Ted Nolan assists U9 practice
It seems as though legendary Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Maritimes Jr. Hockey League and National Hockey League head coach Ted Nolan is never far away from a rink. Just recently, Nolan ran a practice for the Under 9, tier 1 level Niagara Nationals, who are coached by fellow Sault Ste. Marie product Freddie Coccimiglio.
Nowadays, Coccimiglio and Nolan live down the street from one another in the village of St. David’s, which is an extension of the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. And Coccimiglio said that Nolan was more than happy to come out and run a recent practice for Coccimiglio’s under nine year old hockey team.
“It was great, we loved having Teddy out with us,” the 44 year old Coccimiglio relayed to Hockey News North. “It was a great experience for all of us.”
To be sure, the 67 year old Nolan has made quite a name for himself after growing up poor just outside the city limits of Sault Ste. Marie on Garden River First Nation.
From playing in the OHL with the Soo Greyhounds to an NHL career that began as a rugged left winger with the Detroit Red Wings, Nolan then went on to stardom as a head coach. He guided the OHL Greyhounds to multiple championships — including the Soo’s one and only Memorial Cup title. Nolan also coached the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL to a Memorial Cup championship game. And in between, he won NHL coach of the year honours with the Buffalo Sabres.
As for Coccimiglio, who grew up watching Nolan coach the OHL Greyhounds, he has had himself a hockey career that is nothing to scoff at.
Coccimiglio has managed to maintain a presence in the game that he grew up around in Sault Ste. Marie and led him from being a 100 point plus scorer — in just 53 games — with the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to play as high as the Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association level at Canisius College, which is located in Buffalo, New York.
Coccimiglio played four full years at Canisius and eventually graduated from the Buffalo school with a master’s degree in sports administration. He went out into the work force soon after graduating and later combined a full time career job with either coaching hockey or scouting it.
Besides now coaching his young son Carmen’s team in Niagara — the nine year old lad is a goalie — Coccimiglio has been a regional scout for the Flint Firebirds of the OHL since 2018. Coccimiglio — who works full time as a pharmaceutical rep — is responsible for scouting midget aged , draft eligible players in the Buffalo, Burlington, Hamilton, Niagara, Brampton, Grey Bruce, Guelph, Halton and Oakville areas for Flint.
Feel good stories are a welcome part of a game that is too often overshadowed by corrupt, awful, self serving individuals who put themselves and their cronies above all else. And among the many feel good stories out there are about fellows such as Nolan and Coccimiglio who recently got together as neighbours and coaches, simply for the love of the game.
in photo above, Ted Nolan (at left) and Freddie Coccimiglio (right) with young goalie Carmen Coccimiglio, at a recent practice of the Under 9 level Niagara Nationals.