RANKIN INLET, NUNAVUT — The glass shook, the bleachers thundered, the ceiling dripped and more than a thousand fans pushed to the edges, doubling the capacity of an old rink in Rankin Inlet, on the northwest coast of Hudson Bay.



John Voisey sat in the penalty box, anxious but ready. He’d waited his entire life for this chance. Since Voisey was a child, the legend of Jordin Tootoo, the first Inuk NHL player, had coloured his dreams.



Now they were skating in the same game.



And as the crowd hollered, Tootoo stepped into the opposing team’s box, just a small gap between them. With his hero just a few feet away, Voisey nervously considered his words and gathered the courage to speak:



“Fuck you, Jordin Tootoo!” he said. “You’re a piece of shit.”



A one-two punch. And it landed.



Tootoo turned to Voisey and smiled.



“That was amazing. Dream come true,” Voisey said later.