May 5, 2015 NHL’s JORDIN TOOTOO LEADS THE WAY WITH UCN LECTURE SERIES FIRST FEATURE University College of the North (UCN) kicked off its first of many to follow lectures with a star performance from the National Hockey Leagues Jordin Tootoo. The New Jersey Devils player has deep roots in The Pas and Opaskwayak Cree Nation. It’s where his hockey career began when he played his Junior ‘A’ with the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s OCN Blizzard in 1998. In his introduction of Mr. Tootoo, before a packed gymnasium of nearly 500 people, UCNs President and Vice Chancellor, Konrad Jonasson, detailed his long and celebrated hockey career, noting that Jordin was the first Inuit to be drafted and play in the NHL. The hockey stars message to those in attendance and listening throughout Northern Manitoba and around the world through a live stream, was one of not just hockey, but the incredible journey he took fighting an addiction to alcohol. He spoke of his older brother, Terrance, who after a night of partying with Jordin, took his own life and the effect that had on him. This was Jordin’s first opportunity to speak since writing a book on his life, “All The Way – My Life On Ice”. A book signing session scheduled to last 20 minutes, went on for nearly two hours. UCN is planning to hold six of these events each year – three at the Thompson campus and three at The Pas. The Lecture Series was developed to show the growth of UCN. Vice President of Academics and Research, Dr. Sherry Peden, said a lecture series is “where we invite speakers on various topics of interest; speakers who are selected to ‘draw an audience to the university setting’; speakers who are able to initiate a dialogue about tough topics and about novel ideas.” In addressing the audience, Dr. Peden said “tonight is the first, official lecture of a series that we have planned as we move into our next decade at UCN, that of being a more Real university. And, it seemed appropriate that when we were planning to host this first lecture that we invite Jordin Tootoo here to speak about his “real journey, achievement, and of course, challenges” For more information, please contact: Jim Scott, Director Communications Department University College of the North P: 204-627-8244 E: [email protected] .