Career
On November 7, 1955, Nolan was signed by the Clinton Comets after defenceman Jim Johnson was waived from the team Nolan would finish the season leading the league in penalty minutes with 352 PIMs. Nolan"s 352 PIMs were a league record and also marked the first time that a player accumulated over 300 penalty minutes in a season.
On December 12, 1956, Nolan was released from the Clinton Comets.
At the time, Nolan led the league in penalty minutes. Upon his release, Nolan was signed by the Johnstown Jets.
Nolan would retire from hockey in 1956, but would return to Johnstown, Pennsylvania two decades later in a minor role for the movie Slap Shot. Nolan would assume the role of Clarence "Screaming Buffalo" Swamptown, a player who Chiefs players thought "was suspended forever" until he was introduced at the Federal League championship game.
In real life, Nolan was suspended for life for gambling.
Nolan was a full blood Ojibwa Indian. Upon retiring from the EHL, Nolan returned to Clinton, New York to reside, but eventually came back to the Eastern Hockey League as a linesman who was respected by players Nolan would continue to reside there until his death in 1986.
