“HUNGRY” CRISTIANO DiGIACINTO LOOKS TO BUILD ON SOLID ROOKIE CAMPAIGN
Aug 23, 2022
When forward Cristiano DiGiacinto took the ice for Wolf Pack training camp last fall, expectations weren’t overly high for a player who had taken a unique path to a professional contract. The Hamilton, Ontario native didn’t play organized hockey during the 2020-21 season and was coming off of a three-year playing career in the Canadian USports circuit with Acadia University.
None of that mattered. DiGiacinto broke camp with the Wolf Pack and never looked back, skating in 47 games as a rookie while scoring 13 points (6 g, 7 a). Despite a unique path through the OHL, ECHL, and then USports, DiGiacinto emerged as a solid option for Wolf Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch. He also earned himself another contract for the 2022-23 season.
“Cristiano was a guy that made the team out of training camp that we did not anticipate that he was going to make the team,” Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin said. “Those two guys (DiGiacinto and Alex Whelan) were two-thirds of what I thought was a really good fourth line going down the stretch run. I think it was important to keep those guys in the mix, reward them for not only making the team but becoming what I would say are everyday players at the American Hockey League level.”
DiGiacinto would agree that his stretch drive performance solidified him as an AHL player. The offensive side of his game started to emerge more along with his responsible two-way play, and consistent minutes soon followed.
“Playing professional hockey last season was a dream come true,” DiGiacinto said when asked to reflect upon his rookie season. “After not playing hockey the year prior, I was thrilled to be able to get an opportunity to play in Hartford. The first few months were a real learning curve, but by the end of the season I felt that I found my role and was able to take my game to the next level.”
While all of DiGiacinto’s teammates were coming off of 2020-21 seasons that were by no means normal, he was the only player that saw no season at all. He was also one of just two players with a background in the Canadian college hockey circuit.
That ‘unusual’ path is one that DiGiacinto embraces.
“My hockey journey thus far is not considered by most as a ‘normal path’,” he admitted. “I’ve felt as though the odds have always been against me, but that’s what has made me push to become better each and every year. Playing junior hockey was amazing for me as a person and player, but I knew I was not quite ready to make the jump to pro hockey.”
That realization allowed DiGiacinto to make a decision about his future. He did skate in 12 ECHL games with the Jacksonville Icemen during the 2017-18 season, but in the end, elected to return home to Canada to further his development at Acadia University.
“I was fortunate enough to go to Acadia University after junior, which not only further developed my game on the ice but helped me grow as a person and student off the ice,” DiGiacinto said. “As a professional hockey player, going to school and obtaining my certified personal training license, I am now able to better understand what my body needs to be a pro athlete.”
DiGiacinto’s journey has been unusual to some, but it’s still led him to the American Hockey League. That journey also is far from finished. DiGiacinto inked a new one-year deal with the Wolf Pack earlier this off-season and returns to the Connecticut capital with plenty of motivation on both the team and personal side of things.
“I am extremely excited to be back in Hartford,” he proclaimed. “As a team, I can safely speak for everyone in saying that last season left a sour taste in our mouths, and we have some unfinished business. Personally, I feel last season was just a small step in what I can achieve as a player. I am hungrier and more ready than I have ever been!”
Hunger and motivation are one thing, but there is another key for the forward as he approaches his second season as a professional hockey player. The uncertainty from his first training camp and first season are gone. The understanding of what it takes to have success is now there for DiGiacinto.
“It took me a little while to get my feet under me last year, but now I am much more prepared,” he said when asked about the upcoming season. “I understand my role and I am more confident than I have ever been.”
Confidence is key. It’s what has helped DiGiacinto take the long, unusual path he has to success in professional hockey.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.