Inuk NHL trailblazer Jordin Tootoo was an agitator across 723 games in 13 NHL seasons.
But some of his biggest battles took place away from cameras and microphones.
On the inside, he was struggling with addiction, mental trauma and family issues.
“A lot of times, I was this quiet, shy guy who didn't believe in myself,” Tootoo told THN.com as he promoted his new documentary, Tootoo, now airing on Super Channel in Canada. “Every person that walks on the street is fighting a fight no one knows about.”
As the first Inuk player in NHL history, Tootoo was a pioneer of sorts. But by the time he broke into hockey’s top league in 2003 with the Nashville Predators, Tootoo had already experienced racism and turbulence on and off the ice.
When he left his childhood home in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, and began flourishing as a member of the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, Tootoo knew he was blazing a trail for people like him.
By the time he got to the NHL, however, Tootoo had already experienced tragedy, as his older brother, Terence, died by suicide in 2002. But Terence left a note for Tootoo, and its contents stay with him to this day.
“Losing my brother at the age of 19, my path could have definitely taken a different direction, but I knew, in order for my brother's legacy to live on, I had to keep going and live by his words on a daily basis,” Tootoo said. “The note that he left me, (telling me to) go all the way, take care of the family, you’re the man – I used that to motivate me and keep inspiring me to put my head down and keep his legacy living on.”
Tootoo developed an alcohol addiction in his adult days, and it affected virtually every aspect of his life. But after entering the NHL and NHL Players Association’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program in 2010, he began to understand and come to terms with the anguish he was enduring day in and day out.
Tootoo had quickly become a fan favorite in Nashville, as he was a smaller player at 5-foot-9 who never shied away from leaving his mark on opponents. But eventually, his off-ice struggles became apparent to Predators GM David Poile and coach Barry Trotz, and they helped Tootoo start to find the road to recovery.
“The first seven years of my career, I was this angry young kid who didn't take crap from nobody,” Tootoo said. “And for me, fortunately, I had Mr. David Poile and Mr. Barry Trotz in Nashville that kept pulling me into their office and trying to talk to me. It was at one point where I went on a two-day bender, and I knew that it was going to be my time sooner than later, so I had to accept the help that was offered.”
Over the years, Tootoo has also learned that the systemic racism he encountered has to do with pain and anger of the offending party, and not anything to do with himself or his background. And eventually, he came to understand that racist actions could be addressed by having empathy toward the people hurling epithets at him.
“A lot of times, when racism comes into hand, it's not you – it's that individual who's struggling for themselves,” Tootoo said. “We're human too, right? People look at professional athletes like we have this perfect life... Fans or people see professional athletes struggling, and then they say, ‘Well, how come they're struggling – like they got the world by their hands, or you know, they got all the money in the world.’ Like, we're human.
“And when I entered rehab and got out and started having clarity, I realized, I started thinking, ‘Wow, that individual who's saying racist words to me is obviously having a lot of demons themselves that they're battling through.’ ”
After his Predators career ended in 2012, Tootoo bounced around the NHL, playing for the Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Chicago Blackhawks before retiring in 2017.
Since then, he’s been an advocate for therapy, Indigenous Peoples, and anyone struggling with some form of trauma. And his message – which comes through in the new documentary – is a simple one. “It's different for everybody, right?” Tootoo said. “Everyone has different rock bottoms. I'm not one to tell an individual, ‘Hey, time to smarten up.’ I'm here to share my journey and what it's done for my life and lead by example.”
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The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to snap their two-game skid when they welcome the Washington Capitals to PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night.
The Penguins had everything going for them through two periods against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, only to throw it all away in the third period. The Penguins had a 3-0 lead heading into the final frame and didn't even get a point out of the game.
Meanwhile, the Capitals snapped their four-game losing streak with a 6-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. Alex Ovechkin made more history, becoming the first player in NHL history to score 900 goals. Goaltender Logan Thompson finished the game with a .958 save percentage and has been one of the best goaltenders in the league to start the year.
Because Thompson played on Wednesday, he'll likely have the night off on Thursday, which would pave the way for Charlie Lindgren to start. Lindgren has struggled to start the year, compiling a 3.47 goals-against average and an .880 save percentage.
Arturs Silovs will start in goal for the Penguins after having the night off on Monday. A lot of fans were hoping to see Sergei Murashov make his NHL debut after he was called up on Tuesday, but the Penguins are taking their time and easing him in. He got called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after Tristan Jarry was placed on injured reserve.
Murashov will likely get one of the two games this weekend since the Penguins have a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday.
The Penguins have yet to make a decision on Harrison Brunicke for the rest of the season, but he appears to be a healthy scratch for this game. Ryan Graves and Connor Clifton appear to be returning to the lineup. Joona Koppanen also appears to be playing after he was called up from WBS on Thursday.
