Jordin Tootoo - They Call Him Toots - the Tootoo Train

[Jordin Tootoo - Trainer]

Photos of Toots . . .
http://www.turtleisland.org/photo/toots.jpg

http://www.turtleisland.org/photo/toots1.jpg

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Check out this blog that includes Jordin Tootoo profile, stats - updates - photos etc.

http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/54419/Jordin_Tootoo

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Jordin Tootoo has confirmed that he will be Mike Thomas Professional Hockey School July 4-8, 2005.

Jordin Tootoo is from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut and is the first Inuk to play in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Nashville Predators.

Jordin is currently playing with the Milwaukee Admirals due to the recent NHL strike.

Jordin also played with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL), and the Canadian National Junior Team.

This will be Jordin's third year at the Mike Thomas Professional Hockey School.

For more about Jordin Tootoo, check out
http://www.teamtootoo.com

For more about the Mike Thomas Professional Hockey School . . .
http://www.mtprohockey.com

[Tootoo Faces Challenges]

Tootoo Faces Challenges
NHL Tryouts for Tootoo Again - Nashville Future Uncertain

For 5-9 forward Jordin Tootoo, who likes to deliver big hits and has a knack for drawing penalties, he sees the tighter standard as advantageous to his style of play.

“The biggest thing for me is getting the puck and dumping it into the corner and crashing and banging,” Tootoo said. “Obviously, if I keep my feet moving, their d-men are going to hold me up and there will be penalties called. I think that’s one thing I’m really excited about. I love the physical part of the game and I think that’s really going to work in my favor.”

*SEE NHL RULE CHANGES

“Everybody really wants to make an impression and is trying to do everything they can to make themselves stand out. Having said that, I still think it’s early. It looks kind of scrambly at times. You can tell that guys are still trying to jell and get in the system.” Adam Hall

"Also vying for ice time will be sparkplug Jordin Tootoo, who played in Milwaukee last season, scoring 10 goals and 12 assists in 59 games. With the Predators in 2003-04, Tootoo scored four goals and four assists and became a fan favorite with his aggressive style of play." Phil Coffey Sept. 17/05 www.nhl.com

September 16th, 2005

In a news release, following a training camp scrimmage at Centennial Sportsplex, Nashville Predators head coach Barry Trotz made it clear that Jordin Tootoo's future with the NHL club is uncertain.

The hard-hitting forward for Group C delivered crunching checks to several players, including defenseman Scott Todd and center Vaclav Meidl. Tootoo also knotted the score at 1-1 when his bad-angle shot toward the slot banked in off the left pad of goaltender Pekka Rinne.

“It’s obviously good to get back banging and crashing,” Tootoo said. “It’s going to be a pretty intense few days here. I’m trying to make a spot on the team here, so I’m using every time I’m out on the ice to try to make and create plays and definitely try to get my name out there again.”

Trotz confirmed that Tootoo, who spent the locked-out 2004-05 NHL season with the Predators’ top minor-league affiliate in Milwaukee, needs to re-establish himself in this training camp. “He’s got to win a spot here,” Trotz said of Tootoo. “He had a disappointing year in Milwaukee. Make no bones about it, I expected a lot more from him. He knows that.”
http://www.nashvillepredators.com

Tootoo's NHL Statistics . . .
http://www.nhl.com/lineups/player/8469547.html

*Predators tackle new rules for 2005-06

September 21, 2005

Yesterday, in Part I of a two-part series on the new rules and regulations being implemented by the National Hockey League this season, (see below) we examined the new rink dimensions, the two-line pass, tag-up offsides and the no-change icing. Today we look at the final three of the major new changes, all of which are designed to stimulate goal scoring and encourage a more continuous, free-flowing game.

Crackdown on Obstruction

Ice hockey has long been recognized as the fastest team sport on the planet, but an increase in the amount of hooking and holding by defenders—and in some cases, attacking players too—has created a drag on the National Hockey League’s trademarked speed in recent years. Officials have attempted to penalize such infractions more aggressively at times in the past, but the standards for what merited a whistle varied considerably and a certain amount of accepted “clutching and grabbing” remained in the game.

Buoyed by this season’s slate of other rule changes and supported by all involved parties, new, tighter standards for the so-called obstruction penalties are being enacted. Last month, the league mailed each team a DVD that demonstrated exactly what would and would not be a penalty this season. The differences between what warranted a trip to the penalty box during the 2003-04 season and what referees will be required to whistle for 2005-06 will be eye-opening for fans. For the players, it requires a complete reorientation.

“You’re not allowed to put a stick on anybody,” said Predators forward Steve Sullivan following a training camp intra-squad scrimmage. “So if you’re flat-footed for a split second and the guy gets an advantage on you, you’re either taking a penalty or the guy’s gone. I think it’s going to be a big difference.”

