In his fourth Neely Cup appearance, Dante Giannuzzi is showing he is back and ready to show everybody why he’s in the starter’s net.
However, we had to take a moment to look back at the first year he arrived in Portland for his first Neely Cup appearance as a 15-year-old bantam draft pick.
“First year, Seth Jarvis and I actually stayed with Ryan Hughes and Colton Veloso, and that was really eye-opening to us. Those guys were great to us. They took care of us. We were only 15 at the time, and we stayed at their billet house for two or three weeks, and they really took care of us and kind of showed us what it was like. Those two really stick out to me and I’m sure Jarv would agree. It was a real big eye-opener for us, you know? We were able to see pre-season in Everett and were able to see what it was like to live in a billet house because we only had brief experiences but nothing really quite to this extent. We’re both super thankful for those guys.”
Now, it’s his turn
(Photo- Portland Winterhawks/Keith Dwiggins)
Now headed into his fifth year with the Winterhawks, does he feel like there is anybody he’s similarly taken under his wing?
“I feel like I’ve got a close relationship with all the Manitoba boys like Ryder (Thompson). We were kind of buddies before he came to the team. Maybe he’d say something different, but I feel like, among all the young guys, I try my best to really care and make them feel comfortable. I remember when I was coming in, it was scary. You’re a little nervous, you’re really focused on hockey, and you don’t have a ton of friends in the room right off the bat, so it’s important to have guys like that who take care of you, kind of show you around, and things like that. It’s really important to have a tight group, so I try to start that as soon as possible.”
Getting back from a “short” summer
Coming into the season last year, it seemed like everybody just wanted to get their feet back under them from being away for so long. This season, it seems to be working in their favor.
“It was a bit of a shorter off-season compared to last year, but I feel like everybody looks good, and I’m feeling confident in my game, which I’m really happy about.”
He definitely was not wrong about it being a shorter off-season than last year, but I feel like we are all pretty thankful for that. We just still had to laugh about it a little bit, though.
You still need some fun
It may have been a shorter time away, but things were a little more open this time around. However, the Manitoba native did “nothing too crazy” while back at home.
“I traveled to Edmonton and Toronto, both for goalie camps, got to see the city a little bit and hang out there. In Toronto, I got to see a Blue Jays game, so that was pretty fun. Other than that, nothing too crazy. Honestly, it was pretty lowkey, just trained in Winnipeg.
For anybody wondering, “The Blue Jays game was good. They actually won. They blew them out, but I can’t remember the score.”
Team is the best thing, always
Speaking with the netminder makes it apparent that it’s all about the team and the guys on it.
His favorite thing about being back in Portland? The hockey, of course, but other than that, it’s “seeing all the fellas” again.
“A lot of us don’t live close by each other. So we’re not able to see each other in the off-season. So it’s nice to see those guys after taking such a big break and being away from the team. It’s nice to get back in the team environment and hang out with the guys. But like I said, hockey’s first. It’s great to be back on the ice, but it’s also a great atmosphere here. We’re such a tight group, so it’s great to be back, hanging out and talking to all the guys.”
When asked if there was anybody he was especially excited to see again, Giannuzzi laughed and called it a tough question before settling on “Honestly, not really. I love all the guys on the team, so I’m really happy to see all of them. It’s great competing with and against them. It’s fun. You can laugh at them if you stop them and if they score on you? Whatever. It’s been great. I’m glad to be back.
First day of camp
“First day of camp went really well. It was really high-paced, high-tempo, which was awesome. It was good to see the young guys working hard too. You know, trying to stick out for the coaches. It’s good, it’s good. It’s a lot of competition, but it’s also a lot of fun. I’m happy to be back, and I know a lot of the guys are too.”
Following the two back-to-back games for Team Iverson, Giannuzzi seemed to be in high spirits and excited about how everyone came out and performed.
“Feeling good. Games are short, but they’re fast-paced like I said. We’re doing a little 3-on-3 segment towards the end, which is awesome; I really enjoy that. A lot of breakaways. A lot of odd-man rushes. So you know, a lot of work for me, but I’m enjoying it. Overall, it’s been great. Everyone’s going. Everyone’s working hard and trying to show what they worked on over the summer. So yeah, I thought today went really well.”
It’s not always about the looks but sometimes, it is
Throughout his time in Portland, fans have noticed how good the newly 19-year-old’s style seems to be when it comes to his gear. From consistently gorgeous masks to his beautifully simplistic pads, it’s hard not to appreciate the aesthetic he has on the ice.
“For my gear, as you’ve noticed, there’s a lot of red. I’m a big base color guy, and I get that from Juuse Saros. He’s my favorite goalie. I find we play a similar game, and I try to model my game after his. He’s a really talented goalie. I love his style. I really dig when he went to the solid yellow pads, or solid yellow, whatever you want to call it. I think the year after that I went with the all red. This year I went pretty much with the all-red again, added a couple stripes in there, but yeah, he was my big inspiration for my pads.”
Identity theft is not a joke, Jim
Of course, we had to have a little fun, and I had to ask a bit about his favorite show: The Office.
“I’m a big fan until Michael leaves. Dwight kind of carries, but I don’t know.”
As far as a favorite episode? Well, he doesn’t have one. It’s just the series as a whole; however, he specifically did mention the stakeout episode as one that stands out.
As such a fan, what might Michael Scott have to say about the goaltender?
“About me? Oh, man. I have no idea. He’d probably say something to make fun of my hair.”
Closer is always better
Though discussing the best foods never seems to be a difficult topic, and Giannuzzi was enthusiastic to talk about the Portland eats he was excited to get back to.
“Being in Portland, we don’t have Chipotle back home, and a lot of the guys love Chipotle. It’s so good. It’s nice and convenient. There’s one right by my house and one right by the rink, so it’s just the best. We don’t have it back home, so everyone is waiting to get back in Portland and get Chipotle.”
Sometimes, you just need to get the truth
Over the following few interviews, you’ll notice that there are two questions asked to everyone, and they seemed to be a tad divisive. However, Giannuzzi started us off pretty easily.
Who should always have aux in the locker room?
“If I had to pick one person? I’d probably go with Newy (Reece Newkirk). I don’t know. He was kind of the guy last year. The year before that, it was Jake Gricius. He was really good on aux, but I feel like Newy kind of filled his spot, so I’d go with Newy definitely.
The rough part was when asked who should absolutely never be on aux.
“Last year, it was Kishaun (Gervais). Yeah, love the guy but would not give him the aux. He would play these weird mixes, and yeah. No disrespect to Kish. I love Kish but wouldn’t put him on the aux.”
Does anybody else want to hear these mixes now? No? Just me?
For the scouts
Rather than my standard closing question of if there was anything he’d like to say to the fans before the season starts, I asked if he’d want to say anything to the scouts in the building this season.
“Honestly, I’d say keep an eye on our team. We’ve got a really good, young team. I think a lot of guys are going to stick out this year, breakout seasons, so I say keep an eye out for us. I think we’re going to have a really good run this year. We’re all looking forward to having a regular season again. We’re able to compete for some playoffs and for the championship eventually, so I say, keep an eye on us. I’m really excited to see where the team takes me this year, and hopefully, I can help out along the way.”
It all comes down to this
All of this boils down to one phrase from Giannuzzi:
“Really happy to be with all the guys and get back to work.”
