Ive been all over the internet on hockey forums lately and have noticed a ton of threads on Pat Kaleta. Most people that aren't Sabres fans call him a dirty player and a cheap shot artist.

Are other hockey fans so jaded by the fact that it's their players getting blasted away into the boards that they can't realize Kaleta:
-Is not a cheap shot artist
-He does hit CLEAN (most of the time... anyone racking up as many hits as him will have some iffy calls sometimes.... it comes with the territory)
-He is not out to injure or hurt, but if your head is down he is not going to let up (THIS IS HOCKEY DAMNIT!)
-He will probably NOT fight you, unless its a guy already taking an instigator penalty. (It's his JOB to draw penalties to help the team win)
-He's a hometown boy with a good heart and he should NOT be grouped together with Avery and Neil (these 2 are cheapshot/annoyance artists that take away from the sport)
-Kaleta is everything we love about physical hockey (He is a fast bottom six energy guy with a a knack for hitting (take a player like this out of the game, or penalizing clean hits is BS and you can basically go watch Pee-wee no contact hockey if you not down with a guy like Pat Kaleta)


I guess it takes a Buffalonian to know a Buffalonian. And evidently it takes a Buffalonian to know Hockey.

People just get pissed because they don't like seeing their players get nailed. They're like the refs, they hear a loud noise or a big hit they'll automatically think it's an illegal hit. They just can't comprehend the difference between a hardworking, dedicated player from someone who is out to hurt the opposing player, or take cheap shots.

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"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." ~ Han Solo


We truly are not worthy of Miller!

Stop going to other forums...

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

I thought what we had here was special. Now you come forward and just admit that you've been going to other forums on the side? Who are they? Are they... are they prettier than us? You can be honest, I swear I won't key your car.

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All the things we wanted each other to be we'll never be.

Kaleta is a pain in the ass IF YOUR ARE ON ANOTHER TEAM.

Embrace the hate!

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

Yeah. People hate him irrationally. They think that just because it's a big hit, it's a dirty hit. It's ridiculously stupid.

Lets think about this logically.

If other teams DIDN'T hate Kaleta, would there be a point to having him here?

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Wheelhouse

Oh yeah, the other team and their fans should definetly hate his guts and I hope they do...

But the real problem is the fact that the fans (im not sure about the players) recongnize him as a dirty player. Big hitter, energy guy he is, but dirty he is not. Maybe it's because he's a hometown boy, but I feel he deserves credit around the league as someone who is determined and good at their role on the ice, not Sean Avery v.2.

That's the point. If they think he's hitting them clean, they're not going to bitch and complain and try to take liberties.

Let them think he's dirty. If he was, he'd be getting suspensions handed to him by Colin Campbell.

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Wheelhouse

I swear I never post....
only look...
haha

That's a tricky question to answer because no one hates their goons....just other goons. That doesn't mean I think he's a goon, just making a point. I think he hits clean or at least doesn't try to hit people in a dirty way. Dirty hits aren't his bag, his bag is making it clean and legal so he's not in trouble then waiting for the other team to take stupid penalties when coming back at him. So I guess by definition he's not dirty since he wouldn't be very effective at his job (drawing penalties) if he was.

Kaleta is far from a cheap shot artist...his job is to get under the other team's skin which he does....he also is one of the best body checkers in the league (he won body checker of the year when he was in the OHL)....proof right there he is not dirty.....

the cheap shots and dirty players are the players on the opposite team who can't stand it when kaleta missiles into one of their players....ie: Gauthier of the LA Kings

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"It is more about them than it is about the team...Cannot play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them. Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win." - Mike Singletary

Tyler Myers - Future captain of the Buffalo Sabres, and future Norris Trophy Winner

Manning the machine gun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon - just in case any teams have an idea of prying him away from us (3 GM's shot already)

Connolly/Roy - 2 goals in the last 47 playoff games

Point is, Kaleta IS a dirty player. Who gives a fuck? He's fun to watch, and he draws a ton of penalties.

Sure, he does other things well out on the ice. But if it weren't for his hitting, he wouldn't be here. End of story.

His job is to hit, and to hit hard. He's targeting people with their heads down. He's looking to make people hurt and get pissed off, in a manner that falls within the rulebook.

Just because you follow the rules, doesn't mean you aren't dirty.

Personally, I love having a dirty player on my team.

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Wheelhouse

what does him being a hometown boy have to do with him being dirty or not?

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Check out my website: http://www.artistzero.com

"That wasn't very nice...I do believe you killed my hat."

Driver of the FIRE LINDY RUFF Bandwagon since 2008.

If he were a cheap-shot artist or a dirty player he would serve more penalties than he draws no?

People should use critical thinking...even when it comes to their team getting crushed by a Tasmanian devil.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

The more opposing teams and their fans hate Kaleta, the more effective he is. He's doing his job, and the fact is that if he were on another team, the same players/fans that are calling him dirty and cheap would welcome him with open arms.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

I would hate Kaleta if he played on another team. I think he is dirty...not illegal, just dirty...and I like it...

Thing is, to me, playing dirty doesn't mean illegal. He tests the limits of players by being a pest. He breaks their focus and causes them to make mistakes. If the coaches on other teams were smart, they'd be coaching their players how to deal with a pest like Kaleta and not let him get under their skin. He's found his own niche and he plays it well.

He can't be compared to Avery or Neil. He's not a prima donna asshole and he would never stand in front of the goalie like he's directing air traffic. Every hockey player has their skill, Kaleta's skill is a psychological game to test the mental limits of otherwise composed players. Its not his fault if his victims can't handle it...babies

I'm just glad he plays for us. And I'd love to have him mic'ed up to hear what he says to the other players...but it would never be able to be broadcast, I'm sure.

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Its NNYFAN, but you can just call me Kris.

I've spoken to a few habs fans on other forums that are perfectly fine with him. Fans that know hockey, know what he is, and while they may not like it, they recognize and respect it. Those that call him dirty are either too biased or don't understand the game.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Except on this board, with a little more magic from Crosscheck

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"I don't feel like Satan, but I am to them"
Neil Young

I dont want to hear what Kaleta says rather than what the other players say to him lol