Inside Marc Del Gaizo's Journey from a 'Blue Collar Family in New Jersey' to the NHL

When Nashville Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette pulled Marc Del Gaizo aside at the Edmonton Oilers practice rink on Friday and told him he would be in the lineup for the following day’s game, the defenseman had a very important phone call to make.

It was to his parents, Anthony and Sharon, who were willing to go to great lengths to get from his hometown of Basking Ridge, N.J., to Edmonton on less than 24 hours’ notice to see their son make his NHL debut.

However, Del Gaizo talked them out of it.

“They were going to drive to Toronto from New Jersey and then fly to Edmonton with the hope of getting a flight [home] from Toronto,” Del Gaizo said. “But I told them that’s a little crazy. Not to say it’s not worth it, but that would’ve been a little too much.”

Anthony and Sharon, watching from home, didn’t have to wait long to see their son notch his first NHL point, which came 10:22 into the first period when he assisted on a Filip Forsberg goal that tied the game at 1-1 en route to a 5-2 victory.

“Everyone was just super excited for me but also for the team, more importantly,” Del Gaizo said. “We needed a win in that building, and we had great energy the whole game; and most importantly, we won.”

In his first NHL game, Del Gaizo skated on Nashville’s third defensive pairing with Tyson Barrie and finished with one shot on goal, two blocked shots and two hits in 18:02 – against some of the top hockey players in the world, no less. It was an achievement years in the making, one that moved Del Gaizo to tears after the game as he reflected on the impact that his family had on him along the way.

“Leading up [to the game], it didn’t really [sink in],” Del Gaizo said. “But during the anthem and the warm-ups and the lap, I was just thinking of my family out there and got a little bit emotional. I can’t thank [them] enough. They weren’t able to make it, but they were there with me. I can't thank my mom and dad and my two brothers enough for everything."

Anthony and Sharon were Del Gaizo’s first phone call after the win in Edmonton, just as they had been the day before when he learned he would be making his NHL debut. Del Gaizo called it “a special moment for both me and my family” and credited his parents and his brothers, Anthony and Nicholas, for instilling in him the work ethic that made that moment possible.

“My brother, Anthony, is one year older than me,” Del Gaizo said. “We played together growing up. I played on his team, and my dad coached us when we were younger. He’s instilled hard work and a good attitude in me, and he's just a grinder. My whole family is just a family full of grinders. My parents run a small drycleaning business. My little brother is a couple years younger, but he’s the same way. We’re just a blue-collar family from New Jersey.”

Originally drafted by the Predators in the fourth round (109th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Del Gaizo is in the final season of the three-year, entry-level contract he signed with the Predators in April 2021 and is playing with something to prove. As injuries and trades lay waste to the Predators blue line late last season, several of his teammates from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals saw NHL action down the stretch – but Del Gaizo’s name was never called. He has used that experience as motivation to help him achieve his goal of playing in the NHL this season.

In 2022-23, Del Gaizo established career highs in several categories for the Admirals, including games played (71), assists (28), points (31) and penalty minutes (50), helping Milwaukee reach the AHL’s Western Conference Final. He went on to finish second on the Admirals and third among AHL defensemen in Calder Cup Playoff points with 12 (4g-8a) in 16 appearances. He was a standout at this year’s training camp, where he logged significant minutes against some of the NHL’s top talent and was among the final roster cuts ahead of the Predators’ Oct. 10 season opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Prior to being recalled by the Predators on Oct. 30, Del Gaizo had one assist and nine shots on goal through five games with Milwaukee this season. Now that he has had a taste of NHL action, he wants to prove that he belongs in the top league in the world – and he is grateful to have his family’s support every step of the way.

“Since being in a training camp, I've kind of had that chip on my shoulder,” Del Gaizo said. “I’ve played one game here; that's great and all, but I definitely want to stick around for as long as I can and prove that I can play here.”