Jordin Tootoo: The highs and lows in the journey of the first Inuit player in the NHL

by Melanie Florence

Overview

Hockey is a relatively new sport in Canada's North. It wasn't until 2003 that Jordin Kudluk "Thunder" Tootoo became the first Inuk to play in an NHL game. Although hockey is a rough sport to begin with, Jordin Tootoo is known for having to "fight his way through." Jordin has had more than his fair share of fights both on and off the ice. He's had to overcome the social problems that are associated with the North, fight his way through the discrimination and culture shock he encountered after leaving Rankin Inlet and moving to Alberta to play in the Juniors, and see his way through the grief of losing his NHL-bound older brother and hero, Terence Tootoo, to suicide in 2002.
This new biography explores the struggles and accomplishments of the most recognized role model for young Aboriginal and Inuit people today. [Fry Reading Level - 4.6

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781552775301
Publisher:	James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers
Publication date:	12/14/2011
Series:	Lorimer Recordbooks Series
Sold by:	De Marque
Format:	eBook
Pages:	104
Lexile:	850L (what's this?)
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

MELANIE FLORENCE is a proud Cree and a full-time writer currently based in Toronto. She is the author of the Righting Canada's Wrongs: Residential Schools, the YA novel The Missing, the Lorimer SideStreets title One Night, and Recordbooks title Jordin Tootoo: The Highs and Lows in the Journey of the First Inuk to Play in the NHL, which was chosen as an Honor Book by The American Indian Library Association. As a freelance journalist, Melanies byline has appeared in magazines including Dance International, Writer, Parents Canada, and Urban Male Magazine.

Read an Excerpt

Preface
It's cold in the arena. But for a guy who plays in a rink that's about minus twenty back home, this is nothing.
The sound of blades cutting a path across the ice can be heard above the screams of the fans. The sound of the player's own breathing rasps in his ears. He leans to the left and turns easily. He sees the puck out of the corner of his eye. He glides over to it. In one smooth, fluid motion, he lifts his stick high into the air. He pauses for a split second before bringing it down. A satisfying crack sounds off the ice. The puck soars across the ice to a teammate, who moves it toward the net.
He sees another player skating toward his teammate, intent on stealing the puck. Ice sprays as he skids to a stop, then takes off again. Gaining power as he gets closer and closer, he's at top speed by the time he reaches the other side of the rink. He passes players without looking. Without slowing, he hones in on his target. He angles his head down and clocks the other player with his shoulder. Hard. They both go down. The crowd goes wild. His reputation as a player is built on hits like this. Playing all out and hitting hard is how he played back home with his older brother. It's who he is. He sees no reason to change now. The fans are on their feet screaming and chanting, "Tootoo! Tootoo! Tootoo!" Before he can even notice the sound of his name echoing through the building, Jordin Tootoo is off down the ice, already focusing on the next hit, the next play, the next goal.

Table of Contents

Contents

Prologue

1. From the Frozen North

2. Hockey — Tootoo Style

3. Leaving Home

4. Moving Up

5. Tragedy Strikes

6. Playing Through the Pain

7. A Born Predator

8. Fighting Through

9. Life off the Ice

Glossary

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Photo Credits

Index

Editorial Reviews

"An orderly and neat interface facilitates the ease with which any reader could pick up, read and be entertained by Jordin Tootoo. Those with an interest in hockey and its star players will surely enjoy learning more about the upbringing and life of this history-making Canadian hockey player. Recommended."

CM Magazine

"With text boxes and photographs that complement the story and contribute to the reader's experience, each page of this fast-paced read details Tootoo's ambition and fighting spirit."

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