[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Husky

Thoughts on rookie michael klukas so far?

Coaches seem to be impressed.

To call Kuklas’ first season pro ‘unconventional’ would be a tad understated. A free agent signing in December of 2017 following five seasons at the U of C modelling Dinos red, he spent three months on the Stamps’ practice roster a year ago before being released on Sept. 7.

“Last year became a numbers-situation with his PR spot,’’ reminds Stamps’ receiving coach Pete Costanza. “We needed another body on defence and Mike became the expendable guy.

“It wasn’t as if he did anything wrong.

“The situation last year was hard all the way around. Hard on him. Hard on the guys in the locker room – his teammates love him. Hard on the coaches, because we saw how much he wanted it.

“Coming back this year you can see more confidence, which allows him to play fast. His comfort level is greater. He’s making plays and you can spot that look: ‘Well, s—-, I belong out here.’

“He’s a kid, even in a walk-through, who’s going 100 MPH. It’s love for the game. The kid just loves the game. So it’s good to see him back and having success; that his labour of last year, the perseverance he showed and the desire to improve, is providing rewards right now.”

https://www.stampeders.com/2019/06/12/white-lightning/