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Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan
I'm a little surprised they would bring him back and I'm a little surprised he accepted a 1 year deal with low salary. I'll just wait here for Out Of the Cube to come and explain the leadership role he must have on that club to do something like this.
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Nailed it, pretty much. He's been the heart and soul of the new post-Eichel Sabres. He's the guy out front and center at every charity event, every autograph session, every hockey and non-hockey related event. Young players have said the first call they've got after being drafted is from Kyle. He loves the team and the city. The guy has written multiple open letters to the fanbase talking about how the culture would change and being honest and open. Just seems like a first class guy that loves the team and loves the city.
https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/buff...23/c-344566164
Quote:
"He's obviously the rock of our team," Mittelstadt said. "He's the leader."
He moved his family to Buffalo full-time and penned open letters to fans regarding the state of the team. He spoke on behalf of the team in times of mourning and times of celebration.
"I think he's been the best captain I've had," Zemgus Girgensons, his linemate and alternate captain these past two seasons, said.
"He's one of the guys that I look up to and I think a lot of the success here is because of Kyle and the way he handled things. I think he held the team together. The times in need he was always there. He's a part that was huge for us."
When the Sabres returned to the ice for their first game following a deadly blizzard that paralyzed Western New York during the holidays, it was Okposo who scored a hat trick to lead them to a victory in front of a sellout crowd.
"Just to play in this city and feel like we're a part of the community, we're trying to become part of the glue that helps this community heal and holds this community together," he said that night. "We tried to go show that on the ice tonight."
"I can't say enough good things about him as a person, what he's done in the locker room, the way he carries the message from Donny (Granato) and the coaching staff through to the team, his selflessness, to be able to mentor and bring along players," Adams said.
"I see it over and over again, day after day, players are down, whatever's going on in their life, they're talking to him. And I just think it's, we're lucky to have him."
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So yeah - from the outside people might go "what?" cause he's not super flashy or a big star, but if you follow the team, he's a true leader and old school style captain that you want to have (not these spoiled kids that get the letter handed to them at 20 years old if you know what I mean)