NIGHT VISION

By Bruce Berlet

 Talk about a strange, bizarre odyssey.

Tim Kennedy has about seen it all in 2010, including being part of an historic arbitration ruling.

Kennedy’s latest stop is the Hartford Wolf Pack, who are about the last team that Kennedy could have expected to be playing for as he skated for the hometown Buffalo Sabres in the playoffs six months ago.

But Thursday morning at Champions Skating Center, Kennedy was centering a line with wings Mats Zuccarello and Jeremy Williams as he prepared for his regular-season debut Friday night in Albany, N.Y., not far from where he started 2010-2011 as a healthy scratch for the Rangers.

The 24-year-old Kennedy signed a one-year, $550,000 contract with the Blueshirts after being signed and then waived by the Sabres after winning an arbitration case. It was an historic move, the first time a NHL team bought out a player’s contract reached in arbitration. Kennedy’s agent, Allain Roy, reportedly offered to accept $835,000 before arbitration, but the Sabres wanted to pay less, so they signed the forward for $1 million and bought him out.

“I was surprised with what happened because it was historic,” Kennedy said after his first hour on the ice with his newest teammates. “They had the (salary) cap space, and it was more they were trying to send a message to players because next year there are six guys eligible for arbitration.

“So I was kind of a sacrificial lamb, and the first week was tough. But I can’t be too mad with them because they helped me get my start in the (NHL), so I have to do my best to get back there. I just had to get over it and move on. I signed with the Rangers and had a good camp, but I didn’t play as well as others, so they wanted me to come down here and get some playing time in so when I get back up there I’m not rusty. So I’m going to work hard.”

Every player wants to compete at the highest level, but Kennedy is taking the assignment to the Wolf Pack as a way to “stay in the game.” He’ll get plenty of chance his weekend as the Wolf Pack (1-1-0-0) have three road games in less than 48 hours – at Albany on Friday (7 p.m.), at Bridgeport on Saturday (7:05 p.m.) and at Providence on Sunday (4:05 p.m.).

“When you’re a player, you always prefer to playing rather than sitting, so I think this will be good,” said Kennedy, who hasn’t been in the lineup since the Rangers’ final preseason game Oct. 2. “There’s game shape and there’s practice shape. When you’re not in a game, your hands are not as good as they usually are because in practice you have all the time in the world. But in a game, they’re on you right away.

“And in practice, you’re rotating in with guys who aren’t getting all the repetitions. But now we play more, like three (games) in three (days). It’ll be tough, but at the same time, it’ll be good. You sit there just watching and want to be out there, so I think coming down here will be good for me.”

Kennedy’s 2010 has been full of twists and turns, starting with playing for the Sabres and then going to arbitration and winning a ruling for $1 million. The Sabres had to accept the ruling, and Kennedy was re-signed for one year at that price. But four days later, on Aug. 2, the Sabres put Kennedy on waivers, which he cleared in 24 hours and became an unrestricted free agent. The next day, Sabres general manager Darcy Regier announced the team had bought out Kennedy’s contract for only $333,333 because he was under 26.

Many considered the move curious and perplexing because Kennedy made only $635,000 last season and led Sabres rookies in goals (10), assists (16), points (26), penalty minutes (50) and shots (98) in 78 games while playing mostly on a checking line. He then had one goal and two assists and was plus-3 in six-game, first-round playoff loss to the Boston Bruins.

Being waived was a major disappointment since it was Kennedy’s lifelong goal was to play for the team not far from where he grew up in South Buffalo. The Sabres tendered a qualifying offer of $602,000 this spring but were surprised when the arbitrator awarded Kennedy $1 million.

The NHL’s collective bargaining agreement states a team cannot walk away from a free-agent contract given through an arbitrator’s decision that is lower than $1,611,180 a year, but Kennedy’s salary gave the Sabres the right to waive him and buy him out. The difference between Kennedy’s arbitration ruling and the Sabres’ contract offer was only $200,000.

As soon as Kennedy signed, Regier told him that he was being placed on waivers because Regier felt the award prevented the Sabres from addressing other needs. They had already signed veteran free-agent wing Rob Niedermeyer and young Tyler Ennis had excelled in the playoffs. So Regier turned his attention to defense and signed 27-year-old Shaone Morrisson to a two-year, $2 million deal after he had spent the previous five seasons with the Washington Capitals.

On Aug. 30, Kennedy signed a one-year, $550,000 contract with the Rangers, who put him and veteran Todd White on waivers on Oct. 5 despite frequent praise from coach John Tortorella in training camp. Kennedy and White cleared waivers, and the Rangers had 30 days to decide whether to assign either or both to the Wolf Pack or they would have to clear waivers again to be sent down. It is unlikely Kennedy, who plays all three forward positions and kills penalties, would get through re-entry waivers if the Rangers try to bring him back. Under the CBA, a team claiming Kennedy on re-entry would only be responsible for half his salary ($275,000) with the Rangers on the hook for the other half.

With Rangers captain/Trumbull native Chris Drury returning from a broken left index finger for Friday night’s home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Rangers assigned Kennedy to the Wolf Pack. Kennedy drove to Hartford on Wednesday night and had his first practice with the Wolf Pack on Thursday morning skating alongside two other newcomers this season.

“We put a real skilled ‘disher’ with two finishers,” Gernander said. “I think it should be a real good combination because all three of them can finish and all three of them can pass. I would think it should be a pretty dynamic line.”

