Islanders Sign Defenseman Matt Campanale To An Amateur Tryout Contract

Islanders Agree To Terms With Defensemen Matt Campanale On An Amateur Tryout Contract

Taken From: Official Press Release

"UNIONDALE, NY, April 6, 2011 – The New York Islanders announced today that defenseman Matt Campanale has signed an NHL regular season amateur tryout agreement. The club is under emergency conditions to Jack Hillen and Milan Jurcina. Campanale will make his NHL debut tonight, when the Islanders face the Boston Bruins at 7 p.m. Campanale, 23, led all University of New Hampshire skaters this season with a plus-25 rating, while playing in all 39 games of his senior campaign. The Chester Springs, PA, native made his professional debut with the Islanders’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, on April 2 and has posted a plus-two rating in two AHL games this season. In 106 career NCAA games, Campanale recorded three goals and 21 assists with a plus-30 rating. The 5’ 11”, 200-pound blueliner played for the Green Mountain Glades of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) before his collegiate career. In his final EJHL season (2006-07), Campanale led all Glades defensemen in scoring with 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists) and was selected an EJHL First-Team All-Star."

PattyB Thoughts:
The injury bug seems like it will continue until the very end of the season, and the latest casualty was Jack Hillen. Due to this, the Isles needed another Defenseman to round out the top 6. Because of the significant amount of injuries in Bridgeport as well, there was no signed defensemen eligible to be called-up. Resulting from all this the Isles have been forced to sign twenty three year old Matt Campanale to an Amateur Try Out (ATO). Under the CBA's "emergency basis ATO" rule's, Campanale is only eligible to play one game with the Islanders. In the 39 games this season for UNH, he put up 11 points, posted a team leading plus-25 +/-, and was 2nd on the team in blocked shots. He was also signed to an ATO by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers about a week ago and was dressed for two games. In his limited action he had no points but did receive a plus-2 rating.