Marty McSorley praises Tootoo during Nunavut visit
Tootoo hits 600-game milestone with Saturday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes
Compare the hockey statistics of Jordin Tootoo and Marty McSorley side by side and there's one stat that stands out from the rest: penalty minutes.
But from the perspective of McSorley, a former National Hockey League "tough guy," the game has drastically changed from when he hung up his skates to when Tootoo laced on his.
McSorley and former NHLer John LeClair were in Tootoo's home territory this weekend as part of a Stanley Cup visit to Iqaluit.
And while it's tough to draw similarities in playing styles between McSorley and Tootoo given the different eras of hockey, “Wayne Gretzky's bodyguard” — as McSorley was often called — is a big fan of the NHL's first Inuk player.
“I think Jordin Tootoo is a very good player. Really. I really love him,” McSorley said while participating in a scrimmage with Iqaluit minor hockey players.
“Gosh, if I was coaching, I'd certainly want to have him on my team because he really plays hard. He's really committed to being a good player.”
Tootoo, who just came off his 600th NHL game on Saturday night, scratched his way onto the New Jersey Devils' roster after a training camp tryout this season. The 32-year-old was on a roll last month, with a five-game point streak — a career high. He sits 14th on the team in scoring with nine goals and five assists. He also leads the team with 72 penalty minutes.
“I'm a fan of the game, I'm a fan of the current players, and Jordin Tootoo is one of those guys that you can't help but cheer for,” added McSorley.