Apr 16, 2010; Chicago, IL, USA; Nashville Predators right wing Jordin Tootoo (22) battles for the puck as he is hit between Chicago Blackhawks right wing Tomas Kopecky (left) and defenseman Jordan Hendry (right) during the first period of game one in the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center. Jerry Lai-Imagn Images
Itâ€s easy for fans of any sport to idolize athletes or put them on a pedestal. After all, they do things most “average†people cannot, right?
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Perhaps, but there eventually comes a sobering reality: athletes are human, too.
When former Nashville Predatorsforward Jordin Tootoo first undertook the task of putting together a documentary based on his life and playing career, that was the one point he wanted to get across: thereâ€s a human side to everyone, even hockey players.
Tootoo, who spent eight of his 13 NHL seasons with the Predators, hosted a screening of his documentary, simply titled “Tootooâ€, prior to the Preds†game against the Colorado Avalancheat Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.
Along with the goals, the reckless abandon with which he played the game and the Tootoo train whistles that turned up in the stands each time he scored a goal or made a physical impact, there was another, darker side to Tootoo, the first Inuk player in NHL history.
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Tootoo was fighting another battle many fans couldnâ€t see: alcoholism.
It was only when Tootoo had a meeting with then-general manager David Poile and Barry Trotz, then head coach and now the Preds†GM in 2010, that Tootoo changed his life.
“My documentary isnâ€t just a hockey documentary,†Tootoo told reporters on Friday at Bridgestone Arena. “This is to hopefully inspire more people to speak up and speak the truth and hopefully inspire them to make changes in their lives.â€
Tootoo made his debut with the Predators in the 2003-04 season, after the club selected him in the fourth round of the 2001 NHL Draft. He quickly became a fan favorite for his seemingly fearless, physical style of play.
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The documentary is a brutally honest look inside Tootooâ€s life, on and off the ice. It covers moving away from his hometown of Churchill, Manitoba, to being drafted by the Predators, his struggle with alcoholism and the loss of his brother to suicide.
Tootoo and his family share his journey to sobriety and how his resilience continues to impact the lives of others who may be fighting similar battles.
“Especially in the Indigenous communities, weâ€ve been silent for too long,†Tootoo said Friday. “Hopefully, this will open up those doors and those avenues for more men especially to be comfortable with not being OK, articulating their thoughts and putting them to words. Even as hockey players, we tend to hold a lot in and we release it out on the ice. For me, I needed the game to release that anger.â€
The Preds honored Tootoo back in 2019, nearly 10 years after his meeting with Poile and Trotz. On Friday, he signed his puck on the Wall at Bridgestone Arena. On Saturday, he held a meet-and-greet with Smashville Loyal members and addressed fans prior to the screening.
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Tootoo often looks back and reminisces on his hockey career, the first eight seasons of which he spent in Nashville. He feels honored to be welcomed back to Nashville, and hopes those who see the documentary will gain a greater appreciation for what a professional athlete goes through.
“We all fight a fight no one knows about,†he said. “A lot of people look at professional athletes especially, and have the mindset of, ‘how bad can their life beâ€?… At the same time, weâ€re human too, weâ€re not ironmen. Hopefully, when people watch the doc, theyâ€ll have a better understanding and have a little more compassion.â€
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