Indeed, the league video spells it out clearly. “The use of the stick either on the puck carrier or non-puck carrier—other than when incidental contact is made—to restrict the movement of an opponent will be penalized,” states narrator Steven Walkom, the league’s Senior V.P. of Officiating. In addition to a stronger standard against the hooking, holding and tripping of the puck carrier, defenders will not be allowed to use their free hands to impede the puck carrier’s progress, nor can they use their sticks to push, poke or tug him. In the defensive zone, defenders will not be able to wrap up an opponent or pin him against the boards—common techniques used in the past. Locking onto players during face-offs, hooking or holding forecheckers, and interfering with defensemen skating to retrieve a puck will all be penalized.

“Defensively you have to move your feet and get body position,” said Predators associate coach Brent Peterson at a media briefing on the rule changes. “If you get your stick outside your body width, that’s supposed to be a penalty. With all the room, you have to have skills, speed and [you have to] skate. Those teams that do and use it right will have a bigger advantage. And on the other side, defensively, you have to be mobile and move to handle those positions. It’s going to be body position now—moving your feet and getting that body in front of people instead of the hooking and the holding that we had before.”

Given the team speed evident during this month’s training camp, it’s no surprise that many Predators are excited about the crackdown’s potential impact on the game.

“I think the biggest rule in terms of making the game faster is calling all the hooking and holding,” said forward Paul Kariya. “How the rink is configured is kind of secondary to that. If you allow guys to skate and move through the neutral zone and in the cycles, that’s going to make the game faster.”

For 5-9 forward Jordin Tootoo, who likes to deliver big hits and has a knack for drawing penalties, he sees the tighter standard as advantageous to his style of play.

“The biggest thing for me is getting the puck and dumping it into the corner and crashing and banging,” Tootoo said. “Obviously, if I keep my feet moving, their d-men are going to hold me up and there will be penalties called. I think that’s one thing I’m really excited about. I love the physical part of the game and I think that’s really going to work in my favor.”


So far, players league-wide are taking a while to catch on. This month’s preseason games have looked more like the power play/penalty kill practice the Predators conducted during Monday’s scrimmage. For example, 37 total penalties were called in the Montreal Canadiens' 3-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers on September 18. Statistics like those have center Greg Johnson somewhat worried about the fallout caused by such a significant shift.


“I’m a little concerned with the obstruction rules and the effect it’s going to have on the game—all the whistles and power plays,” Johnson said. “But I’m hoping there’s a middle ground that we find.”


Critics argue this “new standard” will be implemented in the short term only to have referees put their whistles back in their pockets as the season progresses. That has in fact happened with previous league initiatives to remove obstruction and interference from the game. But head coach Barry Trotz believes this time is different.


“This is a mandate from the league,” Trotz said. “The coaches want it, the managers want it, and the players want it. So if it’s ever going to succeed, it’s going to succeed now.”

Goaltender Restrictions

As the last line of defense, goaltenders were the first place the league looked in their quest to boost scoring. Netminders are required to wear smaller equipment this year, and they’re prevented from skating into the corners to stop or retrieve the puck too.

“It got to the point where, if you were on an angle coming down the ice, even a goalie that wasn’t that big had such big equipment that you couldn’t even see the net,” said Peterson. “You could be the best shooter to ever play in the NHL and not find that net.”


Now goaltenders have been given a makeover, sporting smaller gloves and pads and slimmed-down jerseys. “The biggest change is the trapper,” Trotz said, referring to the catching glove. “It looks like they’re wearing a kid’s glove now, compared to what they used to wear.”


For sharpshooters like center Yanic Perreault, it’s a welcome change. “I like to see the goalies a little bit smaller, for sure,” he said. “You see a lot more net when you shoot at the goalies.”


The goaltenders themselves are less enthusiastic about the downsized gear. The Predators’ Chris Mason believes that if there is more scoring generated across the league, it will be a product of this season’s new rules—not his smaller gear.


“They look at us and they pick apart our whole attire, and reduce the size of it,” Mason said. “I think the biggest thing before was the way the game was played. I don’t think it was the goaltending equipment. It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing 11-inch or 15-inch pads—when you’re not getting high quality scoring chances there aren’t going to be goals.


“I think the new rule changes will be the biggest factor in more goals,” he added.


His teammate and fellow goaltender Tomas Vokoun looks for the restrictions to offer a possible advantage to the Predators. “It’s going to help goalies like myself, guys that try to skate and try to actually play the goal instead of just being a huge guy just trying to get hit,” Vokoun said.


Trotz agrees, noting that the Predators could benefit relative to the league’s other teams. “We might be in great shape,” he said. “[Vokoun and Mason] are not only athletic goaltenders, but they’re technically really sound goaltenders in terms of how they play and think the game. I think those goalies will be very successful. The pure blocker is not going to be very successful because he’s not going to cover as much square footage.”


