“IF NOLAN GOES TO
WHEAT KINGS CAMP
AND PLAYS AT A
CERTAIN LEVEL, HE’LL
MAKE THE TEAM”
career in Winnipeg. He put
up monster numbers in the
early 90s, went on to have a
big career in Germany, was the
Wheat Kings assistant coach
from 2007-2016 and is now the
team’s Director of Scouting.
His 15-year-old son Nolan,
could be the next one. Just
5-foot-8, 145 pounds, Nolan
has his dad’s gift at the net.
As a AAA Bantam with the
Wheat Kings last year, he
had 51 goals and 89 points
in 36 games and was selected
by the Wheat Kings in the
third round (56th overall) in
the WHL Bantam Draft.
This year with the AAA
Wheat Kings Midgets, Nolan
has 37 goals and 75 points
in 41 games -- as a first-year
Midget 15-year-old -- and
also had two goals and four
points in five games as he
helped Team Manitoba win
bronze at the WHL Cup.
Not surprisingly, he
started playing the game in
Timbits at the age of five, at
the Sportsplex in Brandon.
8 2 | G AME ON | PL AYOF F EDITION 2018
“When my dad played, I
went to watch him and I just
loved the game,” Nolan said.
“I just held the stick and I
always wanted to play hockey.
Hockey has always been a
fun time just being with my
friends and playing the game.”
Without hesitation, Nolan
gives his mom and dad all the
credit for his hockey success.
“My parents are the most
influential people in my life,”
he said bluntly. “They’ve
sacrificed a lot so I can play
and I appreciate that.”
For Darren, having a
gifted son who can play the
game well can also create
issues when it comes to his
job. As Director of Scouting
for the Wheaties he tries
to recuse himself from any
conversation involving Nolan.
“Yeah, like most fathers,
I’m probably more critical
of my son than other guys
on our staff,” Darren said
with a laugh. “For the most
part I try to stay positive
about everything, but I stay
right out of the conversation
when the scouting staff
talks about Nolan.”
Still, if you ask politely,
Darren will provide an
inquisitor with a brief
scouting report:
“He’s little,” Darren
said. “I compare him at 15
to Conor Gutenberg and
Ty Lewis, two guys who
played with our team (the
WHL’s Wheat Kings). When
I watch him, I see him as
one of those two players.
“Nolan’s hockey smarts are
really good. He’s a student
of the game. He thinks
the game well. He’s always
watching hockey and always
analyzing what the good
players do, where they go,
how they play the game.
“He’s also a really
competitive guy. As a smaller
player, he has to bring a
highly competitive level of
play to the rink if he wants
to be successful and we talk
about that. We’ve spent a
lot of time focusing on it.”
In order to get bigger and
stronger, Nolan works out at
Crossfit Rocked in Brandon
and does quite a bit of training
with Darren. In his spare
time, he likes to play golf
with his dad and “just hang
out with friends.” A good
student at Vincent Massey
High School in Brandon, he’s
in Grade 10 and understands
the importance of combining
education with hockey.
As for his future, his
dad, at least, is prepared
to take it slowly.
“I think, the best thing for
his development might be to
play one more year of AAA
Midget as a 16-year-old,”
Darren said. “That might be
the best way for him to get
the most puck touches.
“But who knows, he could
come to camp in Brandon
and make the Wheat Kings. It
might be better that he plays
Midget at 16 and then plays
with the Wheat Kings at 17, but
I know how competitive he is
and I know he’s going to come
to camp next fall with an eye
to make it at the WHL level.
“There is one thing I’ve
always believed as a coach and
a scout: ‘The kid himself is
going to make the decision for
you.’ If Nolan goes to Wheat
Kings camp and plays at a
certain level, he’ll make the
team. If he doesn’t, then he’ll
play another year of midget.
This is all up to Nolan.” ❍