Upstate New York has become a hotbed for NHL prospect through the years. The Syracuse area has produced stars like Tim Connolly (Baldwinsville). Erik Cole (Oswego) and Dustin Brown (Ithaca) both have won the Stanley Cup, and younger players like Alex Tuch of the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Cristobal “Boo” Nieves of the New York Rangers are making waves in the league.

One more former Central New Yorker is chasing a spot on an NHL roster. Anthony Angello has an opportunity to grab such a coveted spot. The former F-M high school student played in the AHL for the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Penguins, the affiliate team of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He scored 16 goals during the 2018-2019 season.

This summer, Angello has been home in Syracuse training and preparing for the opportunity to grab a spot on that Pittsburgh squad. “It’s definitely very exciting” the Wilkes-Barre star told our Niko Tamurian. “I think exciting might be an understatement. But I have to make sure I’m calm, cool, and collected so i can play my best hockey coming up here in a month”.

Luckily for Angello, he has been surrounded by a support group of former CNY players who have joined him at the upper level. “It’s a great group of guys and we all push each other and want to make each other better”.

In fact, Angello and Tuch are rooming up this summer, to keep pushing one another in training.

On top of that, he has been working in one of the most impressive organizations in professional hockey. The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the most successful teams in the NHL today, and have plenty of players for Angello to look up to. “Last season I got to sit next to Sydney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel.” Those three players skated together on a line that helped win the Penguins back-to-back Stanley Cup championships from 2015-16 to 2016-17. “All of these people that have done such great things in hockey” Angello says “It’s humbling”.

The former Fayetteville-Manlius standout has played in nearly every level of hockey, and last year he played his first full season in the AHL. Angello finished in the top ten on the team in production at 29 total points through 65 games played.

Despite his solid numbers, Angello believes that the most valuable thing he learned was something that you won’t see in a box score. “Consistency was probably the biggest thing I learned. You have to be ready to play your best game, no matter it’s a Monday at 10:30, a Sunday, a Friday at 7. It doesn’t make a difference. You have to be ready to go at all times.”

Anyone who would speculate that the Wilkes-Barre Scranton star would be hesitant to take a shot at the next level, would be wrong. Playing this last season at the developmental level has only made Angello more excited to make the move. “I thought it was a great year from a developmental standpoint, getting to get my feet under me and learning the ropes of pro hockey. I’m really looking forward to this training camp and jumping right in and working for a spot right off the get-go”.

When it comes to playing for a team with such an iconic crest as the Penguins, Angello recognizes this as an opportunity to join a long line of great players. He said that being a part of the Pittsburgh organization “It means a lot. It’s a privilege to be able to wear that crest. A lot of great players have worn it before.” As far as whether or not Angello thinks he will get to wear that Pittsburgh jersey, he told us “I’ll get the chance to.”

Angello will go to training camp next month and if the team sees something they like, the CNY native will suit up for the black and gold in the steel city.