Joe Nolan (ice hockey) facts for kids

Joe Nolan (born March 21, 1929 – died September 29, 1986) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He played as a defenceman (a player who defends their team's goal). His hockey career lasted for six seasons. He played in two different hockey leagues during that time.

Playing Hockey: Joe Nolan's Career

Joe Nolan started the 1955-56 hockey season with the Clinton Comets team. He joined the Comets on November 7, 1955. This happened after another defenceman, Jim Johnson, left the team.

Penalty Minutes Record

Nolan became well-known for getting many penalty minutes. He led the league in penalty minutes during the 1955-56 season. He had a total of 352 penalty minutes that year. This was a new league record! It was also the first time a player got more than 300 penalty minutes in one season. Joe Nolan won an unofficial award for having the most individual penalty minutes. He won this award two years in a row: in 1955-1956 and 1956-1957.

Moving to the Johnstown Jets

On December 12, 1956, Joe Nolan left the Clinton Comets. At that time, he was still leading the league in penalty minutes. After leaving the Comets, he joined the Johnstown Jets. He played in only five playoff games for the Jets. After these games, he decided to retire from playing professional hockey.

Acting After Hockey: The Movie Slap Shot

Joe Nolan retired from hockey in 1956. However, he returned to Johnstown, Pennsylvania about 20 years later. He had a small role in the movie Slap Shot.

Playing "Screaming Buffalo" Swamptown

In the movie, Nolan played a character named Clarence "Screaming Buffalo" Swamptown. This character was a hockey player. The other players in the movie thought he had been "suspended forever." But then he was introduced at the Federal League championship game. In real life, Joe Nolan was never suspended from hockey for bad behavior. Some people involved with the movie, like the Carlson brothers, suggested Nolan had been banned from pro hockey. This was not true. Nolan was investigated for certain activities, but he was never suspended. If he had been banned, he would not have been able to work as an official. He actually worked as an official for several years after he retired from playing.

About Joe Nolan's Life

Joe Nolan was a full-blooded Ojibwa Indian. He came from a large family. He had four brothers and five sisters. His parents were Clement and Veronica Nolan.

After he retired from the Eastern Hockey League (EHL), Nolan went back to live in Clinton, New York. Later, he returned to the Eastern Hockey League. This time, he worked as a linesman (a hockey official). Players respected him in this role. He continued to live in Clinton, New York, until he passed away in 1986.