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His first practice with the Senators was barely in the books when deep-thinking TV sports reporters came up with a nickname idea for the newest hard-nosed winger to hit town. "Mr T" was the handle worn by the meanest hombre on another squad -- The A-Team -- a couple of decades ago. And except for the fact Joey Tetarenko wears neither a Mohawk or earrings, he's probably worthy to borrow it from the crass yet lovable character who would "pity the foo" to cross him or his Team-mates on that television series.
"He'll fight anybody and he'll run through a brick wall for you," said Rick Dudley, the Florida Panthers GM who traded Tetarenko to Ottawa Tuesday to get the goalie (Simon Lajeunesse) he's liked since working for the Senators in the same role four years ago. "He knows his role and he knows what he has to do to play." Pitlick, who was only playing with reporters when he said he was toying with the idea of making a comeback, was full of honest praise for Tetarenko. "He's a great team guy," claimed Pitlick. "And he's as tough as nails, as tough as they come. In some respects, he doesn't know when to stop. He just keeps going. He's not going to score 20 goals, but he knows what needs to be done, and he knows when to do it." Tetarenko, a 6-foot-2, 215-pounder who has 171 career penalty minutes in 69 career games, and oh yes, four goals is the "type of person who wants to be out there sticking up for his teammates."
Are they crazy? Nobody is tough enough to be called Mr T except the one and only jewellery cladded tough man! |