Another regulation change limits goaltenders to playing the puck on the center-ice side of the goal line and within a new trapezoidal area behind the net. They can no longer assist their defensemen by handling pucks in the corner. If they do, they’ll receive a two-minute penalty.


“I think you’re going to see a lot of goalies, on dump-ins, just stay in the net and let it ring right around,” said Peterson. “I think there will be a lot fewer guys wandering, and you’ve got to get there above the goal line or right behind the net. You can’t go in the corners where the puck ends up a lot.”


The coaches suggested new strategies that could take advantage of a goaltender’s restricted movement. “You’re going to put the puck in the corner where the goalie can’t go,” Peterson said. “Especially when we’re playing New Jersey, we’re going to tell our guys to put the puck in that corner. Not behind the net where [goaltender Martin] Brodeur can handle it, but in that corner where he can’t touch it. Now we’re coming down on defensemen. It will become a tactic if you use it offensively.”

For goaltenders, it creates another split second decision. “Now it’s going to be something where you either hurry out and get the puck before it crosses the goal line, or just sit there and wait,” Mason said. “I guess what it does is it takes the indiscretion out of whose puck it is. Because the d-men know I can’t go get it, so it’s their puck. Sometimes they’re going to be left out to dry and forwards will come in and hit them hard.”

Tough checking forward Darcy Hordichuk likes the thought of that. “For guys like me that like to hit players, down low it’s a little easier to get in there and hit them because the goalie’s not playing the puck,” Hordichuk said. “It creates a few more turnovers, which makes the game a little bit more exciting.”

The Shootout

If you’ve ever been disappointed after sitting through a 65-minute NHL game only to see it end at 2-2, you’ll be happy to learn that the league is doing away with tie games this season. Like last year, if a game is tied after three regulation periods, a five-minute, four-on-four sudden-death overtime will be played. The change this year, though, comes if the score remains knotted after that OT period. In that case, a shootout will be used to decide a winner.


“From a fan’s perspective, I don’t think the shootout can be seen as a bad thing,” forward Adam Hall said. “I can’t see why a fan wouldn’t want to see a bunch of breakaways, one-on-one with the goaltender. I think that’s one of the most exciting aspects of this sport.”


Each team will designate three shooters, and those players will alternate as they square off against the opposing goaltender. If the score is still tied afterward, each team will continue sending out players from its roster until a winner is decided. Winning teams receive two points while teams that lose in overtime or a shootout receive one.


“I got a chance to do some shootouts last year in Norway, and we did them in the American [Hockey] League and the International Hockey League when I played there,” said Mason. As a goaltender, his reaction to the new feature might surprise some.


“I kind of like it,” he said. “I think it’s fun. In the shootout everybody kind of gets a little more excited and there’s an end to the game. You get a result. It sucks losing in a shootout, but it sucks losing anytime. Now that it’s part of the game, I just think it’s another element of excitement for fans to watch, and players like it too when we do it in practice.”


Some of the shooters selected by teams may shock fans. Trotz explained that all players have at least one breakaway move, and most of those moves are very effective. The best ones might come from the players you’d least expect.


“So you might get to a situation where you go, ‘What is coach Trotz thinking? He’s putting that guy in?’ ” Trotz said. “But he might have that move. It might be a defenseman, it might be more of an energy type of forward, but you’ll be surprised. You’ll see that from a lot of coaches I think.”

As a result, players now have an excuse to perfect and show off their hotdog moves during practice.

“We’re going to get them ready, that’s for sure,” Hall said.

Final Thoughts

So, what overall effect will these various rule changes have on the NHL’s brand of hockey? The league predicts more goals, more speed and more excitement, but the true magnitude of the impact remains to be seen.

“Right now it’s a guessing game as to how it’s going to work,” said defenseman Mark Eaton. “My feeling is, like everybody else, that you’re going to have to use some preseason games and kind of see how they’re really going to take effect.”

“I hope the learning curve is quick for the players,” Sullivan said. “I think that the NHL is going to stick with it so we might as well learn about it and learn to play with these new rules changes very quickly. If not, it’s going to be a parade to the penalty box and I don’t think that’s going to help our game.”

As the new rules and regulations lose their novelty status and become a natural aspect of the game, the Predators players and coaching staff are confident that they are in a prime position to capitalize on them.

“I think one of the most important keys is how quickly a team can adapt to the new rules,” Kariya said. “It has to start the first day of camp. If you’ve seen the rules video, it’s going to be a huge adjustment for everybody in the league. But I think it plays into our team, because we do skate well. You’re going to have to do that. There’s going to be no clutching and grabbing and tripping and holding. You’ve got to be able to skate to defend.”

