Nunavut’s Jordin Tootoo up for Bill Masterton Trophy

Nunavut’s best-loved hockey player is up for sportsmanship award.

The Nashville chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association has revealed Predators’ rightwinger Jordin Tootoo is its nominee for this year’s Bill Masterton Trophy.

The trophy is awarded every year to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”

Tootoo, 29, left the Nashville Predators for a time in early 2011 to check into an undisclosed rehab clinic in Los Angeles for alcohol abuse.

But the Rankin Inlet native returned for the 2011-2012 season, where he has appeared in 68 games and scored six goals and 29 points.

That puts Tootoo ahead of his previous career-high of 18 points set in 2007-08 and matched last year.

The Masterton trophy is awarded each year, to a winner selected in a poll of all chapters of the writers’ association at the end of the NHL’s regular season.

The award, along with the grant, is presented by the writers’ association to honour the late Bill Masterton, a Minnesota North Stars player who exhibited sportsmanship and perseverance during his short career.

Masterton died in 1968 as a result of an on-ice injury.