Enforcer Advent Calendar – December 12th – Jordin Tootoo
The December Enforcer Advent Calendar continues with some legends you may know, and some you may not. Just like the Advent Calendars you opened as a kid, you might find a chocolate reindeer, candy cane or bell, you never know, it’s all random! This calendar is no different, you never know what enforcer you’re going to open up and find. Every enforcer that appears in this calendar was/is a warrior and should be applauded for their battles on-the-ice and off. For many of you, this will be a reminder of some of your favourites, for others, you may learn something about a player that you didn’t know. Either way, let’s have some fun celebrating these fellas!
Past Poster Boys –
December 1st – John “Fergy” Ferguson Sr. December 2nd – Tony “Twister” Twist
December 3rd- Dave “Cementhead” Semenko December 4th – Ryan “Muffin Man” Reaves
December 5th – Darren “Big Mac” McCarty December 6th – Colton “Bobby” Orr
December 7th – Stan “Bulldog” Jonathan December 8th – Lyle “Cornelius” Odelein
December 9th –Krzysztof “The Polish Hammer” Oliwa December 10th – Stu “The Grim Reaper” Grimson
December 11th – Basil “Baz” McRae
December 12th – Jordin Tootoo
Fans will always remember when Jordin Tootoo burst on the hockey scene. He was an absolute wrecking-ball in the 2003 World Juniors Tournament, laying out anyone and everyone in sight. Ryan Whitney joked that he still has nightmares about the ‘Tootoo train’ coming at him during the tourney’s semi-finals that had a raucous Halifax crowd on their feet every time he stepped on-the-ice. Team Canada fell short against Russia in the finals, but the hockey world knew they had to pay attention to Tootoo. Tootoo was the first player of Inuk descent to play in the NHL and has always been proud of his heritage, wearing it as a badge of honour as he rightfully should. Maybe there’s something in the name, but Tootoo’s middle name, Kudiuk means thunder in Inuktitut, which is pretty fitting for a player who always brought the BANG. There aren’t many players that stood 5’9” and 194 lbs that struck fear in the eyes of their opposition. But Tootoo had an uncanny ability to lay huge, clean hits like this banger on Michael Frolik –
Delivering big hits meant he was often forced to drop the gloves in response to angry teammates. Unfortunately for the rest of the NHL, he answered the bell whenever someone rang.
Jordin Tootoo vs Jarome Iginla – January 22, 2004 – 3rd period – 15:29
It didn’t take the fans in Music City USA long to start chanting ‘Tooooooooo-Toooooooo.’ The Predators draft pick posted a career-high 136 penalty minutes during his first season in Tennessee and immediately put the league on notice. Jerome Iginla became acquainted with the product of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut during their 3rd period tilt, after Iginla took offence to a hit Tootoo delivered to his Flames teammate. This was a constant scene throughout Tootoo’s career: deliver a clean hit to which the opposition took offence, which meant he had to fight. Unfortunately for the Flames captain, he was on the losing end of this bout and left with a gash that left a friendly reminder that Tootoo wasn’t going to back down….to anyone. Iginla sought out Tootoo in front of Roman Turek’s crease and Tootoo landed two big left hooks early. Iginla responded with a couple right hands of his own but, throwing a right that missed, Tootoo was able to throw down the Flames Captain and hammer a huge right hand before the linesmen intervened. Iginla was absolutely enraged. Whether it was from the last right hand, hitting his head on-the-ice, or that he’d just lost a fight to a rookie is uncertain. Regardless, Iginla and the Flames left Nashville with a 4-0 win. That 2003-04 season, the Flames would go on a ‘Cinderella run’ that culminated a devastating Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup Finals. This started a heart-breaking run of Canadian teams losing Game 7s in the Finals… it’s a curse that has yet to be broken.
Jordin Tootoo vs Matt Bradley – March 10, 2009 – 1st period -12:30
To have the wherewithal to untape your fingers before a scrap to avoid costing your team an extra 2 minutes speaks to Tootoo’s on-ice intelligence. And that’s exactly what he did before he laid a beating on Matt Bradley that Tuesday night in the Sommet Center. The two clearly chatted at the faceoff and looked to follow up on a good tilt between Wade Belak and Donald Brashear…they delivered. The former Brandon Wheat King gave up 5 inches and 10 lbs to the Capitals enforcer, but size doesn’t matter when you’re fearless. Tootoo stood and traded with Bradley with the same confidence and bold fighting style that Bob Probert used during his fights. They knew that if anyone wanted to trade with them, more often than not, the opposition would be on the losing end. Bradley got introduced to Tootoo’s fearless nature when he landed a huge right hand to start the bout….and Tootoo didn’t bat an eye. Instead, he responded with two huge left hands of his own, followed up by a devastating right that forced Bradley to the dressing room for repairs. When Tootoo glanced at his jersey donning Bradley’s blood, he flashed a coy smirk that encapsulated the heart of an absolute warrior. The Capitals may have escaped Tennessee with a 2-1 OT win, but Bradley’s face left a reminder of what a 5’9” powerhouse from Nunavut was capable of.
Jordin Tootoo vs Brad Malone – December 03, 2015 – 2nd period – 19:19
Jordin Tootoo was constantly improving, learning and adding different tools to his arsenal during his time in the NHL. It was clear that after a decade in the league he’d learned that maybe you don’t need to stand-and-trade in a tilt. Instead, he just had to wait for that opportune time to strike like a cobra. Malone was the target of the bite during the blowout at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Canes’ were down 4-1 during the final minutes of the 2nd period. Kudos to Brad Malone for trying to jumpstart his team, but he may have inadvertently done the exact opposite. The two started their tango at center-ice with some wrestling and jostling for position. The battle between them may have started off slow, but it ended super-fast. Malone showed he was out-of-his-league to take on Tootoo when he turned his body to land an overhand right. This was a slight oversight on the part of the University of North Dakota alumnus that cost him a lot. Making that turn left him vulnerable to Tootoo’s legendary left hand. The Inuk enforcer punished Malone for this lapse in judgement with a left-cross that buckled the Canes forward. Tootoo’s nonchalant reaction can be accredited to his concern for his opposition as well as the fact that Malone was just another player who made the mistake of crossing the tracks of the ‘Tootoo train.’
While Jordin Tootoo’s impact on-the-ice was legendary, his impact off-the-ice that will be his greatest legacy. The availability of online resources and content has made people less inclined to sit down and read a good book. Well, I highly suggest reading Tootoo’s – All the Way: My Life on Ice. Tootoo’s storytelling, raw emotion and brutal honesty give readers a perspective that is rare to find in our modern times. Further, his open discussion about his struggles with alcohol, his brother’s suicide and his devotion to helping the next generation of Indigenous youth is truly inspiring. Tootoo hung up his skates after playing 723 games during his 13 NHL seasons in which he tallied over 1000 penalty minutes. The proud product of Nunavut also parlayed his 2015 NHL Foundation Player Award and the $25,000 reward to establish his Team Tootoo Foundation. Describing the camp Tootoo said, “it’s going to be a really positive atmosphere. You’re going to learn hockey skills, but you’re also going to learn life skills and teamwork.” Celebrating 10 years of sobriety this December, Jordin Tootoo has become a mentor for both the Indigenous population and anyone battling addiction issues. So, while the league lost some toughness when Tootoo retired, the world gained a true leader.
Twitter: @Jonesinthezone
