NHL AWARDS CEREMONY

June 19, 1997

Ted Nolan

TED NOLAN: Well, celebrate this one for a while. You know, it was just a real honor just to be in this room tonight with all these great players and in a room filled with what -- I think it is greatest game in the world -- to be around players like this, just for a special night, it is a special moment. All of a sudden you win something like this. I guess it is just icing on the cake for the night.

TED NOLAN: Well, you know, tell you the truth, I was so happy just to be here I didn't think I would win. Hitchcock had a great year and Scotty had a great year. I was just probably sitting back thinking one of those two guys. All of a sudden, my name popped up. So, I guess, so much emotion, I think that is the way I coach the game. I coach with emotion. And, I think the game of hockey or sports, you have to play with some emotion. And, tonight was, I guess, a special night, so emotion just kind of took over.

TED NOLAN: It really caught me by surprise. I was, like I said, maybe I was a little bit flabbergasted. I think it is a great honor just to be a part of a sport and getting paid for it and be able to do things that we were able to do in the off-season and giving back to the communities and special charities or special events, and to win an award like this, I guess that is a great honor. And, now I get to do a little bit more with the Jack Adams award.

TED NOLAN: I think any time you coach a team or players and you get to see them in awards like this, whether I was here with them, or not, I was extremely proud and happy for both their nominations, first of all. And all of a sudden, they are both winners of their awards.

TED NOLAN: Like I said, I never try to put pressure on anybody. One thing I try to do in Buffalo, when I first got there was, first of all, try, I guess -- establish myself in this League. It is the best League in the world and I proved that I can coach in the League and last couple of years hopefully I did that. And, now, has nothing to do with pressure. Hopefully they think I am a good coach and that I can take this team to the next level.

TED NOLAN: Like I said, I don't make those decisions. I am just thrilled tonight to be sitting here and getting the award. And, right now, I guess we are going to sit back next couple of days and see what offers come.

TED NOLAN: I am going to talk with Darcy late here this night. I think I am going to go down and see what goes on and hopefully I will have some kind of decision made in the next week or so.

TED NOLAN: I think there is nobody in the organization that probably knows on-ice product on any given time, especially a coach. So, I guess they would have to ask for some of my opinion on the players right now.

TED NOLAN: Like I said, to be nominated was -- maybe I did condition myself not to win and because sometimes when you -- when you wish for something, it doesn't happen, and, I guess you are a little disappointed. So, I guess maybe somebody else will probably win and same thing when I was sitting down,, when I was a kid growing up, watching everything else and watching the League. And, I said to myself -- people around me always said that is for somebody else, not for us. But, now I am sitting here and being on national TV and winning an award like this, I guess that is part of the whole emotion.

TED NOLAN: Hopefully I am in the League somewhere. That is my goal to -- when I started coaching is Sault Ste. Marie, in coaching Canadian Hockey League under excellent ownership, to me was the best schooling anybody can go to. I had a great opportunity to coach at Sault Ste. Marie under great leadership there. And that League and all of a sudden be here.

TED NOLAN: Yeah, I guess growing up, in going through what I went through, I guess you hear the old poor boy stories, but there is a big difference between being poor material-wise, but we were very rich with love and support. Usually when I went home, my mother always opened up her arms and welcomed you in the door. This one particular time she kind of kicked me out of the house and said get back and follow your dream in the National Hockey League, which I did. So I guess that was the best kick I ever had.

TED NOLAN: You know, tell you the truth, my No. 1 priority all along was to re-sign with Buffalo and you hear Dominik speak tonight, you sheer Mike Peca speak tonight, we kind of have a unique bond there and hopefully to continue that. But, like I said, I never right really pursued anything else. But, there comes a point, if you are not going to get offered then maybe you have to.

TED NOLAN: Yeah, I guess Jim asked a question about what you thought about. Back in my mind, I there think about things to say and -- but the emotion got the better of me. That is one thing I really wanted to get across is probably the kids watching on national TV, that dreams do come true and you don't have to have the best to succeed in whatever field that you want, if you work hard enough, and dedicate yourself long enough, you can achieve anything that you want. So, I think winning this award will definitely help in the summertime when I do visit some native communities across the country to spread that message even stronger.

TED NOLAN: That is great. Dominik winning two, of course, with this Jacques Adams, it is a big night for Buffalo and the thing I really feel for is the people in Buffalo. They are such great fans and they come out and support us, and they jump on us when we need to be jumped on. Tell you what, they are blue collar fans and blue collar hockey. And, last year we provided that. So, I think Buffalo can be very proud tonight.