Ben Kindel will replace Filip Hallander on the top line since Hallander is day-to-day with an injury. Kindel has been one of the Penguins' best players to start the season and is coming off his first two-goal game on Monday.
Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and Hulu. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
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DALLAS - The Ducks are embarking on a two-game road trip and looking to extend their winning streak to five games. They are currently tied for first in the Pacific Division with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Anaheim has been powered by the dynamic duo of Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, who have 18 and 16 points. Both of them are riding seven-game point streaks, the first pair of teammates to record simultaneous point streaks of at least seven both at the age 21 or younger since Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in 2016-17.
Carlsson received a five-minute major and a game misconduct on Tuesday for a hit on the Florida Panthers' Evan Rodrigues during Tuesday’s game, but did not receive any supplementary discipline from the Department of Player Safety.
Takeaways from the Ducks 7-3 Win over the PanthersGauthier ignited the offense with a hat trick, powering the Ducks past the Panthers with a dominant offensive performance.“It happened pretty fast,” Carlsson said. “I was trying to get the puck from Troy (Terry), and I didn’t have anywhere to go. And (Rodrigues) is shorter than me, so I just go straight into him. It's just unfortunate that he was so low and I'm taller, so just went straight into his head.”
The Dallas Stars are currently fifth in the league in power play percentage (31.1), powered by the likes of Wyatt Johnston, Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. Johnston's four power play goals are tied for fourth in the NHL. The Ducks are middle of the pack in penalty kill percentage (79.5), but have killed 10 of their last 12 penalties.
“They’re looking to get their power play to get their game offensively, and they’re good at it,” head coach Joel Quenneville said. “The skill level’s high-end. Patience, play recognition, options. I think that (assistant coach Ryan McGill) does a nice job getting the PK ready and on our opponents and what they’re intending to do. It’ll be a good test for us as well, but I think there’s some improvement on our end of it killing-wise. Denying entries, possession, recognizing pressure points. They’re getting better.”
“You’re just trying to be in position so they can't set up exactly the way they want it,” Carlsson said. “Troy and I like to go on offense (on the PK) too, they have to have to know that. So that gives us a little bit of advantage to it.”
“They’re pretty similar (to the Panthers),” Olen Zellweger said. “Good pace, good forecheck. And I think Dallas is pretty good at maintaining possession of the offensive zone. Lots of good forwards, just a good team overall. Different challenges, but similar. We’re gonna have to play really sharp and execute well.”
Through 12 games, the Ducks lead the league in goals per game with 3.92. They are also top-5 in the league in shots per game with 31.4. Gauthier is currently tied for first in the league with 10 goals and is second in the league in shots with 58.
“I feel like we're playing exactly the way we want,” Carlsson said. “Sure, sometimes we make unnecessary dangles and stuff on the blue line, but I feel like we play hockey. We know when to put it deep and not. A lot of shots is the key, too.”
“We always talked last year about increasing our shots, but there’s not really a blueprint to do it,” Zellweger said. “I feel like this year, we're skating well, maybe playing more free. Creating more opportunities to shoot and get scoring chances. I don't think there's one specific thing, it’s just a bunch of different things you’re adding to create more rushes and more o-zone time.”
Roope Hintz (undisclosed) and Radek Faksa (illness) will both be game-time decisions for the Stars, who rolled out a lineup of 11 forwards and seven defensemen for their game on Tuesday.
Ducks Projected Lines
Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry
Cutter Gauthier - Mason McTavish - Beckett Sennecke
Nikita Nesterenko - Ryan Poehling - Alex Killorn
Ross Johnston - Jansen Harkins - Frank Vatrano
Jackson LaCombe - Drew Helleson
Olen Zellweger - Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov - Ian Moore
Lukáš Dostál (projected)
Stars Projected Lines
Jason Robertson - Wyatt Johnston - Mikko Rantanen
Tyler Seguin - Roope Hintz - Mavrik Bourque
Oskar Bäck - Sam Steel - Colin Blackwell
Adam Erne - Radek Faksa - Nathan Bastian
Esa Lindell - Miro Heiskanen
Thomas Harley - Ilya Lyubushkin
Lian Bischel - Alex Petrovic
Jake Oettinger (confirmed)
Thursday’s NHL schedule features nine games filled with high-stakes matchups, promising fast-paced action, dramatic finishes, and plenty of highlight-reel moments. One of the night’s most compelling showdowns pits Sidney Crosby and the Penguins against his longtime rival Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals.
Pittsburgh started strong at 8-2-2 but has dropped four of its last six. The team now looks to rebound at home against a Washington squad coming off a dominant 6-1 win over St. Louis and facing a quick turnaround.