Trotz points out that although these rules promote offense, they weren’t designed to benefit a few superstars at the expense of everyone else. According to Trotz, the new rulebook rewards any player that plays a well-rounded game.

“It’s a little bit of a misnomer to say all the skill guys are going to get all of the chances,” Trotz said. “If you don’t work and you don’t do both sides of the game—the defensive side and the offensive side—you’re not going to have any production. But if you have a good balance between that, you’re going to have some great opportunities…. I think you’re going to find that the players that have good balance in their game are going to be the most effective.”

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September 20, 2005

In addition to the return of the sport, much of the buzz associated with the 2005-06 National Hockey League season has been generated by a series of rule changes the league will be implementing. Improvements in coaches’ defensive tactics and a general reluctance by referees to penalize so-called “clutching and grabbing” penalties led to a style of play that critics attacked as low-scoring and grinding. Recognizing this unwelcome shift in the style of the game, the NHL addressed those issues this summer by instituting a number of rule and regulation changes designed to boost scoring and emphasize the sport’s speedy, skilled players.

In order to introduce fans to the changes and to examine each rule’s impact on the Nashville Predators in particular, we present this first installment in a two-part series summarizing these significant modifications to the NHL rulebook.

Rink Dimensions
Casual fans might not notice it upon their first trip back to an NHL rink, but several changes have been made to the layout of the playing surface. For starters, the goal cage and the goal line will be moved 2 feet closer to the end boards of the rink. Likewise, the blue lines will be moved 2 feet farther away from the end boards, toward the middle of the rink. Ultimately, the new dimensions remove four feet from the neutral zone and add an additional 340 square feet to each offensive zone.


“You really see the difference between the top of the circles and the blue lines,” Predators assistant coach Peter Horachek said at a recent media briefing on the rule changes. “When you’re standing out there in the middle of the ice, you feel like there’s so much more room.”


The new dimensions have been implemented on one of the two rinks at the Predators’ practice facility at Centennial Sportsplex. This has allowed the team to get comfortable with the changes during training camp. The Predators coaching staff sees advantages and disadvantages to the new setup. As you’d expect given the league’s motives, the advantages go to the offense.


“On the power play, [defensemen near the blue line] are going to draw penalty killers,” Horachek said. “It’s going to open up the ice a little bit more. It’s just going to create more opportunities. I think there’s going to be an advantage there for both teams when they are on the offensive side…. On the other side of it, it’s going to be more of a challenge to be in better [defensive] position all the time.”


Defending the larger zone while short-handed creates a bit of a Catch-22. Do you aggressively attack the power play unit, or do you adopt a more conservative alignment to primarily guard the areas where most goals are scored? Horachek believes several teams will adopt the latter approach to shift the burden onto the attacking team.


“Some teams defensively are going to end up collapsing,” Horachek said. “They’re going to be tight around the net and they’re not going to come out to the blue line. They’re going to sit and say, ‘You make the first play,’ or let you shoot the puck. Shooting and getting pucks through in traffic is going to be a premium.”


Predators forward Paul Kariya, a prime example of the type of skilled player for whom the league is implementing the new rules and regulations, likes the new dimensions—especially the repositioning of the net. “Moving the goal back is a great change, because you can’t score from behind the net,” he said. “At least most guys can’t. [Wayne] Gretzky could maybe, and Mario [Lemieux] has done it a few times. Pushing the goal back gives more opportunities to score because it gives more angles to shoot at.”


Two fewer feet behind the net should also be a factor when it comes time for a goaltender to stop the puck behind his net for an oncoming teammate. The coaches are expecting a few collisions between goalies and defensemen around the league—especially during the preseason—until everyone adjusts to the limited space.

The Two-Line Pass
The one rule change generating the most talk around the Predators locker room is the legalization of the two-line pass—or as it’s somewhat confusingly called, the removal of the red line. (In actually, the red line isn’t being removed at all. It will remain at center-ice, but will only be significant for determining icing infractions.)

Whereas in previous seasons players could only pass the puck across one neutral zone line at a time—be it blue or red—they can now pass across two. So hypothetically, a player can be standing in the corner, deep within his end of the rink, and fire the puck 125 feet up the ice to a player waiting at the opposing blue line. The desired result for this change is an increased number of breakaway opportunities for players who can sneak behind the defense.


Given the relative team speed and skill of Nashville’s squad, many Predators are salivating at this rule’s potential impact. But these same players—along with the team’s coaching staff—warn that the 100-foot up-ice passes aren’t going to be quite as prevalent as some are predicting. Defensemen will be able to easily pick those off, much like a cornerback in football has an increased chance of intercepting a long bomb thrown by a quarterback. Instead, passes will most likely originate from just inside the blue line as defensemen capitalize on takeaways and loose pucks.


