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Patrick Kaleta likes shot blocking and... Legos?

Lars Eller, Patrick Kaleta

Buffalo Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta (36) passes under pressure from Montreal Canadiens’ Lars Eller (81) of Denmark during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Monday, March 12, 2012. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

AP

After signing a three-year contract extension with the Sabres, Patrick Kaleta opened up a bit about what makes him tick. While you might dislike him for his iffy hits and on-ice theatrics, one thing you can appreciate about him though is his love of Legos.

Yes, the Sabres agitator is a big fan of the building blocks and Bill Hoppe of the Niagara Gazette finds out he likens them to his odd love of blocking shots.

“I like doing it, I like blocking shots, which you might find kind of weird, but I also like doing Legos,” said Kaleta, who still puts the plastic play sets together. “It’s a matter of changing my game and becoming more of a rounded person, taking more responsibility, and if I improve on that, I hope to have some minutes (again) like that this year, too.”

A responsible agitator sounds like an oxymoron, but with Steve Ott and John Scott now in the fold in Buffalo they’ll have the muscle to back up the annoyance.

Still, the thought of Kaleta assembling a Lego Star Wars star destroyer when he goes to the ice to block a 95 mph slap shot is the type of mental image you can never get rid of. You’re welcome for that.