Camp Confidential: Kadin Eetuk’s Journey
September 1, 2022 – Western Hockey League (WHL) – Portland Winterhawks News Release
Portland, Ore. – The Neely Cup Training Camp provides a handful of players an opportunity to showcase their abilities in front of Portland Winterhawks brass, and for the first time since COVID-19, it also brings the Winterhawks hockey operations department together again under one roof.
“I love coming to camp,” Head Manitoba scout Brad Davis said, “I love working for the organization and it’s fun seeing players that you’ve met and brought to camp from your respective areas.”
The Neely Cup features a mix of Western Hockey League veterans, signed prospects, newly drafted prospects, and additional invitees Portland scouts have had an eye on to fill out the camp rosters. One of the 71 players participating in this week’s camp is Kadin Eetuk, a 16-year-old forward that Davis scouted and invited.
“Kadin played for the Norman Northstars U18 team in Manitoba. They usually come down for two or three games over a weekend and I went out to scout them and noticed Kadin right away,” said Davis. “His foot speed is very, very good. He can make plays and he’s very competitive so those are qualities as scouts that we look for. I’m just happy that they made the trip.”
Kadin Eetuk, who hails from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada, has been on Davis’ radar for quite some time. Now, he’s in the Pacific Northwest for the first time after traveling nearly 18 hours to arrive in time for camp.
“Today is new for me,” Eetuk said after Wednesday’s orientation. “Meeting everyone and seeing all the coaches and all the people a part of this team is all new. As the days go on, I think I’ll get more used to everyone else and my teammates and hopefully make new friends.”
His journey to Portland was anything but usual.
Two and a half weeks ago, Eetuk flew to Winnipeg so he could practice with some longtime friends ahead of the Winterhawks camp. There are only two flights daily between Rankin Inlet and Manitoba’s capital – one that departs in the morning and one in the afternoon – and the three-and-a-half-hour flight can cost over $1,000. Because his hometown doesn’t typically have ice available until early October, he skated at the Winnipeg Jets practice facility for the last two weeks and traveled to Portland on Tuesday with his caregiver, David Clark.
Kadin Eetuk and David Clark celebrate with a photo after a 12U peewee tournament in 2017 when Kadin was just 10 years old.
“Hockey is a way of life in Rankin, but it’s also a gateway to new experiences, new journeys,” Clark said. “Kadin got to play in an under-16 tournament in Denver a couple of years ago, so this is only his second time in the States and both trips were for hockey. To see Kadin here and meeting new people, especially with this top-notch organization, I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Clark has known Kadin since he was young, helping him throughout his hockey journey and even coaching him since he was just five years old. The two have a close relationship and hockey has always been at the center of it.
Yesterday, Kadin was cutting up the floor during the Winterhawks’ fitness testing and today, he’ll begin carving up the Veterans Memorial Coliseum ice as a member of Team Rattie.
“My son (Owen Connelly-Clarke) is just a year older than Kadin and they played hockey together growing up. Kadin was always a small but fast kid. You’ll see him later this week. His speed is something else and he’s always had it, even as a five-year-old,” said Clark, “Coming from a small town, the younger kids play the older kids and Kadin was still the fastest kid on the ice.”
“I think the Winterhawks are such an amazing franchise. It’s such a big opportunity for me just to be here. I’m just glad to be a part of this and I’m trying to be a part of this organization. It’s been a dream since I was young (to play in the WHL). I’m just hoping to make the team and be on the protected list. That’s my main goal,” said Eetuk.
Last year, Eetuk scored eight points in 34 games with the Norman Northstars Under-18 AAA team. Now, he’s helping to put his town of 2,975 people on the hockey map.
“I’m just trying to impress everyone and show them where I came from,” Eetuk added. “I’m from a small town you know, so I’m trying to make the most out of it and make more kids from the north explore and have fun.”
During his descent into Portland, Eetuk spotted a few mountains out of the plane’s window, a subtle reminder of his home nearly 1,700 miles away.
“I’m just really, really happy to be here. Not many people get the opportunity to get invited to a WHL camp so I’m just trying to make the most out of it,” Eetuk said.
It’s a long road from home, an exciting journey ahead, and one determined athlete looking to go the distance.
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