“I think you’re going to see it happen all the time on turnovers,” Horachek said. “A puck comes into the top of the circle and the [team’s forwards go] in. Quickly, the puck is zipped up to the far blue line and you’re going to catch them. Even inside the zone, on a bad change when the defense goes to the bench, if the goalie moves it up quickly he can zing it all the way up to the far blue line. There’s where you're going to see the two-line pass become an effective tool—transitions, bad changes, turnovers, and less when you’re playing regular five-on-five and everybody’s in position.”


Cody Franson, a 2005 Predators draft pick who played without the red line on a Canadian Junior B team, saw firsthand what Horachek described.


“It’s not a thing that’s going to work a lot off of face-offs out of your own end. I think it’s going to be more transition and turnovers and stuff like that—just being able to take it from your end and move it up there real quick rather than having to get to the blue line and make a shorter pass. I think it’s going to push a lot of games toward higher scoring, rather than the 1-1’s and the 1-0’s. Also, on the disadvantage side, it’s going to press the defense back too, because they can’t allow that forward to sneak in behind them. In all, it’s going to make for a lot more offensive game.”


Some, like center Scott Nichol, think the change is going to require a pretty significant adjustment for players. “I think the first few months with no red line will catch a few guys off-guard,” he said, “just because you’re not used to it. There will be a few breakaways here and there I bet, especially if your defensemen are real mobile and can move the puck, like ours are. It’s going to open up the ice a lot.”


After just a few informal skates and one training camp scrimmage, Kariya could see a difference. “On a quick turnover play, when you don’t have that red line you can really get a good jump,” he said. “Plays you might have given up on because it [would have once been] a two-line pass, it’s right there for a breakaway.”

Tag-Up Offsides
For the 2005-06 season, the NHL has reinstituted the tag-up offsides rule. It allows a player who precedes the puck into the offensive zone to return to the blue line to “tag up” with his skates. Once he does so—and all offsides teammates do as well—he can then reenter the zone without the puck having to first leave the zone.

“If players are in the zone and your defenseman wants to shoot it in, everybody tags up,” explained associate coach Brent Peterson. “With all the obstruction rules and the goalies staying in their nets more, it can turn into a forecheck—which is another offensive threat.”

It’s a rule that Predators forward Jeremy Stevenson likes a lot.

“For a guy like me, who likes to hit and mix it up, that tag-up offsides is going to be good for me, [Darcy] Hordichuk, and Jordin Tootoo,” he said. “I think you’re going to see some real big hits, and I feel bad for the [defensemen], but it’s going to create a lot of excitement in the building.”

One key benefit of the rule for viewers is more continuous play. On the ice, though, Trotz pointed out that continuous play leads to more mistakes, and those mistakes often translate into goals.

“When there’s chaos, we want a face-off so we can get organized,” Trotz said. “Just like in football—a play happens, you get organized, next play. [Without a stoppage, hockey players] have to read and react on the go. If you’ve got a team scrambling, they remain scrambling.

“If you have fatigued players out there, especially if you’re able to get line changes and you’re the ones that are pressuring, you can really continue putting the pressure on a team,” he added.

No-Change Icing
Prior to this year, teams that iced the puck were penalized by a rule that placed the ensuing face-off close to their own goal. Now there’s an added drawback to sending the puck the length of the ice from your side of the red line: The offending team will not be allowed to substitute players prior to the face-off. The opposing team, however, will still have that option.

“It’s going to keep more tired players on the ice, and obviously give the other team a chance to maybe change and get fresh players out there,” said forward Adam Hall. “There were tough times when that used to be an easy out—just ice it and get a change.”

Some in the Predators organization believe this rule will have a much bigger impact on the game than people are expecting. “If you ice it, you might get organized but you have to leave your players on the ice,” said Peterson. “And now you’re fatigued. That’s when a lot more mistakes happen, because you’re fatigued and the other team’s able to change.”

“If we’re playing Dallas and Mike Modano’s fatigued, they ice the puck,” Trotz explained in a hypothetical. “They’ve got Modano and Guerin and those guys, and usually I have them against Greg Johnson because he’s probably checking them. Well, all of the sudden they ice the puck. A great tactic I have is I know they can’t change and they’re tired.

Now I’m going to put an energy line of Nichol, Tootoo and Hordichuk out, and they get a chance to play with that energy and bump people, against fatigued top players.”

[Tootoo too Tough?]

"I love the physical part of the game . . . " hard hitting 5 foot 9 forward Jordin Tootoo, the first Inuk to play in the NHL.

“It’s obviously good to get back banging and crashing,” Tootoo said during pre-season play.

But is Jordin Tootoo being boxed into a corner, and being unjustly labelled a tough guy - the bad dude of the NHL? Can he continue to live up to his reputation?

Yes! In fact, the Predators like Tootoo for who he is someone
"who likes to deliver big hits and has a knack for drawing penalties."

He is, as they say, "a sparkplug".

