Nashville's new face: rookie Jordin Tootoo, the first native Inuit to play in the NHL, is winning over the Music City faithful

Hockey Digest, Jan-Feb, 2004 by Anthony Stoeckert

JORDIN TOOTOO IS DIFFERENT--there's no doubt about that.

How many other NHL players grew up in a town where the average temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit--In July? (Not to mention a robust minus 30 Fahrenheit in January.) Who else among the league's ranks learned how to hunt caribou and whale as a youth?

Tootoo, the Nashville Predators' 20-year-old rookie right wing, is the first Inuit to play in the NHL He grew up in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, in the northwest corner of Canada right on Hudson Bay, and his unique background has made him an immediate fan-favorite even though his professional career is just in the nascent stages. And while most people, especially 20-year-olds, try their hardest not to be unique, Tootoo has no doubt that single ness has been a positive in his life.

"It's always good to be different," he says. "Being the first [Inuit] player to play in the National Hockey League was a goal of mine. And I don't think any kid should be shy of being different from anyone else. It sets the tone for a lot of different things."

Tootoo's background has made for an interesting story--and a lot of ink has been spilled by various publications to tell Tootoo's story lately--but it's not what earned him his skates in the NHL His speed, puck-handling skills; and strong shot did. And the 35 goals and 39 assists he notched last season for his junior team, the Brandon Wheat Kings, had a lot to do with it as well.

Add in 216 penalty minutes over his 51 games with the Wheat Kings in 2002-03, and you've got a tough player, as well. Perhaps a bit unexpected since he's just 5'9" and 193 pounds, fairly small for the NHL and especially small for a player making his reputation as much with his body and as his stick. That size certainly hasn't led to him being intimidated or stopped him from playing his style.

"He definitely plays a lot bigger than his size," Predators head coach Barry Trotz says. "He's not just a guy who can run you over and not back it up. He will back it up if need be."

Indeed Tootoo's game resembles that of the player he says was his favorite growing up. "Wendel Clark," Tootoo answers without a moment's hesitation when asked which player he admired as a youth. "He wasn't the biggest guy out there, but he played with a big heart. And I think that's what encouraged me to play that kind of style."

Playing that style has helped make him a cult hero for a relatively anonymous team in Nashville, just like he's been everywhere else he's played.

"It's the style of play and his background," Trotz says of why fans love watching Tootoo play. "He's a good story, great upbringing. But it's the way he plays, probably more than anything, because he's a throwback to a different type of game."

Trotz is also impressed with how well Tootoo had adapted to life in the NHL "He's adjusted quite well," the coach says. "He's been able to handle a lot of press. All of the notoriety that has come his way, he's handled it very maturely and very well."

Tootoo himself is confident his transition to the top level has gone well. "I feel physically flue and I'm prepared every day to go out and do my job and that's to help the team win," he says.

Wins weren't coming easy to the Predators over the first stretch of the season. After 16 games, their record stood at 7-8-1-0 and they were in fourth place in the Central Division. Tootoo did have a moment of personal satisfaction when he netted his first goal in Nashville's sixth game of the season, even if it came in a 4-2 loss. "Scoring my first goal in Atlanta was a special feeling," he says. "It's something I've always dreamt of."

Rem Murray, a left winger who's played on the same line as Tootoo most of this season, says his rookie linemate has been impressive in many ways. "Jordin's a very good student of the game," the 31-year-old Murray says. "He goes out there and works hard every day ... He comes out to the rink, works hard, and listens. So, there's not much you have to say about Jordin. He's very professional in the way he approaches the game."

Regardless of how smooth his transition to the league is going, like any rookie, Tootoo is learning on the job. "You're playing against guys who have played for a number of years," he says. "Mentally, there are a lot of things I have to work on, and that's what practices are for. Every day in practice you learn new things. And the pace of the game is a lot quicker than in juniors."

Although he's the first NHL player to come from his part of the world, Tootoo says the sport of hockey is popular there. Geography may play a part in why no Inuit players have come before him, since players from Nunavut don't get to play in organized tournaments very often.

"Growing up, our town was very isolated," Tootoo says. "We just played amongst each other. And we'd go to one tournament a year, play five games, and that was it throughout the whole year."

But it's clear that he is proud of where he hails from. When asked if, the stories written about his home exaggerate how different it is from other parts of North America, Tootoo says, "No, there are definitely a lot of differences. At home, it's minus 25 [Celsius] and there's a lot of snow. Those kinds of things I miss. When I was a little kid, we used to go tobogganing and fide in Ski-Doos and whatnot"