Pirate Galaxy » country life, Im a country boy at heart," he said.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Buffalo Sabres forward Evander Kane is out indefinitely after cracking three ribs in Thursdays season opener.Coach Dan Bylsma said Kane will miss weeks, the latest misfortune for a team already without top-line center Jack Eichel, who will miss several weeks after sustaining a high ankle sprain Wednesday.Kane was hurt when he crashed into the end boards during the second period of Buffalos 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. He was taken to the hospital after the game and released Thursday night, Kane said.While racing Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin for a loose puck up the left wing in the Montreal zone. Kane reached for the puck when the two bumped. Kane lost his balance, fell and slid with his left elbow slamming into the boards. Kane doubled over in pain as he was escorted off the ice.Bylsma likened the impact of Kane hitting the boards to a car crash.Its 25 mph going to a dead stop, Bylsma said after Fridays practice at KeyBank Center. All the crash tests are done at, what, 30 mph? Its 25 mph, and hes going in hard. If you dont get any injuries, its still a huge collision into a completely stationary object.Bylsma does not blame Emeline for Kanes injury.Theyre both going fast, Bylsma said. Evanders a little bit ahead. Emelin jockeys with his shoulder to try to get in front. At the same time, Evanders skate kind of goes.Kane posted on his Twitter page Friday, Thanks to everyone for their well wishes.Kane had 20 goals and had 15 assists last season for the Sabres after being acquired in a trade with Winnipeg. He missed 17 games with a knee injury.Kane had a tumultuous offseason in Buffalo. The 25-year-old player faces four counts of noncriminal harassment, one count of disorderly conduct and a count of misdemeanor trespass from a fight at a downtown bar in June. He is accused of grabbing three women by the hair and neck in separate encounters inside the bar and returning to the bar after being forcibly removed by a bouncer. He pleaded not guilty to all charges in August and is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 31.The Sabres struggled before and after Kanes injury in the opener. They were not only without Eichel but also forward Kyle Okposo (bruised knee) and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (back), two important offseason acquisitions.Okposo and Kulikov practiced Friday and likely will return during Buffalos four-game road trip, which starts Sunday at Edmonton.Eichel said he does not want to rush his return. The second-year player spoke following practice, using a scooter to move around the locker room with his left foot in a stabilizing boot. He will wear the boot for about 10 days and then have his ankle evaluated.High ankle sprains are tricky injuries, Eichel said. You just want to let everything heal and just go about the whole process the right way and take it day by day and listen to the trainers, listen to the doctors. Really, its a lot about patience and sticking to your game plan.The injury occurred with less than 10 minutes remaining in Wednesdays practice when he became entangled with a defenseman and his leg buckled.Hockeys a physical game and injuries are part of it, he said. So more than anything, its how you handle it and how you return.Eichel was the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft. He is coming off a solid rookie season in which he had 24 goals and 32 assists in 81 games. Eichel played one year at Boston University and became the second freshman to win college hockeys top honor, the Hobey Baker Award. Doug Flutie Bills Jersey . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Dawson Knox Jersey . 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HAMILTON, Ont. -- Hamilton Tiger-Cats punter Josh Bartel wasnt sure what to expect in his first CFL season. He was new to the country and new to the Canadian game. It didnt take him long to catch on. Bartel recorded a 42.8-yard average with the Ticats last year and was named to the CFL East Division all-star team. Not bad for a rookie punter who developed his kicking prowess by playing footy -- or Australian rules football -- in his native land Down Under. "At the start of last year I was very nervous the first four to five games," Bartel said in a recent interview. "I was very nervous that I (might get) cut. So this year Im going to go in with a lot more confidence and (will) be a lot more aggressive as well." Bartel reached the semi-pro level in Australia and got his Canadian football break thanks to a former coach who had a contact with the Ticats. Bartel spent over a year working on his punting style and the team gave him a look at training camp last year. He made the squad and was impressive in game action. Bartel played in all 18 regular-season games and finished third in the CFL in punting. The six-foot-three, 200-pounder has the power to generate distance and hang time but hes also quite accurate. When punting from midfield, hell often use an end-over-end style Australian rules drop kick to pin the opposing team deep in its own end. "Weve grown up since we were kids kicking that," Bartel said. "Its almost like walking for the Australian rules boys. Its good fun, its easy to control, the risk for me is minimal. Id like to use it a lot more." Head coach Kent Austin likes Bartels consistency. "Hes an excellent punter," he said. "Hes very, very sound fundamentally and he has great height on his punts. Hes a two-step punter so its very, very difficult to block his punts.ddddddddddddHe also has the ability to directional punt extremely well. "So hes kind of the full package." Bartel, an amiable 27-year-old, has more of a feel for the Canadian game now that he has a full season under his belt. Hes certainly more comfortable on the gridiron than this time last year. "I remember my first week in training camp, the first training camp Id ever been to. Probably didnt speak a word for the first week, I dont think," he said. "I was that nervous. I wouldnt say overwhelmed but just nervous pretty much. It was something different. My first exhibition game at Ivor Wynne (Stadium), my first four kicks I cant even remember them. "I just caught it and tried to kick it as fast as I could before I got hit. I was very nervous that game. Im just glad I got through it." Steeltown is quite different from his hometown in Australia. Bartel previously lived on his familys dairy farm in a small town about a four-hour drive from Melbourne. "I like the country life, Im a country boy at heart," he said. "Its always good to get home in the off-season and catch up with family." Playing pro football in the CFL was not the career path he expected to take. "Five or 10 years ago I didnt have a clue what I was going to do," he said. "Im pretty glad I chose this path because its the best job Ive ever had. You get paid nicely to travel around Canada and play this pretty cool sport. I love it actually." And if he werent playing football? "I dont have a clue, I dont actually want to think about that actually," Bartel said with a laugh. "I was selling tires in town. ... I dont really want to go back there so hopefully this goes well." ' ' '