Gernander said speed and quickness are among Kennedy’s many attributes that led to him helping Michigan State win the NCAA championship in 2007 and then excel with the Kevin Dineen-coached Portland Pirates in his first pro season.

“If you give him a chance, he’ll finish,” Gernander said. “And he’s got real good skills, sees the ice well, passes the puck and works hard. One practice and one pregame skate and he should be ready.”

Gernander believes Kennedy has put the unsettling past few months behind him.

“I talked to him about moving ahead,” Gernander said. “Why bring up the past? We all know the situation and the circumstances that brought him here. That’s gone and done. Now it’s getting him a lot of ice time, some pretty good linemates and a big role, so let’s go.

“He’s no different than a lot of guys here. If you take the financial side of things away, he’s in the same boat as everybody. He’s a potential New York Ranger who wants to prove himself. When you break it right down, he’s a hockey player in Hartford who wants to be a Ranger, and the only way to get there is to play here.”

Kennedy grew up playing ball hockey in the streets of South Buffalo and spent several years of his youth career with the Buffalo Regals, where he led the team with future Michigan State teammate Chris Mueller. Kennedy also attended Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School and played three years on the Western Division’s hockey team in the Empire State Games, where the teams won gold in 2002 and 2003.

In 2003, Kennedy was offered a contract in the Ontario Hockey League in Canada but declined because he wouldn’t be able to play NCAA hockey. He was drafted by the Sioux City Musketeers in the United States Hockey League, the top major junior league for elite players who want to maintain NCAA eligibility. He had 39 goals and 41 assists in 110 games with the Musketeers over two seasons and then was a sixth-round pick of the Capitals in 2005. But he was soon traded to Buffalo for the Sabres’ sixth-round pick in 2006 (Matthieu Perreault).

Kennedy was actively recruited by major college programs such as Boston College, Colorado College, Ohio State and Michigan State, where he accepted a scholarship and was a member of the 2007 national championship team. He had one goal in the title game and assisted on the game-winning goal by Justin Abdelkader, who is now with the Detroit Red Wings.

Kennedy had 20 goals and 23 assists in 42 games in his senior year with the Spartans and then signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres on June 1, 2008. He joined the Pirates for the 2008-09 season, then was called up Dec. 27 and had the honor of making his NHL debut in Buffalo, with the Sabres notching a shootout victory over the New York Islanders.

That was the only NHL game that Kennedy played that season, but he spent the entire 2009-10 season with the Sabres and was named to Team USA for the World Championships in Germany, getting one goal in six games as the Americans finished 13th in a 16-team field.

Kennedy credits Dineen, one of the Hartford Whalers’ all-time greats, with being a major influence on his development.

“He’s a great coach who really helped me my first year,” Kennedy said. “Most coaches won’t put a first-year guy in all the situations that he put me in. I thank him for my improvement the whole first year. He helped me make the team in Buffalo, and I have to give it to him and assistant Eric Weinrich (a former Whalers defenseman).”

The 5-foot-10, 176-pound Kennedy said he had several offers after being waived by the Sabres but chose the Rangers because he thought they needed help in the middle and felt comfortable with them. But he admitted other players had better camps, so his action-packed summer and fall has resulted in his first steady stay in Hartford outside of visits with the Pirates two seasons ago.

Kennedy will join Mike York, Mike Harder and Richard Scott as Wolf Pack players to wear No. 13. Kennedy is not superstitious, just honoring his father, James, a police officer for 20 years in Buffalo, where he wore No. 13 while playing high school and junior hockey. Tim wore No. 10 until last season, but it was taken by Sabres veteran defenseman Henrik Tallinder, so Kennedy switched to 13. If Kennedy was still with the Sabres, he could have No. 10 because Tallinder signed with the New Jersey Devils in the offseason.

But Kennedy is now only interested in trying to get his game in top form so he can earn a trip back to Madison Square Garden.

“I just have to play hard and do whatever I have to do to get there,” Kennedy said.

Nightingale’s Foot Infection Improving

Defenseman Jared Nightingale rejoined his teammates Thursday after three nights at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford because of an infection in his right foot. Nightingale noticed a problem before the season opener Saturday night, a 4-2 victory over the Charlotte Checkers. Doctors thought it might have been from an insect bite or a microscopic cut, but Nightingale was fortunate that trainer Damien Hess sent him to the hospital Sunday morning, forcing him to sit out a 4-3 loss to the Worcester Sharks.

“It wasn’t too bad before the game (against Charlotte), but it got worse afterwards,” said Nightingale, who had a bandage covering much of the foot. “I was walking with a limp that night and it got pretty ugly, so I knew something wasn’t right. It got to the point where Damien thought it was best to go in and obviously I’m glad I did.”

Nightingale’s infected foot was drained, and he had a MRI as a precaution. After treatment and rest, he was released from the hospital Wednesday night and began light workouts Thursday morning. He hopes to exercise more while the Wolf Pack is on the road this weekend and be back on skates on Monday.

“I still have a little limp, but nothing like a couple of days ago,” Nightingale said. “I can’t stay on it for long because of the blood flow and have to keep it elevated. But you don’t want to be on your feet all day anyway. It feels 10 times better.” … With Kennedy in town, Gernander again changed three of his four lines. The only line to remain intact was Dane Byers-Kris Newbury-Dale Weise. The new lines were Zuccarello-Kennedy-Williams and Brodie Dupont-Evgeny Grachev-Kelsey Tessier. Justin Soryal, Ryan Garlock, Chris McKelvin and Brandon Wong skated in green, so one likely will be scratched Friday night.