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Misericordia research aims for better treatment of stuttering

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Happy birthday Cameron Anthony Furletti!

<p>CRANBERRY TWP. - For the last three years, the only time Tom Kuhnhackl walked into the main locker room during Pittsburgh Penguins training camp was to attend a meeting or two.</p><p>This year, he has his own seat.</p><p>After establishing himself as an NHL player last season and becoming one of the key contributor&#8217;s to Pittsburgh&#8217;s Stanley Cup championship, Kuhnhackl is now firmly entrenched with the big club.</p><p>With his own locker stall and nameplate in the room designated for players who will be on Pittsburgh&#8217;s roster, Kuhnhackl finds himself in a different place to start this season&#8217;s training camp. It&#8217;s a place vastly different from where his career began as he worked his way up from Wheeling and through Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.</p><p>&#8220;The past couple seasons, I&#8217;ve always been in one of the locker rooms down the hall. This feels great,&#8221; Kuhnhackl said. &#8220;But I&#8217;m not changing anything with my mindset or work ethic that got me here.&#8221;</p><p>But Kuhnhackl did change his focus.</p><p>No longer does he worry about earning an NHL contract, trying to make the roster or wondering if he&#8217;ll even have a job. He has all of that because he established himself as a top penalty killer and shot blocker last season.</p><p>Now, with an NHL job locked up, Kuhnhackl hopes to add more to his game.</p><p>&#8220;I can improve on some things. Maybe contribute a little more offensively. Maybe instead of chipping every puck, if I have a little time to make a play or make a pass I can improve with that,&#8221; Kuhnhackl said.</p><p>It sounds similar to the way he played in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton the last two seasons.</p><p>In 2014-15, Kuhnhackl scored a career-high 12 goals with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, to go along with 30 points.</p><p>In 23 games last season, he scored seven goals and 15 points before being called up to Pittsburgh for good.</p><p>Kuhnhackl said he&#8217;d like to replicate the game he played in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton the last two seasons.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m trying to play the game I had in the AHL and bring it to the NHL. You don&#8217;t get too many scoring chances up here compared to the AHL, but if you have an opportunity you&#8217;ve got to capitalize on it,&#8221; he said.</p><p>And overcome.</p><p>During his first four seasons in the Pittsburgh organization, Kuhnhackl has overcome serious injuries and disappointment to reach the NHL. An injury cut short his rookie season after just a handful of games, and the following year he was sent to Wheeling to redefine his game with head coach Clark Donatelli, who is now the head coach of the AHL Penguins.</p><p>Kuhnhackl might be a full-time NHL player, but he hasn&#8217;t forgotten his roots.</p><p>&#8220;I was between Wilkes-Barre and Wheeling for four years, and it helped me a lot. Clark Donatelli taught me the role I have now &#8212; blocking shots and being a penalty killer,&#8221; Kuhnhackl said. &#8220;That helped me to become the player that I am right now.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Tom Kuhnhackl (54) has established himself as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins after experiencing success with the AHL&#8217;s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins the past few seasons. ( </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_Kuhnhackl-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Tom Kuhnhackl (54) has established himself as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins after experiencing success with the AHL&#8217;s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins the past few seasons. ( </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Seat in Pittsburgh locker room a nice start to training camp for Tom Kuhnhackl