In his newest position with the Sabres’ organization — youth hockey ambassador — Kaleta has shed his on-ice persona of intimidator extraordinaire for the congenial one that was on display to those in attendance at the continuing legal education seminar at the Robert H. Jackson center on Tuesday afternoon.

The real Kaleta, the one who spoke with Greg Peterson about his love of hockey and the life lessons that the game has imparted, appears initially to be at odds with the one that so many Sabres fans watched on the ice from 2007-2015.

How could the articulate, passionate, smiling and humble young man be the same one who so often roused Buffalo fans from their seats, arms raised to the air with fire in his eyes, having just ruined an opponent’s night with a well-placed fist or shoulder?

Well the truth is that Kaleta was not always that kind of player. From his earliest days on the ice, the Angola native was, like so many future NHLers, a goal scorer.

“I’m not all about fighting,” Kaleta said when asked about his time with the Sabres. “But I’m all for doing everything to help your team win. And if that involves a guy going toe-to-toe for his team and that crest then, yeah, it was a ton of fun.”

After his time playing prep-school hockey for Saint Francis and four years with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League, Kaleta was drafted 176th overall by the team that he had grown up watching and dreaming of playing for.

“My dream in life was to play for the Buffalo Sabres,” said Kaleta. “And, like I said, the cool part is you see someone sitting here that was in the same spot you guys are, however many years ago. When people see that they see the reality of, if you work so hard and you want something so bad that you can go and accomplish it.”

Kaleta’s journey to the NHL and the tribulations along the way were just some of the stories and lessons that Jamestown’s local high school students and legal profesionals were able to soak in during Tuesday’s conversation.

At the core of the message that Kaleta shares during his speaking engagements and to the players he works with are two keys to success–dedication and sacrifice.

After years of back-breaking work and finally earning a spot on his favorite team, Kaleta was forced to change–tuning his game to fit a role that the Sabres needed filled. During the 2006-2007 season, Buffalo was on its way to winning the President’s Trophy as the team with the best record in the league, and what they needed was someone to step onto the ice every shift with his hair on fire.

It didn’t matter that Kaleta had scored more than 50 points in two different seasons with Peterborough, because the Sabres needed someone to forecheck, block shots, hit and, yes, fight.

Call it fate, call it destiny, but never did the Sabres need those things more than in the game when Kaleta first donned a blue and gold sweater. The date was Feb. 22, 2007, but Sabres fans and most everyone else just remembers it as “The Ottawa Brawl.”

Talk about baptism by fire.

“Basically all hell broke loose,” Kaleta recalled. “Next thing you know, fights are all over the place. I ended up locking up with an older guy who is pretty strong. So mine wasn’t really a big fight, but I look over and the goalies are going at it.”

After a cheap shot to the head of Chris Drury sent the Sabres captain sprawling to the ice, Kaleta was sent off the bench by an irate Lindy Ruff alongside Andrew Peters and Adam Mair. The rest, as they say, is history. Before that play ended, there were more fights on the ice than officials and linesmen combined, including one burgeoning between the benches.

That may have been the first sacrifice that Kaleta made for his team, but it certainly was not the last.

If you are going by his injuries alone, the total is staggering, and includes three knee surgeries, facial reconstruction, four hand surgeries, shoulder surgery, two nose surgeries, herniated C2-C7 disks, broken feet, fingers, femur, pelvis, a separated clavicle and more than a few stitches.

“I cared so much about playing for the Sabres that sometimes I would make bad decisions, whether it’s blocking shots and putting my face and body on the line, which ultimately gave me injuries and hurt the team and myself,” said Kaleta. “With the game of hockey you actually can learn a lot of life lessons, and it goes for any sport. Accountability, perseverance, there’s a number of words that I can state that have helped me out later in my career and my life.”

It was ultimately an accumulation of injuries that forced Kaleta to adopt his new off-ice role with the Sabres, which includes serving as liaison to local high school hockey programs and coaching for the Buffalo Junior Sabres Under-16 team.

But that doesn’t mean that fighting is no longer a part of the Angola native’s life, it just happens to be a different type of fighting.

“Fist-fighting and ‘fighting’ are two different avenues. Fist fighting I say no, unless you have to stick up for yourself or different circumstances. Fighting can go from me talking about visiting someone in Roswell who has to fight cancer, fight for their life,” said Kaleta. “Fighting. …. One of the best parts of life is fighting.”

That, of course, references the years-long fight that Kaleta waged to achieve his childhood goal, and the fight he is helping young players embark on.

As hockey ambassador, Kaleta has been charged with instituting the Learn to Play program in Western New York. The program offers young players the opportunity to learn the game of hockey on Friday nights, with players receiving eight ice sessions and a full set of playing gear for just $100. Last season the sessions totaled 500 new skaters, with a goal for this year’s program of 700.

In addition to his time spent visiting Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Kaleta’s charity work also includes creating the Helping Individuals to Smile (HITS) Foundation, which provides financial support for underprivileged children and adults in Western New York.

Right now, the biggest project for HITS is the creation of a rink, field and education center in Hamburg.

“Some people do not have that opportunity that I had,” said Kaleta about his youth hockey career, “so I feel it’s my job to make their dreams and whatever they want to do possible. … Probably the hardest place on earth is Roswell, (but) if I can go in and see a kid in Roswell and make that person smile and make that person’s day for one day, then I’ve done my job.”

With so much going on, Kaleta doesn’t spend his time reminiscing about the good old days on the ice, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few nice memories to look back on.

Highlights from his years on the ice include the time he scored a goal on Dominik Hasek, and having Buffalo legend Rick Jeanneret announce his wedding party as well as a few of his games.

“He doesn’t normally do a whole lot of that, so if he was willing to do that for me I think I must be doing something right,” said Kaleta.

Something right, indeed.