AHL Rochester Americans

Patrick Kaleta named Amerks' Man of the Year

Published on April 3, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Americans announced today that forward Patrick Kaleta has been named the team's winner of the American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Rochester community during the 2006-07 season.

From this list of 27 finalists, representatives from American Specialty and the AHL will choose the winner of the 2006-07 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award. The AHL's annual Man of the Year award is named after the late Yanick Dupre, who died in August 1997 at the age of 24, following a 16-month battle with leukemia. Dupre, an AHL All-Star in 1995, played four seasons with the Hershey Bears, registering 169 points in 207 AHL games. He also skated in 35 NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers. The winner of the 2006-07 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award will be announced later this month.

Despite being a rookie, Katela was one of the leaders off the ice for the Amerks. The kid from nearby Angola, NY, with the infectious smile, spent countless hours visiting kids at libraries, schools, hospitals, businesses and firehouses. The son of a schoolteacher made sure to teach kids about hockey, reading and healthy living.

What made the hard-hitting forward so popular with the fans was his commitment to the team's Reading Power Play initiative. The program, which partners with the Monroe County Library system, teaches kids about hockey and the importance of reading. Kaleta read the book "Z is for Zamboni" to kids at Ogden, Sully, Fairport, Maplewood and Highland libraries. He created quite a following at his appearances and attracted crowds in excess of 100 on occasion.

In November, he also held a question and answer session with mentally challenged kids and adults at the Creekside School Monroe #1 BOCES. Kaleta and teammate Mike Funk spent an hour with the students to talk about hockey. The Amerk players then signed over 100 autographs and posed for photographs.

Later that month, he also participated in an Amerks Booster Club firehouse appearance. Patrick and Greg Jacina visited the South Avenue fire station on November 15th. The Booster Club prepared and served dinner, while the players signed autographs and took a tour of the facility.

During the holidays, Kaleta made two stops to raise money and the spirits of young children. On December 19th, he joined members of the Rochester Sports Group and hit the streets to collect money for the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign. Rochester American players Kaleta, Jacina, Dylan Hunter and Michael Ryan and The Amerks Moose participated in the two-hour fundraiser.

Two days later, Kaleta, Brandon Smith, The Moose, and members of the Rochester Rhinos and Knighthawks visited Rochester General Hospital. The players signed autographs, handed out free tickets, and met with sick children and young adults throughout the hospital.

In January, Kaleta continued to interact with the younger fans in the community as he spent time at Park Road Elementary School in Pittsford. The Amerks forward and teammate Rob Globke talked about the importance of healthy living. At the end of the month, he even attended a kickoff event to promote the team's annual Celebrity Waiter Dinner and Sports Memorabilia Auction. Kaleta, Mike Card, Adam Dennis and Jacina joined CF Ambassador Kyle Schuhart at the local Build-A-Bear Workshop to build bears for the fundraiser. Kaleta created a monkey pirate as local TV cameras rolled to capture the building process.

On February 13th, one lucky fan took home the pirate named Jack Sparrow at the Rochester Americans 17th Annual Amerks Celebrity Waiter Dinner & Sports Memorabilia Auction. The event raised nearly $54,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Rochester, eclipsing the 2006 total by $6,000.

In recognition of his efforts, Kaleta will be presented with an etched crystal trophy during an on-ice presentation prior to an upcoming Amerks' home game.

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