Kotalik Talks about Playing in New York

The Rangers Official Site has an article up today which includes an interview with newly acquired winger, Ales Kotalik. Ales talks about how coming to play for the Rangers was an easy decision to make, and he is looking forward to it. Here is a look at some of what the former Sabre had to say:

“Now I’m going to experience life from the other side, playing in a big city and a big, big sports market,” said the 30 year-old Kotalik after taking part in an informal workout with his teammates late last week. “It’s a good life experience to be on the other side, and I am looking forward to it.”

“Those cities were smaller hockey markets, but they had honest, hard-working people, and I was treated very well by the people in both cities,” said Kotalik, who spent more than five years with the Sabres before being traded to Edmonton last March. “Buffalo became my second home, and I will have friends there till the end of my life. But it was time for a change, and I have always been a fan of New York City and respected the history of the Rangers, so I was happy to sign here.”

Before Kotalik signed a free agent contract with any team this summer, he turned to his good friend Drury to find out more about New York and the Rangers.

“We had friendly conversations because we had become very good friends in Buffalo, and he told me all about the city and the organization and that just made my decision to come over here a lot easier,” said Kotalik.

With the start of training camp only days away, Kotalik is becoming more and more excited for his new beginning as a Ranger. And he is also looking forward to playing for his new head coach John Tortorella.

“I heard a lot of good things about him, and at the same time he is a demanding coach,” Kotalik said of Tortorella. “I’ve been in this kind of system before, with Lindy Ruff as my coach in Buffalo, so I don’t think it’s going to be anything too different for me.”

“Being with the Rangers, there is nothing that compares to that in the hockey world,” he said. “I am excited to be a part of it.” Click for full article
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I am really looking forward to seeing Kotalik play on the Rangers powerplay, especially if he is going to be positioned at the point. The guy has a cannon, there is no question about that, and not only will he create goals, but with such a hard shot like Ales posses, there is a good chance there will be many rebounds from goaltenders, making it easier for a player like Drury who camps out in front of the goal crease, to bury the loose pucks.

Kotaik also made a good point that he was a part of a similar coaching style to Tortorella's in his time with Buffalo, while Lindy Ruff was behind the bench. Ruff is a hard-nosed, wear your emotions on your sleeve kind of coach, and that is what Ales will be faced with here in New York, playing under Torts.
(Photo courtesy of rangers.nhl.com)