Player Rep Spotlight: Anthony Petruzzelli (Fort Wayne Komets)

Anthony Petruzzelli is the PHPA Player Representative for the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL.  Petruzzelli played four years at the University of Vermont where he was an Assistant Captain for three seasons. Following his senior year in 2018, he turned pro with the Fort Wayne Komets where he has spent his entire professional career.  In 2021, Petruzzelli won the Kelly Cup as a member of the Komets and was named the team’s Captain the following year.  We asked Anthony the following questions…

How did you become a PHPA Player Representative and what are some of your roles and responsibilities?

Before me, Shawn Szydlowski, a long-time Komet, was our Player Rep. Going through the COVID seasons there was a lot of logistics and rules that we all had to understand in order to play. I worked closely with Szyd and he would ask for my opinion on how to navigate the rules and requirements we faced by playing that season. From there, he asked me to be an Alternate Rep for the team in case anything happened to him. He eventually took on a bigger role on the PHPA Executive Committee and I took over the role as Player Rep.

Over the past couple years, I have come to learn that as a Player Rep you need to have a working relationship from top to bottom, from the players all the way to the owners and the PHPA. Responsibilities that have been taken on include making sure new players have their player authorization forms completed, helping with potential workers’ comp claims, and making sure players just know the resources available to them including education opportunities and even post hockey career help.

What was it like growing up and playing hockey in the Northwest of the United States?  Was hockey your number one sport growing up?

Hockey was not a big sport in the Seattle area when growing up.  I was the only kid in my school and area that played.  My parents spent a lot of time traveling to Vancouver, BC in order for me to play at a higher level and help me develop. Seeing the boom in hockey now with the Seattle Kraken is great and I hope that it leads to programs which make it easier for kids to grow up and develop right at home in Seattle.

Hockey has always been my number one sport but I did play baseball until I was about 15 as an off-season activity to get moving and as a way to stay close with friends. After that I committed myself to hockey.

What attracted you to attend the University of Vermont and how did you enjoy your time there?

When looking at schools I wanted to play in a competitive environment that would push me to be better every day.  So when Vermont called and knowing they played in Hockey East against some of the best programs in the Nation every night, I was excited to commit.  At Vermont hockey was also the number one sport on campus with no football or baseball teams to compete with.  We always had a great home atmosphere at The GUT which made it a fun environment to play in.  As a school, it also offered a great educational opportunity in a fun town so it was a no brainer to go to school there.

What was your Major / area of study?

I have a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Statistics. My focus of study was in marketing and data analytic driven decisions.

Your entire professional career you have only played for the Fort Wayne Komets (aside from 4 games with the Chicago Wolves). What makes this organization so special in your opinion and how do you enjoy living in Fort Wayne?

Fort Wayne was the team that gave an opportunity to become a pro hockey player and has become a home to my wife and I.  It is an awesome city that has been growing since I have been here with a lot of fun activities to do during the summer. The community and fans have supported this team for over 70 years now and they are so passionate that our crowds make it a fun place to play every night. There is a reason they call it the Jungle.  When the building is full and the fans are into it, there is no better place to play.

In 2021 you became a Kelly Cup Champion. Describe the feeling of hoisting the Kelly Cup after not even knowing if the Komets were going to play that season.

It was a very stressful off-season not knowing if we were going to be playing. All the other teams that played had started in December and we were still sitting at home waiting to hear about our fate until January sometime. When we finally found out we were going to play, the excitement came over us all and the fact we were even able to play was a driving factor for a lot of our success. 

At the end of the year being able to hoist the Kelly Cup after going through all the mandates and being limited to only do a few things that were agreed to before the season to keep everyone healthy made everything worth it. Seeing the arena being allowed full capacity for the Finals made it feel as though things were back to normal. 

You’ve been in leadership positions at the college and professional levels. How would you describe your leadership style?

I am largely a lead by example type of person. I do not need to say a lot, rather I use my action on and off the ice to help lead.  As I have been getting older and learning more about being a leader, I have been trying to add the vocal part into it more so I can continue to grow and make others around me better.

You’re a strong advocate for men’s mental health and routinely grow a mustache for Movember. What is your connection to the cause and why is it important to you? 

In college we started doing Movember as a way to help raise money for men’s health. As athletes we understand that there are ways you can help raise money and awareness for causes and if all I have to do is grow a mustache, I am happy to do it. 

It is clear from your Instagram account that you’re a dog lover and own two dogs yourself. How much of an impact do they have on your life and what do you enjoy doing most with them?

I actually have two dogs and a cat and they are the some of the most important things in my life. I never had many dogs growing up with the amount of travel and commitment to other things as a kid. So when I moved away and got a dog, I found a love that you get from a dog no matter how your day goes or how you act, they are there for you. I enjoy getting to play with and wrestle with the pups in the back yard on nice days.

I actually volunteer with the local animal shelter and have fostered dogs and kittens in the past that don’t do well in the shelter where it can be loud and hectic with tons of other dogs in kennels. It has been a fun experience getting to build relationships with foster animals that are just looking for a loving home. 

How many foster dogs have you adopted out to your teammates?

I have adopted out 2 dogs to my teammates throughout the years and was actually able to visit and see both the pups and teammates in the last year. 

You have led quite a few hockey camps over the years and now you are hosting one in Fort Wayne this summer. What is your favourite part about running hockey camps and how did you get started running them?

The past couple years I have become more involved in the youth hockey here in Fort Wayne and have enjoyed building relationships with families and players in order to help develop the next wave of players. The best part about running camps, especially here in Fort Wayne, is being able to connect with the kids that look up to us and show them that it’s possible for them to get to this level. 

I have worked in the past in both Washington and Vermont helping with hockey camps and programs. I was the coach for a bantam hockey team during the COVID year before reporting to Fort Wayne in February and that’s where I really learned about my passion for helping younger players. 

Who is the funniest player you’ve ever played with?

Cody Sol

If your cooking, what are you making?

Smoked ribeye steaks