Jordin Tootoo -- A very special hockey player

He is the first hockey player of Inuit descent to play in the NHL.

In his native language, his name is Kudluk, which means "thunder".

Fans of the Nashville Predators and the rest of the league, however, know him by his Anglo name -- Jordin.

Jordin Tootoo is 20 years old and a rookie in the NHL.

I spoke with him before the Predators' practice on November 18th in El Segundo, California, the night before they lost 3-0 to the L.A. Kings.

I was amazed at how mature and focused Jordin is for someone so young.

The fact that his name means thunder in the Inuit language (the Inuit are referred to as Eskimos in the United States, isn't surprising.

It's the way he always has played hockey and Nashville fans wouldn't have it any other way.

Jordin grew up in a settlement called Rankin Inlet in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, which is south of the Artic Circle.

This past October 9th, Jordin made history by becoming not only the first player of Inuit descent to play in the NHL, but hockey period.

He isn't the only Inuit or member of his family good enough to play hockey though. His father and brother also were very good players.

I asked him why any more Inuit players don't make it to the NHL and he told me simply, "the location. We're isolated and many scouts don't come."

To get a sense of just how isolated his town is, when Jordin made his debut in Nashville, his very proud parents flew first to Winnipeg, Manitoba, then to Toronto, and finally to Nashville.

Other relatives were more adventurous. They flew to Winnipeg too, but then they took the bus to Nashville, some 2,000 miles away.

Growing up as a youngster in the 1980's, like most kids in western Canada, Jordin's favorite hockey team was the Edmonton Oilers.

His favorite player was Wendel Clark of the Toronto Maple Leafs, whose playing style Jordin closely resembles.

In the beginning of this article, I stated that some things about Jordin amazed me. Not only his maturity, but his choice in food. I asked him what it was, and his answer surprised me.

Sushi.

Yep, in the land of barbeque, Jordin is a big fan of sushi. He told me he just couldn't get enough sushi, especially the seafood kind.

(In case you're wondering like I did, Jordin told me they do have barbeques.)

Jordin is a fan favorite in the land of football and country and western music, which by his reaction, didn't seem like it was on his list of music that he would run down to the store to buy.

However, I guess if he stays in "Music City," it'll grow on him.

He's very far from home, but Jordin stays in touch with family and friends, who all want as much Nashville Predator clothing they can get without making the long trek to Tennessee. He's also got his own website -- www.teamtootoo.com.

Jordin Tootoo is one very special hockey player indeed.