This matchup offers plenty of intrigue for fans and bettors alike, with the potential for explosive scoring and standout individual performances. We’re aiming to build on early-season momentum after a perfect 3-0 Tuesday on Stars-Oilers picks, plus a win in Wednesday’s Pad Stack Challenge. That challenge now holds a 5-1 record over the past six days.
All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
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Expect Offensive Fireworks As Lightning Take On Golden Knights in VegasWitness a high-octane showdown as the offensively potent Lightning aim to exploit the Golden Knights' recent struggles on home ice.Penguins ML (-105)
Alex Ovechkin Over 0.5 Points (-154)
Ben Kindel Over 0.5 Points (+115)
Bryan Rust Anytime Goal (+175) Longshot Pick
Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are set to face off again on Thursday, continuing one of the NHL’s most storied rivalries. The Penguins will look to build on their rest from Monday’s game, while the Capitals aim to regroup after a dominant win on Wednesday that ended a four-game losing streak.
Both teams have split their last eight matchups, making this an evenly matched contest. Pittsburgh should be able to hold onto the upper hand of rest as Washington will have the fatigue of playing the night before as well as travelling. The Capitals also used a good amount of their offense Wednesday when blowing out the Blues 6-1 and could fail to follow up the performance.
History suggests this could be another tight battle as Crosby and Ovechkin have squared off 99 times, with 73 regular-season games and 25 playoff matchups. Over those matchups, Crosby has racked up 125 points, with Ovechkin recorded 101 points. The Penguins hold the edge in this clash between two hockey legends with a 55-39-4 record, although recent games have often been closely contested.
Ovechkin, fresh off his 900th career goal on Wednesday versus the St. Louis Blues, remains a reliable offensive threat, having scored in his last game against the Penguins in April. Crosby continues to drive Pittsburgh’s attack, while his linemate in 18-year-old Ben Kindel has been an impactful rookie after being drafted 11th overall this past draft and looks poised to make his mark with his first career NHL assist.
Crosby or his longtime winger Bryan Rust, who scored 31 goals last season, should be able to get Kindel his milestone with Rust entering Thursday with seven goals in his last 11 games against Washington as well as four goals over his last six games.
Offensively, both teams have shown flashes of explosiveness, including two consecutive matchups with seven or more combined goals. However, the overall trend of their head-to-head history suggests that high-scoring games are not guaranteed, with only 14 of the last 25 meetings exceeding seven goals.
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After four days without a game, the Ottawa Senators return to action on Thursday night with a road game against the Boston Bruins. On the one hand, after six games in 10 days, the respite from a busy schedule was welcome. On the other hand, they've been playing some good hockey, going 4-1-1 in that six-game stretch, and might have preferred not to interrupt the positive momentum.
But one would imagine there's a heavy preference for the former mindset. With a condensed schedule in an Olympic year that now sees them play six games in 10 days once again, teams are happy to embrace any rest and recovery time that the schedule allows.
As the Montreal Canadiens were on Saturday night, the Bruins will be in foul humour on Thursday, looking to get even. In Montreal's case, they wanted physical revenge for Nick Cousins' slash on star rookie Ivan Demidov. For Boston, they'd like to push back after getting whalloped by the Senators in Ottawa 7-2 on Oct. 27.
The Bruins seem to have used the sting and venom from that loss as fuel. They've ripped off four straight victories since then, beating the New York Islanders twice, and also posting wins over the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes.
Overall, Boston has been a streaky lot in the first month. They won their first 3 games, lost their next six in regulation, and now they've won five of their last six.
The Bruins will welcome back their former star goalie, Linus Ullmark, who won the 2023 Vezina Trophy with the club. That performance has created sky-high expectations in Ottawa that Ullmark has yet to live up to.
Analytics: Can Senators Goalie Linus Ullmark Replace Another Slow Start With Another November Heater?An analyst recently questioned Ullmark's intensity, and Ullmark questioned some aspects of his own offseason prep. Between that and his current numbers, there are goaltending concerns again in Ottawa.In 130 games over three seasons with the Bruins, Ullmark had an 88-26-10 record, a .924 save percentage, and a 2.28 goals-against average. Sens fans no longer need him to get back to that level.
They're more than ready to settle for something that falls just halfway between his Boston numbers and what he's done for the Sens so far this season, which is allowing 3.41 goals against per game with an .861 save percentage.
Leevi Merilainen guarded the Sens' cage in the recent beatdown of the Bruins, but Ullmark is expected to get the call on Thursday. The veteran won both starts against his old mates last season, making 14 saves in November's 3-2 overtime win, and 22 saves in a 6-3 victory in March.
The Sens lineup remains mostly the same, with newcomer Jordan Spence expected to be a healthy scratch for the ninth time in 14 games.
Face off is 7 pm.