Patrick Kaleta fined for attempted head-butt on Travis Zajac
Acts of retaliation are nothing new in the National Hockey League, with some actionsgoing unpunished or even unseen. But the unusual act committed by right-winger Patrick Kaleta of the
Buffalo Sabres was seen by the on-ice officials, and Kaleta was subsequently punished for it.
During a game held on Wednesday, 13 October, between the Sabres and the New Jersey Devils at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, Kaleta and centre Travis Zajac of the Devils were involved in an
altercation in front of the Devils’ bench during the first period. Kaleta then leaned in forward towards Zajac’s chest and attempted to knock him to the ice by head-butting him.
Kaleta missed his target, and was then pushed to the ice by Zajac. Both players received minor roughing penalties as a result of the scuffle. The NHL later determined that a fine was necessary
after reviewing the incident. The amount of the fine was not disclosed.
"I was just going for a hit and it was a just normal hit," Kaleta said of his actions.
Since being drafted by the Sabres 176th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Kaleta has become known for his physical play. During his three years with the team, he has emerged as the
Sabres’ de facto enforcer. In his first NHL game on 22 February, 2007, Kaleta was involved in his first career fight against defenceman Chris Phillips of the Ottawa Senators.
Kaleta holds the honour of being the fourth Buffalo native to play for the Sabres. He is a native of Angola, New York, which is a suburb of Buffalo.
In 153 career games played with the Sabres, the 24-year-old has scored 17 goals and 14 assists for a total of 31 points.
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