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Thanks, Dan Hickling
Patrick Kaleta isn't ready to hang 'em up. Not at age 29. He isn't leaving Buffalo without a fight.
He's a Buffalo boy. He's leaving on his terms, not yours.
Kaleta feels like he still has the necessary stuff to make meaningful contributions to a hockey club. His skills haven't eroded. He still has his trademark speed, toughness, pugnacity and courage.
All Kaleta needed was a chance of a crack in the door. He said earlier this week that he isn't ready to leave Buffalo yet. Today he got a tocket to Rochester from Sabres GM Tim Murray. Kaleta will gladly accept it if it means keeping he and his new wife in Western New York.
Kaleta isn't looking for charity, nor hand outs. He has been looking for an opportunity and he finally has one teed up and waiting for him to lay into.
The onus now lies squarely on Kaleta's shoulders. If he wants to play for the Sabres again, he will have to earn a roster spot. For now, he is ear marked for The 585.
Kaleta has a nasty reputation as a cruel dude. He plays a hard game and doesn't apologize for crushing his opponents with Mack truck style collisions. He fights heavy weights, chirps like Eminem spits rhymes, blocks shots with every part of his body, plays high speed demolition derby at 150 mph and dives on live hand grenades for his teammates.
Kaleta sacrifices his body for the betterment of the team.
Serious injuries have sidelined Kaleta in the past few seasons. Last September he took a Morgan Rielly point clapper in the face and missed a whack of games after having facial surgery to repair the damage.
Two seasons ago, he tore his ACL when he collided with a net while playing in Rochester after being demoted to the minors after he served a 10 game suspension for wrecking Columbus Blue Jax D Jack Johsnon.
Kaleta has been suspended four times in his NHL career. He has only played 60+ games just once in his nine year NHL career.
The Angola native is going to attend Buffalo's training camp on a professional tryout (PTO) contract.
The Sabres are still searching depth and strength on their right wing. Knowing Kaleta the way that I do, the rambunctious forward will bringing his A++ game to training camp. I feel bad for the poor fools who get caught admiring their own handy work with their heads down. Kaleta will light them up like a Labor Day bonfire.
Amerks head Randy Cunneyworth could use another respected veteran like PK36 to help mentor the kids in Rochester this season. Kaleta and veteran Matt Ellis will certainly lead the way for prospects like Justin Bailey, Nick Baptiste, Jake McCabe, William Carrier, Justin Kea, Josh Chapman, Andrey Makarov, and others.
Kaleta will bust his ass while skating heavy minutes and playing in all key situations in Rochester. He then can earn the respect and attention of Dan Bylsma and Murray. Kaleta would be a no brainer injury call-up option for the Sabres. Injuries happen all the time in the NHL. Having a seasoned veteran champing at the bit to be recalled is never a bad thing for an NHL head coach and GM. Kaleta has played 360 (12 playoff games) NHL games in nine seasons in Buffalo. He has scored 27 goals and has chipped in 27 assists. He has accumulated 542 PIMs in his NHL career.
Kaleta, 29, appeared in 42 games with the Buffalo Sabres last season, recording three assists and 36 penalty minutes. The 6'1" 20 lb. heat seeking missile has also appeared in 94 career AHL games with the Amerks, recording 23 points (7G, 16A) and 244 PIMs.
Kaleta was originally drafted by the Sabres in the sixth round (176th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
More on the #Amerks signing of veteran forward Patrick Kaleta >> http://t.co/IWsp9XFszS pic.twitter.com/164RwNusdk
— Rochester Americans (@AmerksHockey) September 12, 2015
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Vancouver Canucks jack hammer Jake Virtanen welcomed Connor McDavid to the Western Conference of the NHL on Friday night in Penticton, BC.
McDavid was selected first overall by Edmonton at the June NHL Draft.
Virtanen was taken sixth overall in 2014 by the Canucks.
Virtanen's clean, heavy check sent McDavid to the ice along the boards. The fur started flying moments later when Mitch Moroz retaliated with a huge hit of his own on Virtanen. Moroz earned unsportsmanlike penalty for his shot on Virtanen. Moroz did the right thing by running Virtanen for blasting McDavid. Later in the game, Darnell Nurse wanted to get a piece of Virtanen, too.
Connor will have to play with his head on a swivel from here on out. He will be a marked man all season long. His Oilers teammates Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent Hopkins and Jordan Eberle all had to be baptized by fire into the NHL. Each have taken their share of cheap shots and heavy hits from aggressive opponents over the years.
Such is life in the Wild, Wild West.
After the game, McDavid tipped his bucket to Virtanen and accepted his wake up call like an NHLer.
“It's a hockey game, that stuff is gonna happen," he said.
Thanks, Oilers TV
Note: The shiner beginning to form under McDavid's left eye. Battle scars are cool and all, however, the Oilers cannot allow McDavid to get dropped like a bad habit by aggressive opponents.
The stress and anxiety ;levels will rise even more as the Oilers play the Calgary Flames in the "Battle Of Alberta" tonight in Penticton.
Oh, by the way, McDavid finished the night with a goal and an assist on the 8-2 Edmonton win over Vancouver.
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Virtanen's post game remarks:
Thanks, Canucks TV
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BeatStriker reminds me that Moroz introduced himself to Mackenzie Stewart
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