The Ted Nolan Foundation would like say ‘CHI-MIIGWETCH’ to Mona Jones, Carol Trudeau-McEwen, Mackenzie and Alicia Sayers for taking time out of their work schedules to be with our students. A special thank you to Mona and Carol as they travelled with our students from Sault Ste. Marie and were an excellent support system.

Thank you Mackenzie for travelling from Manitoulin Island to pass on your knowledge and our history to our students and your sister, Alicia for being a great role model!

As well we would like to thank Karlee Knox for all of her help with Girl’s Talk and assisting with the Camp’s field trip to the Rochester American’s Hockey Game.

Dakota Tremblay would have told people a week ago she had a lot of doubts about her ability to climb more than 20 feet on a big-rung swinging ladder.

But on Saturday, with other people’s assistance, she also suspended herself on a rope, while depending on someone else to lower her gently to the floor.

Despite her trepidation, the 13-year-old Ojibway native from Batchewana First Nation near Sault Ste. Marie made the climb to the top of a large barn at the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation Camp outside St. George, swallowed hard as she hung for a while with nothing under her, then descended to her relief and exhilaration.

“I felt like I was floating in the air. It was uncomfortable,” she said.

“I was light-headed. I was scared because I feared they would let go. But they didn’t. It taught me that I can trust other people that I don’t even know.”

Dakota was one of 50 native youths, aged 11 to 15, who are participating in a unique five-day leadership camp. It’s part of a five-year partnership between the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation and Ted Nolan Foundation.

The youths, many of whom had never left their reserve, are learning leadership skills, teamwork and independence through an agenda of wilderness adventure activities and listening to aboriginal leaders explain the Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers, which instructs them on how to treat others.

Nolan, a former NHL coach of the year and native of Sault Ste. Marie First Nation, is vice-president of hockey operations for the AHL Rochester Americans. He established the charitable foundation in 2004 to promote healthy lifestyles among First Nations youth.

The foundation combines the traditions, values and wisdom of the First Nations with the latest in training skills from corporate, educational, health, sports and recreation to encourage aboriginal youth to pursue academic growth and foster healthy lifestyles.

The goal is to increase the size of the event by 50 youths per year.

Beside Dakota, Christian Shawana, 13, of the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, conceded he also was nervous before scaling the ladder.

“I felt good when I was done because I made it to the top and I faced my fears,” he said.

Twelve-year-old Ali Petingalo enjoyed helping others, while they were playing certain games.

“It taught me that we need to help everyone, not just yourself, and to be kind.”