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Pontiacs to Honour Jon Kalinski on Friday

The Bonnyville Pontiacs will be holding a tribute to former player Jon Kalinski before their playoff game next Friday.

Jon played 110 games with Bonnyvill from 2003 to 2005, scoring 69 points and amassing 263 penalty minutes. The next year Jon would leave for Mankato State to play NCAA Division 1 hockey.

In 2006-07: Kalinski enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign at Minnesota State and was drafted at age 20 in 2007 by the Philadelphia Flyers.

In 2007-08 in his third and final season with Minnesota State-Mankato (WCHA), Kalinski would play in a career-high 39 games with the club. He recorded 18 points with the team before moving to the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL. In five regular season games with the Phantoms, he recorded three assists and added a goal and two more helpers in 10 postseason games with the club.

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In 2008-09 Jon would spend most of the season with the Phantoms, registering 10 goals and 7 assists. He would manage to dress up in 12 games with the Philadelphia Flyers, scoring his first NHL goal.

Jon would play a total of 22 games in the National Hockey League and 279 games in the American Hockey League for Philadelphia, Hersey, Norfolk and Adirondack before retiring in 2014.

Kalinski’s N.H.L. value as a player was his emerging abilities as a prime agitator. He has gained a knack for riling up opposing players and drawing penalties. He was also always willing to stand in and take physical punishment for the chance to make a play, a quality which makes him popular among teammates. He was a true ‘sacrifice player’ with outstanding intangible abilities.

He was also a very good two-way forward who developed a knack for scoring timely goals. He was an outstanding skater with good speed and quickness and was a fierce competitor.

After retiring Jon returned to Bonnyville where he makes his home with his wife Kelsey and two daughters Olivia and Nora.

“The Bonnyville Pontiacs organization, their fans and the entire community are excited to be involved with Jon’s tribute as he is extremely deserving of it having had a great career with the Pontiacs and in professional hockey. It was important for the team. It was important for the fans. It was important for the whole Bonnyville community to recognize Jon’s hockey accomplishments as it represents the privilege it is to be a Bonnyville Pontiac. What Jon Kalinski represents is if you work hard and stay on a committed path your journey can lead you to accomplish great things,” says Head Coach and General Manager Rick Swan.

The schedule is as follows:

7:00 Pre-game warm-up
7:15 Flood
7:25 Introduction of the KALINSKI Family
7:25 Introduction of Alumni followed by Jon’s Introduction
7:30 Dim Lights
7:34 Announce BONNYVILLE PONTIAC stats – followed by NHL teams played for Philadelphia,
7:36 Play Ceremonial Music – Raising of the Banner
7:40 Lights – Jon’s Speech
7:45 Clear Ice

Followed by Jon Dropping puck to start game

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