Here's an excerpt from an October 1, 2005 article by John Manasso of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, after the Thrashers beat the Predators 3-2.

"The game had much more intensity than a typical preseason game, due in large part because of a separated shoulder suffered by defenseman Shane Hnidy when he fell awkwardly to the ice when Predators agitator Jordin Tootoo hit him while he was off balance. Hnidy did not return and will be re-evaluated Saturday, but he could be out a few weeks. Ronald Petrovicky avenged the hit with a hard check of Tootoo into the Thrashers bench then received a roughing penalty for a second shove at Tootoo."

Phil Coffey of www.nhl.com wrote on September 17, 2005
"With the Predators in 2003-04, Tootoo scored four goals and four assists and became a fan favorite with his aggressive style of play."

[Tootoo Suspended]

The American Hockey League announced today that Milwaukee Admirals forward Jordin Tootoo has been suspended for three (3) regular-season games as a result of his actions in an Oct. 15, 2005, AHL game vs. the Cleveland Barons.

Tootoo will miss the Admirals' games on Oct. 21 at Iowa; Oct. 28 vs. Houston; and Oct. 29 vs. Omaha.

He will be eligible to return to the lineup on Nov. 2 at Omaha.

Just 32-seconds into the game on October 15th Milwaukee forward Jordin Tootoo was kicked out of the game for a boarding penalty.

Read More News About Jordin Tootoo . . .
http://news.google.ca/news?hl=en&ned=ca ... &scoring=d

[Tootoo SportsTrading Card]

Heroes and Prospects trading card set includes Jordin Tootoo, as one of the most promising young stars in the AHL . . .

Wed, December 14, 2005

Trading card set features AHL players

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that 66 AHL players are included in the 2005-06 Heroes & Prospects trading card set, manufactured by In The Game, Inc.

The set, which pays tribute to the past while celebrating hockey’s future, will be released on Thursday, and can be purchased in the official on-line store of the AHL, ahlstore.com.

The 180-card base set features 66 of the most promising young stars in the AHL, including Chris Bourque, Carlo Colaiacovo, Josh Harding, Adam Hauser, Corey Locke, Al Montoya, Eric Nystrom, Michel Ouellet and Jordin Tootoo.

The set also features a variety of junior hockey prospects and many of the game’s all-time greats, such as Cam Neely, Guy Lafleur, Martin Brodeur, Mike Bossy and Grant Fuhr.

The 2005-06 Heroes & Prospects set will be available in both a Hobby version and a special Arena version, and will include a variety of autograph cards, game-used memorabilia cards and In The Game’s popular He Shoots, He Scores Decoy/Redemption cards. For more details, visit In The Game on-line at www.baptradingcards.com.

In operation since 1936, the AHL is celebrating its historic 70th anniversary this season, and continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 80 percent of all NHL players today are AHL graduates, and last year more than 7.1 million fans – an all-time league record – attended AHL games across North America.

[Tootoo back in the NHL]

It was Tootoo's first NHL game this season . . .

December 18, 2005

Jordin Tootoo's energetic-goal-scoring ( and good luck ) return to the NHL helps the Nashville Predators win . . .

Last week he was called back up to the NHL from the AHL where he gained more ice time and his renewed spark was evident last night as he helped his NHL teammates take a 7-3 victory from Columbus. The Tootoo goal was from a 100 foot slapshot that people are saying was a lucky one . . . but really - a goal is a goal!

[Jordin Tootoo, Antagonist]

Jordin Tootoo as antagonist . . .

News and Comment
by Tehaliwaskenhas
Bob Kennedy, Oneida
Copyright
Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

February 21, 2006

Jordin Tootoo continues to prove he is an exceptional hockey player,

However, his behaviour is starting to piss off a lot of people.

Tootoo, the first Inuit hockey player to be drafted into the NHL, is currently with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League.

Turtle Island Native Network has received only positive feedback in our forum section on Tootoo. That feedback includes encouragement and respect for his talents from young guys, and young Aboriginal girls who are in awe of Tootoo the sexy hunk, in their words.

But there is another side of his hockey personna that provides plenty of fuel for his naysayers. Not only is he a tough guy on the ice, but there is an edge to his behaviour that has produced a not so nice reputation.

Witness the example of the game this week against the Peoria Rivermen. Their goaltender Reinhard Divis wants Tootoo suspended for his aggression, that manifested itself near the end of the second period.

While the ref and linesmen were attending to a penalty that was just called against one of his teammates, Tootoo, unprovoked went after the goalie.

