Tim Kennedy Tim Kennedy ( born April 30 , 1986 ) is an American ice hockey forward who plays for the Florida Panthers organization of the National Hockey League . Playing career . Kennedy played several years of his youth career with the Buffalo Regals , where he led the team with future Michigan State University teammate Chris Mueller . He also attended Bishop Timon - St . Jude High School . He played for several years on the Western Division ’ s hockey team in the Empire State Games where his teams won gold in 2002 and 2003 . In 2003 , Kennedy was offered a contract with the OHL , but Kennedy declined because he would have been unable to play NCAA college hockey . He was later drafted by the Sioux City Musketeers , a team in the United States Hockey League . Kennedy was actively recruited by major college hockey programs including Colorado College , Ohio State , Michigan State , and Boston College . Ultimately he accepted a scholarship to Michigan State , where he was a member of 2007 NCAA Championship team . He contributed one goal in the championship game against Boston College and assisted Justin Abdelkader ' s game winning goal . Tim Kennedy was a 2005 sixth - round draft pick ( 181 overall ) of the Washington Capitals but was traded to the Buffalo Sabres the day he was drafted in exchange for Buffalo ' s sixth - round draft pick in 2006 ( Mathieu Perreault ) . On June 1 , 2008 , Kennedy signed a two - year entry - level contract with the Sabres . He spent the beginning of the 2008 – 09 season playing for the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League . On December 27 , 2008 , the Sabres called him up from Portland and gave him the rare honor of being able to play his first NHL game in his hometown in Buffalo . That game was a shoot - out win over the New York Islanders for the Sabres . On September 30 , 2009 , the Sabres announced that Kennedy would start the 2009 – 10 season in Buffalo . Kennedy scored 10 goals and 16 assists , for a total of 26 points in 78 games in the regular season . He scored 1 goal and 2 assists in 6 playoff games . Tim Kennedy was named to the 2010 Team USA roster for the World Championships in Germany . Team USA went on to finish 13th out of 16 teams , with Kennedy scoring one goal and no assists in six games . At the end of the 2009 - 10 season , Kennedy ’ s entry - level contract expired resulting in a contract dispute with the Sabres . Kennedy went to arbitration to settle the contract dispute for the 2010 – 11 season . This resulted in an arbitration ruling of $ 1 , 000 , 000 . In the dispute , Kennedy wanted a higher valued contract that was one - way to remain at the NHL level over the lesser two - way contract the Sabres were offering him that would have him split time between the Sabres and their AHL affiliate in Portland . The Sabres didn ’ t want to pay the additional amount . So on August 2 , 2010 , the Sabres waived Kennedy . The next day on August 3 , 2010 , Kennedy cleared waivers ( NHL ) . " Clearing waivers " in the NHL means that every team in the NHL has the opportunity to " claim " a player that has been " waived " by a team , to take on that player and their contract , but that no team chooses to . That afternoon , Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced in a press conference that the Buffalo Sabres had bought out Kennedy ' s contract for $ 333 , 333 . The reported monetary difference between Kennedy ' s arbitration ruling and the Sabres ' contract offer was $ 200 , 000 . On August 30 , 2010 , Kennedy signed a one - year contract with the New York Rangers for a reported $ 550 , 000 . At the start of the season and no place within the Rangers roster , Kennedy was waived again , this time by the Rangers , on October 5 , 2010 . After clearing waivers again , he was then sent to the Rangers ' AHL affiliate , the Hartford Wolf Pack , on October 13 . On February 26 , 2011 , Kennedy was traded by the Rangers along with a third round pick to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Bryan McCabe .