In a sea of boldfaced names indicating time spent on the Nashville Predators NHL squad last season, one of the names on the team’s 2023 training camp roster is not like the others.
It’s defenseman Marc Del Gaizo, who is the only player remaining on the Preds active training camp roster without a single game of NHL experience under his belt.
Del Gaizo, for his part, 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 reach his goal this season: to make Nashville’s NHL roster.
Originally drafted by the Predators in the fourth round (109th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Del Gaizo is entering the final season of the three-year, entry-level contract he signed with the Predators in April 2021. He has turned heads at both practices and preseason games during training camp, logging significant minutes against some of the NHL’s top talent.
The Predators reduced their roster from 53 players to 26 on Sunday, and while many of his counterparts – including those with NHL experience – are headed to Milwaukee for the start of Admirals training camp, Del Gaizo remains in Nashville vying for a spot on the NHL roster. It’s the farthest he has gotten in three years attending training camps with the Predators, and he’s not stopping until he reaches his goal of playing in the National Hockey League.
“It’s obviously super cool to still be here,” Del Gaizo said. “I worked really hard for the summer – and for 23 years of my life – so I'm just just enjoying it and just trying to keep it going.”
Del Gaizo stood out in the Admirals' deep playoff run last season, ranking second on the team with 12 points (4g-8a) in 16 games. When asked how he was able to unlock this new level of his offensive game, Del Gaizo was quick to credit former Preds defenseman and current Development Coach Mark Borowiecki.
“I worked with Boro a lot,” Del Gaizo said. “He would send me videos [of] line work and shots and everything. I think towards the end of the year, in the playoffs, I was starting to produce at a high level. I want to just continue that going into training camp this summer and work on my shot.”
The opportunity to play alongside and learn from experienced NHLers with winning pedigrees is not lost on Del Gaizo. He has been spending the last few weeks at camp learning from the example set by his teammates and trying to emulate their behavior on and off the ice.
“There's a lot of Stanley Cup champions on this team,” Del Gaizo said. “I’m just kind of watching the way they do things and how they prepare and how they are as pros… It’s just exciting. Everyone here is a great guy.”
Del Gaizo is relishing the opportunity to play with one guy in particular: defenseman Ryan McDonagh. A New Jersey native, Del Gaizo grew up rooting for the New York Rangers, where McDonagh spent parts of eight seasons – including four as the team’s captain.
“It’s pretty cool,” Del Gaizo grinned. “He was one of the guys I looked up to when I was younger. He was the captain in New York, so I was always a huge fan.”
Del Gaizo still has one goal – to make the Preds NHL roster – and he knows that the job is far from done. Still, he is learning to stay in the present and celebrate all the individual accomplishments along the way.
“I'm not really too nervous right now,” Del Gaizo said. “I'm just playing hockey and having fun because the guys are all just so great. I couldn’t be happier.”
