Coach sends Jordin to the minors

When the Nashville Predators kicked off a three-game road trip in Colorado this past Wednesday, Nunavut’s hockey hero, Jordin Tootoo, wasn’t with them.

The 22-year-old right-winger’s budding NHL career suffered a setback this week after Barry Trotz, coach of the Nashville Predators, re-assigned him to the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League.

“Obviously everybody wants to play in the big leagues. It’s just there to be an incentive to work hard to get back up there. It’s up to me and the way I play,” Tootoo told Nunatsiaq News on Tuesday.

Jordin’s coach told the Tennessean, a daily newspaper in Nashville, that he wants Tootoo to get more ice time at the minor-league Admirals so that he can work on his offensive skills.

“It’s to get Jordin some ice time. Instead of him sitting some games this week, he can go to Milwaukee and have an impact there,” Barry Trotz said, adding that he will “re-evaluate” Tootoo’s status on Monday.

Tootoo appeared in the Predators’ home opener against the San Jose Sharks last week, but spent most of it warming the bench.

In 2003, Nunavut and Nunavik residents glowed with pride when Tootoo became the first Inuk to make the NHL.

He played the entire 2003-04 season with Nashville, thrilling fans with his thunderous bodychecks and take-no-prisoners style of play.

But while racking up 137 penalty minutes, Tootoo managed only four goals and four assists in his rookie season.

For the 2004-05 season, Nashville re-assigned Tootoo to the Milwaukee Admirals for the duration of the 300-day NHL lockout.

Tootoo recorded 10 goals and 12 assists for the AHL club, but when he arrived at the Predator’s training camp this fall, Trotz said he wasn’t happy with the young player’s progress.

But this week he said Tootoo has the ability to make it in the NHL.

“Jordin is very similar to what Scott Walker was in his young career. Scott was a high energy, hit and fight everybody type of guy. He’s refined his game to the point where’s he’s a top player. I think Toots has that kind of ability,” Trotz told the Tennessean.

Tootoo believes he belongs in the NHL too. “I’m just going to do my part to prove them wrong and show them that I deserve to be in the NHL,” he said.