Rankin Inlet has been abuzz this week with sightings of a celebrity couple — hometown hockey hero Jordin Tootoo and his girlfriend, American Idol finalist Kellie Pickler.

The NHL player has been dating the country singer since January and has brought her home to Nunavut to meet his family.

Kellie Pickler, seen in a file photo, says her time in the North has been a welcome break from her hectic schedule back home.
(Associated Press)

Most of Pickler's northern time has been spent at the Tootoo cabin, far from noisy gadgets and her condo in Nashville.

"[There's] no cellphone service here, so that's a big plus. No one probably knows what a cellphone is here, do they?" she joked in a CBC interview.

Tootoo, a forward with the Nashville Predators, said he's pleased to introduce his girlfriend to his hometown and his Inuit roots.

"It's great to have people from other parts of the world come and experience what I do when I come home."

Pickler has never been to Canada before. She was earlier quoted as saying she was hoping to build an igloo on her visit. That didn't pan out, but the Tootoo family is making sure she goes home with her share of truly northern experiences, like fishing and sampling local food.

"I've had different types of food that I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I'd try … raw caribou and whale blubber," she said on Wednesday. "You've got to salt everything."

Pickler said besides ketchup chips, which aren't available in the U.S., her favourite part of the trip has been the people.

"I've never felt so welcome anywhere like I have here. As soon as I got off the plane, everyone was waiting for me at the airport, just to welcome me to the community. Everyone's been so nice."

Pickler will be spending the rest of her summer performing around the United States. She resumes her tour on Saturday.