Amerks have comedian in goalie Salak
Alexander Salak has been in the American Hockey League for only four months but he has already made quite an impression.
And not just with his acrobatic saves.
In the course of winning 19 of 24 games for the Rochester Americans, Salak has found it appropriate to and/or managed to:
“You want to put on a show for people,” Salak said.
Just call him Alex the Entertainer.
“I just play the game,” he contends.
He plays it very well, too. Among AHL goalies, he is second in wins, second in winning percentage, 12th in save percentage (.920) and, even when the team struggled, maintained a decent goals-against average (2.70). That’s why he was named to the PlanetUSA roster for the All-Star Classic.
But it’s his persona that truly sets him apart. The guy is all about fun.
“Goalies all have somewhat eccentric personalities,” defenseman Clay Wilson said. “He’s definitely a character.”
Part of his enjoyment comes from making others laugh with him. A 23-year-old native of Strakonice, Czech Republic, he doesn’t allow his need for fun to interfere with his ability to stop the puck.
“When he needs to have focus, he’s in that zone,” Wilson said. “But he always steps out for a minute and does something to make you laugh.”
Which brings us to the notion that Salak is different than most goalies. Ryan Miller, now the star goalie for the Buffalo Sabres, didn’t make it a habit of skating to the Amerks bench during timeouts and muttering one-liners that cracked up his teammates.
Two decades ago, teammates never knew just when Darcy Wakaluk’s queasy stomach would start doing cartwheels from nerves before a game. But they knew it would. David Shantz was somewhat trance-like before games as an Amerk the previous two seasons.
None of which Salak believes.
“I think those are just stories that were made up in the newspaper,” he said. “I’ve never seen a goalie like that. I think we’re normal people.”
He said that with a straight face. But his goaltending partner, the equally mellow Tyler Plante, knows otherwise.
“In the old days,” Plante said, “when they had no equipment that would protect them, you had to be a lunatic to be a goalie.”
Salak’s drop-kick of the puck in Tuesday’s All-Star game at Portland had fans and players laughing.
“It almost cost me a minus,” said Amerk defenseman Keaton Ellerby, who played for Canada in the game.
“I didn’t even know where the puck was. I looked up and it was dropping behind me.”
Don’t expect any punting exhibitions in real games, though. Then again …
“Maybe — we’ll see,” said Salak, a free-agent signee in May by the NHL’s Florida Panthers. “What can it do for you or not? It’s not about concentration. I concentrate.”
The one thing Amerks coach Benoit Groulx has cautioned Salak about is perception. Salak needs to be sure his actions don’t anger others.
“I think he has to show people he’s cocky a little bit,” Groulx said, “but it has to be cocky confident, he can’t fall into the category of cocky arrogant. He’s cocky confident. I don’t think we have to change him. He believes in himself and he respects his teammates and the other team.”
He respects one other entity, too: His own sense of humor.
KEVINO@DemocratandChronicle.com
Hockey night
The matchup: Amerks vs. Hamilton Bulldogs.
Time/place: 7:05 tonight/Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
Tickets/promotion: $11, $14, $17, $19, $20. Hot dogs and draft beers are just $1 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Records: The Amerks are second in the North Division at 25-15-2 and 52 points. The Bulldogs are first at 26-11-3-4 and 59 points.
Player moves: Forward Jeff Taffe was returned to the Amerks by the parent Florida Panthers. Also, defenseman Peter Aston was loaned to the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies.
Broadcasts: Time Warner Cable SportsNet channel 26, WHTK-AM (1280), WHTK-FM (107.3).
Web site: www.amerks.com.
