Local Hockey Player Recieves Praise From All-Time Great

All-time NHL great and former New York Islander Pat LaFontaine had some strong words of encouragement for local hockey star Joey Fallon.

Fallon, 15, of West Islip, is currently in his eighth season with the Long Island Royals Midget National Club and is third on the team in points (43).  LaFontaine has coached Fallon for five of those seasons and he told NHL.com that he's extremely please with the progress he's seeing.

Said LaFontaine:

Joey is a game-breaker type of player; he has tremendous work ethic and is a quiet leader. He's just a real great kid. He'll make a strong rush or tremendous back check or big hit and he'll do something that usually has an impact on our game … he comes to play every night and is a real character kid. I've watched him grow and he faces adversity head on, he's been a real leader."

At 5-foot-8, 162-pounds, LaFontaine said Fallon isn't the biggest player on the team, but most guys still look up to him. 

"He's always making big plays and all the guys are counting on Joey to be there every game. He's one of those players who makes an impact on every single shift. I think a lot of his mental and physical toughness come from the fact he's a black belt in jiu jitsu."

Read the entire article and watch a video of Fallon here.