The Peoria Journal Star reported, Tootoo skated around the back of the Peoria net and appeared to clip Rivermen goaltender Reinhard Divis in the back of the head with his stick. Divis charged the player and threw his stick at him, and Tootoo decked the goaltender and pumped an uppercut that touched off a brawl. A furious Divis was quoted as saying, "I didn’t talk to him, didn’t say anything, didn’t do anything. He slashed me in the neck. I hope he gets suspended". Divas, a thirteen year pro hockey veteran added, "I think he’s a good hockey player, he has everything needed to be in the NHL. His job is to intimidate, but he’s not in the NHL because he’s just not smart enough. He showed that tonight".

Jordin Tootoo has been bouncing back and forth this season between the AHL Admirals and their NHL parent team, the Nashville Predators. His critics might explain that away, with the use of a polite way of putting it - that he needs more experience, and/or - 'seasoning', before he is full blooded NHL material.

[TootooTrain/CheechooTrain]

TootooTrain - CheechooTrain . . .
Jordin Tootoo and Jonathan Cheechoo Very Active in the NHL . . .

News and Comment
by Tehaliwaskenhas
Bob Kennedy, Oneida
Copyright
Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

March 7, 2006

Tough guy Native hockey player received a recall.

The Nashville Predators recalled forward Jordin Tootoo from the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League. Tootoo, 23, has one goal and five assists in 17 games with Nashville this year. In 41 AHL games this season, he has 13 goals and 14 assists. He is the first Inuk to play in the NHL.

Speaking of Natives in the NHL - he is 25 and he now earns approximately $10million in a 5 year deal - winger Jonathan Cheechoo, a Cree is really earning his millions with the NHL San Jose Sharks.

Cheechoo has 35 goals this season, illustrating his talent is the fact that in 34 games over a three-month stretch he scored 28 goals.

More First Nations, Aboriginal, Native Peoples' Sports . . .
http://www.turtleisland.org/culture/culture-sports.htm

[Tootoo Coming to Merritt]

Jordin Tootoo of the Nashville Predators will be joined by Arron Asham of the New York Islanders as instructors at the 1st Annual Mike Thomas Professional Hockey School this summer in Merritt, British Columbia.

Lessons will run from Aug. 7-11, 2006 and will feature two on-ice sessions as well as a dry-land session per day. The school is open to ages 6-17.

Organizer Joe Quewezance says at least 20 more participants are needed to avoid a cancellation. At present, 70 players have registered.

The application deadline is June 15, 2006

For more information contact Joe Quewezance at (250) 378-5108 or Mike Thomas at (204) 255-3854.

Additional information can also be found at http://www.mtprohockey.com

[$1.2 Million 2yr contract]

Jordin Tootoo, the first Inuk to play in the NHL, agreed to a two-year, $1.2-million deal with the Nashville Predators. He'll be paid $500,000 next season and $700,000 in 2007-08.


Predators Sign Tootoo, Brookbank, Abid
07/21/06 - American Hockey League (AHL) Milwaukee Admirals

Milwaukee Admirals
Nashville, TN-- Nashville Predators Executive Vice President/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has re-signed restricted free-agent forward Jordin Tootoo to a two-year contract and restricted free-agent defenseman Sheldon Brookbank to a one-year contract. The Predators also signed unrestricted free-agent forward Ramzi Abid to a one-year contract.

Nashville's sixth choice in the 2001 Entry Draft, Tootoo played 41 games this past season with the Predators' primary developmental affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. Tootoo notched 27 points (13g-14a) and 133 penalty minutes during the regular season and he potted nine goals and 11 points (9g-2a) in 15 games as the Admirals advanced to the Calder Cup Finals.

Tootoo appeared in 34 games with the Predators in 2005-06, topping his point (4g-6a-10pts) and assist totals from his rookie season (4g-4a-8pts in 70 games in 2003-04) in less than half the games. Raised in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, the 5-9, 194-pound right wing also tied for third on the club with a +9 rating and registered 55 penalty minutes.

Brookbank posted 35 points (9g-26a) and a team-high 232 penalty minutes for the Admirals in 2005-06. The 6-2, 200-pound rearguard registered the best offensive numbers of his pro career in 2005-06, ranking second among Milwaukee backliners in scoring. He also chipped in nine points (1g-8a) and a team-high 49 penalty minutes in the post-season. The Lanigan, Sask. native was originally signed by Nashville as a free agent on August 9, 2005.

Abid led the 2005-06 Chicago Wolves (AHL) in goals (34), assists (42) and points (76) and ranked third on the club with 165 penalty minutes. The 6-2, 215-pound left winger also recorded two assists in six NHL games with Atlanta. A first-round pick (28th overall) of the Colorado Avalanche in 1998, the Montreal native has appeared in 55 career NHL games with Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Atlanta, posting 25 points (13g-12a-25pts).

Season tickets for the 2006-07 season are on sale now starting at just $135. For more information or to order season tickets fans can call the Admirals office at (414) 227-0550.

[Questions for Tootoo]

Tootoo now 2 2

Here's a Jordin Tootoo note . . .

