by Katie Hamlin | AHL On The Beat
It takes time to construct chemistry with teammates. Within the American Hockey League, just some gamers are fortunate sufficient to share the ice with their buddies for a number of seasons.
However some gamers – just like the Syracuse Crunch’s Nick Abruzzese, Tommy Miller and Matteo Pietroniro – construct a bond that spans a number of organizations.
Whereas taking part in for the Toronto Marlies for the previous three seasons, the three grew to become shut buddies. They hung out collectively each on the rink and away. They shared dinners and even stints as roommates.
As final season got here to an finish, Abruzzese, Miller and Pietroniro have been uncertain if their journeys would put them in the identical place once more.
“Every time you’ve got a few of your greatest friends you made three years in the past, you allow considering you’re by no means going to see them once more,” Miller stated. “You hope your paths cross quickly, however you don’t know in the event that they’re ever going to. To have two guys right here, particularly these two guys, it’s good to have.”
Abruzzese was the primary to signal with the Tampa Bay Lightning within the offseason, inking a one-year contract on July 1. Pietroniro additionally signed a brand new deal on July 1 – a one-year AHL contract with the Crunch. Two days later, Miller signed his one-year AHL cope with Syracuse.
As every participant signed for the 2025-26 season, they’d replace their buddies, every getting the chance to share the excellent news.
“I keep in mind my spouse and I calling Nick and telling him we’d be with him in Syracuse,” Miller remembers. “He stated, ‘Oh, humorous joke.’ We stated, ‘No, we’re severe, we signed there!’”
“I keep in mind calling Nick to inform him that we have been anticipating our first youngster and we’d be in Syracuse,” Pietroniro stated. “He known as me again a couple of hours later asking if he might babysit. We didn’t have any concept, but it surely’s actually a blessing to have the ability to try this and spend years collectively.”
Reflecting again on it, it’s no shock that these three would find yourself in a company just like the Crunch.
“It says so much concerning the tradition and kind of place that’s established right here in Syracuse,” Miller stated. “They’re bringing in these character guys. You need to be round these guys and encompass your self with that sort of tradition.”
Like every buddy group, the three have their very own distinctive personalities that mix. All of them agree that Pietroniro is essentially the most outgoing of the three, describing him because the jokester of the group. Miller is described as a soft-spoken and hard-working man, whereas Abruzzese is the previous soul with
sturdy character.
Their friendship has made their transition to a brand new metropolis and staff simpler and extra comfy for the trio. They appear out for one another and even supply a spare room when obligatory. Over the previous month, Abruzzese served because the third roommate dwelling with Pietroniro and his spouse earlier than shifting in with Miller and his spouse on Sunday.
“It was enjoyable,” Pietroniro says. “Cooking collectively, driving to the rink collectively, simply annoying him possibly a bit of an excessive amount of. He’s like a brother. Some enjoyable instances and issues we’ll look again on in our careers and keep in mind.”
For Abruzzese, it’s helped having individuals round to spend time with away from the rink, whether or not for dinners or simply hanging out.
“I’ve had him over for dinner and we speak over dinner after which watch soccer and don’t say a phrase. That’s simply sort of how Nick and I may be typically, which is ok,” Miller says. He desires him to really feel at residence whereas staying with him and makes certain he is aware of that it’s his home now too.
“This morning my canine didn’t even need to be round me,” Miller laughs. “She was ready outdoors Nick’s door whining every time he went into the lavatory. She didn’t even care about me.”
“One factor we’ve accomplished an excellent job of over the previous variety of years in Toronto after which this 12 months is be sure we’re spending time outdoors of the rink collectively to develop our friendship and develop our bond,” stated Abruzzese.
A key factor of their friendship is cooking. The trio rotate who’s making ready meals for the others every week. Abruzzese and Miller each agree that Pietroniro and his spouse, Delaney, are the most effective in the case of the kitchen. He cooks whereas she bakes, making the right one-two punch.
A powerful friendship away from the rink has transitioned into success on the ice because the Crunch posted their greatest October in staff historical past.
Because the staff continues to mesh and the relationships within the room develop, these three will probably be on the core as they proceed to point out that hockey is rather more than only a sport.
