Tough guy Patrick Kaleta opens up about his huge Lego collection

Lego is the best medicine.

Patrick Kaleta has earned a reputation as an enforcer in the NHL, and with that role comes an injury-riddled career. So it was nice for the former Buffalo Sabres tough guy - now-unrestricted free agent - to discover that his love for Lego helped to rehab his injuries.

As he told SIKids.com:

Right around the 2010 World Cup, I heard soccer star David Beckham was doing the Taj Mahal Lego set. I had broken my hand, and I figured if David Beckham can do it, there's gotta be something to it. I started off just goofing around, and ultimately it turned into a whole room in my house dedicated to Legos.

I'm not a person who can sit down and relax. At first I was curious, and it ended up being pretty good therapy for my hands, just rehabbing after breaks and surgeries. (I've had four surgeries.)

Kaleta admits that his love for Lego actually dates back to when he was kid, when he and his friends would build and have wars against each other.

He has also found that his fascination for his childhood toy has been helpful in speaking to kids when visiting hospitals for charity events.

"When I go to hospitals to visit kids, they always ask about my Legos," said Kaleta. "It really gives me a way to relate to the kids in the area and make them feel comfortable talking to me."