The Tootoo Train has changed his team number from 55 to 22. (Two Two)

- - - - - - -

From: Adam McBride
ajsmcbride@gmail.com

Subject: Jordin Tootoo Information

Hi,

My name is Adam McBride. I am a 4th year Arts student at the University of British Columbia.

I am taking an Aboriginal studies course this year and one of our projects is to have an encounter with an Aboriginal Canadian in order to gain a better understanding of their culture. I am quite the hockey enthusiast and know of Jordin Tootoo who is the first Aboriginal Canadian to play in the NHL for the Nashville Predators.

I have tried to contact him through the Nashville Predators website but have not heard back from them. I googled his name and your website came up under the hits.

I was wondering how his community feels, and his family (if they would be willing to share that information) about him playing in the NHL.

I have learned that the success of one member of the band is not solely his or hers, but the entire community's.

I am wondering how his professional success has impacted his family and community.

If you could help me out in any way - either providing some information yourselves or pointing me in the direction to ask more informed people, I will be truly thankful.

Regards,

Adam McBride
ajsmcbride@gmail.com

[Tootoo Sparks Controversy]

The NHL suspended Jordin Tootoo for five games in March 2007

A year later Canucks call for action against Tootoo
March 2008
http://news.google.ca/news?q=tootoo
- - - - - - -

PERSPECTIVE

Violence in professional hockey - certainly not a new topic, but always worth considering, again and again and again . . .

This person has a lot to say about violence and the NHL, and the target of the criticism is Tootoo . . .
March 2007
http://onthewingsblog.com/2007/03/14/jo ... dangerous/

If you wish to respond (with respect please) You can e-mail your comments to us at infocom@pro.net

[Tootoo Tops says Chairman]

March 2008

Tootoo, # 2 2 with the Nashville Predators continues to dazzle 'em with his love him hate him hockey hero charisma - http://news.google.ca/news?q=tootoo

Potted his first career game-winning goal at 7:53 of the third period on March 1, 2008 at Dallas.

Leads the team in penalty minutes (83).
- - -

Predators Chairman David Freeman comments on Jordin Tootoo;

"It's great that Tootoo is incredibly popular. It's great that he brings so much energy to the game. The whole building just kind of lights up when he's out on the ice. But this year's been a breakout year for Jordin, too, because he's scoring. He's not there just to agitate or just to fight. He's there to play hockey this year. And he's proven that he's a threat. It's certainly wonderful that everybody loves him and that he's there for his teammates."


Nashville Predators . . .
http://predators.nhl.com/team/app/?serv ... Id=8469547

[They Love Jordin Tootoo]

NHL star Jordin Tootoo was among the youngest and brightest pro hockey stars to show their support at the Sizzlin' Summer Showdown in Selkirk, Manitoba . . .

August 8, 2008

The Believe in the Goal Foundation held their second Sizzlin' Summer Showdown in support of cancer research. The Foundation was founded two years ago by Todd Davison, a young hockey player who had been diagnosed with cancer. All of the players on the ice last night had played with or against Todd at some point in their careers and came back to help raise funds for the worthy cause.

Some of the stars entertaining the fans were Jordin Tootoo, Nigel Dawes, Colton Orr, Dustin Boyd, Travis Zajac and the newly named captain of the Chicago Blackhawks, Johnathan Toews. Todd Davison passed away in 2006 but after the game his mother Barb said the evening would have made him proud.
- - -

Speaking of Jordin Tootoo and his community spirit . . .

Jeff Rahn of Nashville wrote to Bob Kennedy of Turtle Island Native Network and shared this photo of his tribute to Jordin Tootoo . . .
http://www.turtleisland.org/news/tootootruck.jpg

Hey Bob.

The story behind the truck is since Jordin came to the Nashville predators, He has been my favorite player. He has matured into a player that must be reckoned with in the NHL.

ON the ice he has always been a hard worker and a person that really cares about the sport. Off the ice he is one of the most personable players in sports.

He goes out of his way for his fans and for the children in Nashville. For those reasons I put his name and number on the back of my truck. That truck goes to every game and it has been unreal how many people have remarked about the truck. I also started a small club if you would that is called the "tootoo crew" . It started out just having 22 people, but was increased to 38. I had tshirts made up with the tootoocrew on the front and a picture of the truck on the back with the sayin" I'M ONBOARD THE TOOTOO TRAIN" . Those tshirts have been requested by so many fans.

All of this is just because we are avid Jordin Tootoo fans and to show our support for such a special person. Jordin is the most favorite player in Nashville. His parents are wonderful people and should be proud. We are to have him in Nashville.

[admin]

Check out this blog that includes Jordin Tootoo profile, stats - updates - photos etc.
http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/54419/Jordin_Tootoo


His career stats . . .
http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/54419/Jordin_Tootoo/career