A devil of a time for Jordin Tootoo
Rankin Inlet's most famous son inks one-year contract with New Jersey
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, October 15, 2014
KIVALLIQ
There's a chance the New Jersey Devils will become a favourite for a number of Kivalliq hockey fans this season after signing Rankin Inlet's Jordin Tootoo.
Rankin Inlet's Jordin Tootoo signed a one-year contract with the NHL's New Jersey Devils this past week. - photo courtesy of Facebook |
Tootoo was invited to the Devils' training camp on a professional tryout as a free agent and was inked to a one-year, $550,000 contract this past week.
And having Tootoo back in the NHL is good news for minor hockey, according to a pair of Kivalliq coaches.
Arviat minor hockey coach Gleason Uppahuak said he put Tootoo's chances at 50/50 when he heard the feisty winger had accepted a tryout with New Jersey.
Uppahuak said he knew Tootoo would have to work hard to show he brings more to the table that just a willingness to drop his gloves.
"NHL teams don't need enforcers nearly as much today as they did 10 years ago," said Uppahuak. "With all the new rules, and the way they call hitting to the head, you have to be able to play the game.
"Jordin (Tootoo) brings a lot of energy to a team and comes to play every night, which is why he made it in New Jersey while other enforcers were being cut."
Uppahuak said he followed Tootoo's progress at camp as much as he could online.
He said, like everyone else in the Kivalliq, he waited to hear what he hoped would be good news.
"The longer he stayed, of course, the more I was liking his chances. Then, after the Devils waived a few players, I had a real good feeling he would be playing in the big league for at least another year.
"I coach novice, and the kids in Arviat talk about Jordin a lot and how they'd love to play as good as him.
"His being back in the NHL has a positive impact on the kids, and I'd say we'll see a few New Jersey sweaters around this year."
A diehard Red Wings fan, Uppahuak said it would have been nice if things had worked out for Tootoo in Detroit.
He said Tootoo never got much ice time in the Motor City because of the style the team plays.
"Detroit plays a more open, European style, so I thought, maybe, management was trying to change his style. That worked with Bertuzzi, but, if they were trying it with Jordin, I guess it wasn't working out.
"My son, William, seven, and I saw his last game in Winnipeg as a Red Wing."
Bantam-midget coach and Baker Lake Minor Hockey Association board member Jeff Seeteenak gave Tootoo a bit better than a 50/50 chance of making the Devils because of the kind of team they are.
Seeteenak said New Jersey are a lot like Tootoo's original team, the Nashville Predators, in that the Devils are system orientated with their approach.
He said the Devils are a veteran team this year, that relies heavily on everyone having a specific role.
"He will be given a role there and Jordin will follow that role," said Seeteenak. Jordin being in the NHL still has a big impact on our kids in minor hockey, especially with all he's been saying recently. The league is still changing, so he's had to adapt his game again, and that shows if you want to play, you have to be able to play the style the league is playing.
"I've always known a few hardcore Devils fans, but, this year, there will be some more people claiming to be Devils fans and you'll see their crest around quite a bit."
