30 Dirty Players in 30 Days. The Nashville Predators

Posted Sunday, August 16. 2009 by Warren Baker
Filed under 30 Dirty Players in 30 Days, Nashville Predators, Tootoo, Jordin

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NHL.com's latest 30-in-30 feature on the Nashville Predators is here. In an article about his reckless style of play, the Edmonton Journal asks whether Jordin Tootoo is " a hard, compact, ball of hate or an old-fashioned, finish-the-check hardrock player".

My opinion? Ball of hate. And Nashville's dirtiest player.

Tootoo's modus operandi is to seek out situations where a player has the puck but is not aware of his presence. Then he charges his opponent as fast as he can and surprises him with the hardest hit possible. He is interested in the puck, but only in the sense that he needs to make sure it is close by so he does not get a penalty. Taking control of the the puck, or getting it to a teammate is not what Tootoo is about. He's all about the hit. Admittedly, Tootoo's hits are usually with the shoulder and technically legal. But let's be honest, Tootoo's hits have "intent to injure" written all over them.

CBC Commentator and former NHL goalie Kelly Hrudey summed it up nicely when he called Tootoo a "violent opportunist, looking for openings to hit vulnerable players and knock their blocks off"

Watch the clips and decide for yourself.

On this play, Tootoo comes from the opposite side of the rink to level Dan Fritsche. The puck ends up in the Nashville net and they are down by 2 goals. But that's not important to Jordin, the only important score on that play was Tootoo 1, Other player 0.

Tootoo has Brett Hejda lined up until Hejda passes the puck to his defense partner. Too bad Hejda didn't know the puck was irrelevant to Tootoo who nails him with a late hit anyway.

Paul Winnik is circling the net with the puck while being checked by another Nashville player. There is an opportunity for Tootoo to cut him off and bump him off the puck. Tootoo sees it as an opportunity to take his head off.

Definitely a ball of hate.

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