By now, nearly everyone in hockey circles knows how Teppo Numminen overcame major heart surgery and returned to the NHL.

The 40-year-old's tale has been told often. But it's worth telling again.

Numminen's journey from heart valve replacement to Buffalo Sabres defenseman will be

highlighted leaguewide today. The Buffalo chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers'

Association has elected Numminen as its nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, given

annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to

hockey.

Numminen and his fellow nominees in the Northeast Division will be revealed today. A

different division will be highlighted every day this week, and the trophy will be handed out

June 18 at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas. Pat LaFontaine (1995) and Don Luce (1975) are the

only Sabres to win the honor. Numminen is a legitimate candidate to join the duo.

Numminen had a valve replaced in his heart in September 2007. Despite being suspended

without pay, he set a goal of returning and played in the season finale last year. Reaching

that goal wasn't enough. He decided he had to play at least one more season and dedicated

himself to doing so.

"I just thought, "I've got to see how far I can still get,'" Numminen said Monday. "It was

like a challenge, a goal and a dream."

The dream has been realized 55 times this season, and Numminen is expected to play in his

56th game Wednesday when the Sabres visit Atlanta.

"Before the surgery you don't know how things are going to work out, how it's going to go,"

Numminen said. "It's been awesome just to be back and be able to play.

"It was a lot of stuff [in the past 19 months]. After the surgery you just want to survive.

You just want to be a normal parent for your kids, just be a normal street guy, regular

parent, not be a professional athlete. I wasn't even thinking about that. That came later when

I realized I could be a normal parent and just do the normal things with the family, just

everyday routines.

"This has just been extra for myself, and I'm really thankful for that. To be back and

playing professionally, it's just unbelievable."

. . .

Andrej Sekera knows he's struggling. He knows everyone watching can see it. They won't see

it anymore, however. The Sabres defenseman is likely getting benched.

Sekera's tough stretch on the ice is about to lead to a seat in the press box. Coach Lindy

Ruff said Monday that Numminen will probably play in Sekera's place Wednesday.

"There's a good chance that he's going to have to watch because it hasn't been a one-game

struggle or a two-game," Ruff said. "It's been a good period of time, and he's having a tough

time. We need to win games. I'm thinking right now that Teppo would go in."

Sekera is minus-5 in the past six games and has been making numerous mistakes. He was

nailed to the end of the bench for most of the third period Saturday during the Sabres' 4-3

shootout win over Montreal.

"I fell in a deep hole," Sekera said. "I felt that way the last couple games. Anybody can

see that."

Ruff said he's tried working Sekera through the slump, but with the playoffs on the line,

the Sabres can't risk using a defenseman whose play and confidence are battered.

"Admittedly he's said he's never gone through something like this and everything he does is

wrong," Ruff said. "It seems to be getting a little bit worse than better."

. . .

Sabres right wing Patrick Kaleta, who suffered a head injury Saturday in Montreal, skipped

Monday's practice but may return to the ice today and play Wednesday. Canadiens doctors

diagnosed Kaleta with a concussion, but Ruff said the winger was clearheaded Sunday and rode a

bike Monday.

"Pat's a physical guy that's been able to make a difference in the games, and it would be

nice that he would be available," Ruff said. "We'll just wait and see."

Kaleta was hit from behind and driven headfirst into the boards by Montreal's Maxim

Lapierre, who received a two-minute boarding penalty but will not get any supplemental

punishment. The Sabres felt the hit was worthy of suspension.

"I think it was dirty," captain Craig Rivet said. "They have to address it. That's the

bottom line. It's ridiculous. He saw Patty Kaleta's numbers, and he still took strides and he

still hit him."