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Everyone loves Joe Sakic.
Normally a player who kicked the Vancouver Canucks’ butt for years on end would not be a welcome sight in the city. Even Joe Sakic wondered why the Western Hockey League’s Giants wanted to throw a night for him given his torment of the Canucks.
But Burnaby Joe is no ordinary Joe and chances are excellent he’ll hear only heartfelt applause Friday on "Joe Sakic Hall of Fame Night" at the Pacific Coliseum.
"Well, you know what?" said Burnaby Joe over the phone from Denver. "When Ron Toigo called me, that did get brought up. He was, like, ‘Yeah, I know you didn’t play here but you’re a local boy,’ and that was the big thing. So I’m excited to have a chance to get back to Vancouver. It’s going to be a great night."
An odd injury happened in practice.
Mike Komisarek could only laugh.
Of all the injuries he has had, this one had to be the oddest — and unluckiest.
Two days ago, he was working on his shot after practice and having no luck hitting the net. So, in a fit of frustration, he took it out on his stick. And then his stick took it out on him.
"Next thing you know, my stick breaks and a bunch of graphite goes in my eye and face," said Komisarek. "I had to see the eye specialist and have it removed. In the end, I had a little stitch in the eyeball.
Good news/ bad news for the Sabres.
Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta was released from the hospital Wednesday, after absorbing a hard hit late in the first period of Buffalo’s 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs Tuesday in Toronto.
Kaleta, who has a history of head and neck problems, was boarded by Toronto’s Mike Brown, who was assessed a minor penalty for the play. Kaleta skated off awkwardly with 2:26 left in the period and did not return.
"It’s a neck injury," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said in the post-game press conference. "He was X-rayed here and they took a precaution. They took him for some further tests. I have no update."