Whatever Happened to...? A Laker Alumni Update

Whatever happened to Kyle Roberts?

Most Laker fans probably won't remember Kyle Roberts.  He was a defender born on January 6, 1986 and was a standout high school hockey player from Whitesboro, New York.  He stood at five feet, ten inches tall and weighed 180 pounds.  He shot right-handed.

Going undrafted out of college, Roberts decided to attend SUNY Oswego after being told by a recruiter in the Athletics Department that he would have a chance to tryout for the standout Division II/III hockey team on campus.  This was probably a lie told by a shameless recruiter, but Roberts attended the tryout and impressed Lakers head coach Ed Gosek enough to earn a spot on the team.

But Roberts did not have a rewarding career in Lakerland, as he sat below the fourth line for most of the season and rarely dressed for a game.  All told, he only played in one game the Lakers without tallying a point.  At the end of the season, with new recruits coming in, Roberts was cut by Gosek and opted to leave Oswego.

Roberts again went undrafted and was unable to gain a professional contract.  As another blow, Roberts was unable to gain another spot or tryout on a college hockey team.  Luckily for him, he was able to gain a contract with the Wellington Dukes of the OPJHL.

While with the Dukes, Roberts played in 40 games, tallying 12 points and playing outstanding defense.  Roberts was unhappy with the Juniors environment after playing in the high-octane SUNYAC for a season, and he was determined to bolt as soon as another offer from a college or pro team came his way.  So when SUNY Morrisville came calling with a guaranteed spot on their newly-formed team, Roberts decided to leave Juniors.

In his first year with the Morrisville Mustangs, Roberts played in 24 games and tallied three assists.  in his second year with the Mustangs, Roberts played in 22 games and tallied nine points.  In his senior season in college and third in Morrisville, Roberts played in 20 games and tallied five points. 

Despite being noted as one of the best defenders in all of Division II/III hockey during his three years with Morrisville, Roberts went undrafted out of college due primarily to complaints about his size, which was thought to be too small for a professional defender.  However, he quickly signed a contract with the independent Rome Frenzy of the FHL.

Roberts was one of the standout players for Rome, playing outstanding defense in 44 games and tallying 13 points.  However, the team suffered from extreme financial strains and ceased operations before the end of its first season, ending Roberts' professional career.

He now lives in Utica, New York and works for an accounting firm.