Plymouth Whalers' Campagna rejuvenated with new team

Whalers play final preseason game Friday night in Guelph

PLYMOUTH, Mich. – If the Plymouth Whalers' preseason shows anything, it is that new Whalers Mathew Campagna and Sonny Milano have a chance to help each while helping the Whalers this season.

They appear to be clicking well together and it started during the very first preseason game.

On Aug. 30 – in a 10-2 victory over Windsor – Milano went wide right wing with speed into the Windsor zone, created a partial two-on-one and fed the puck at the hashmarks to Campagna, who scored.

AUDIO: Listen to the goal

FRIDAY:  Plymouth at Guelph, 7:30 p.m., Sleeman Centre, final preseason game.

BROADCAST - www.plymouthwhalers.com only starting at 7:20 pm.

Last Friday – on a foggy, humid night in Saginaw – Milano found Campagna with a highlight reel, backhand pass, a spinnerama move as he was being hit in the Saginaw right circle for a goal.

Not many players can make a pass like Milano did in Saginaw. But Campagna knew where to be and knew how to finish the play.

"I like Plymouth and I love how Donnie (Elland) runs his team," Campagna said recently. "Coach ‘Vig' is really good. Playing with Sonny is a real treat. I've played with pure goal scorers (in Sudbury) and Sonny is the entire package. My overall experience here has been great and hopefully things will continue."

Campagna talked about his goal in Saginaw and the pass he received from Milano.

"He can throw a back door play like I can, and probably better than me, so playing with Sonny is good," Campagna said. "He's got vision that I've never seen. Everyone's surprised with my vision, but his is just extraordinary. I was more worried about Sonny getting hit (while) doing the spinnerama rather than him making the pass. But he took a hit to make a special play, which is awesome."

"Hopefully I can keep going with him."

Like passing the puck, Milano compliments Campagna while speaking about his pass in Saginaw.

Mathew Campagna


-- Mathew Campagna

"It's been great so far," Milano said. "He's a smart player. He knows how to get open. I think we work well together, so it has been great so far. Campagna made a great play to me and I got hit, so as I was falling down, I made a back pass to Matt and he finished it. It was a pretty good play.

"Things are working out with the whole team, actually. We're 2-2, but I think we're playing pretty well."

After four seasons is Sudbury – and with the passing of his billet Fabio Belli – Campagna was ready for a change of scenery. He heard plenty of good things about the Whalers.

"What really compelled me to come to Plymouth was that Plymouth really wanted me – Don and Mark (Craig) wanted me and they wanted me to be a big factor with the team," Campagna explained. "With my billet passing away, it would have been hard to be in Sudbury without him. That's what really made me move on. And then I heard that Sonny was going to be here if I came. So I said, ‘You know what? Let's get a fresh start.'

"And I wanted to go to a team that's going to win. Having ‘Ned' (Alex Nedeljkovic) in net and (Gianluca) Curcuruto as a defenseman as one of the best OA's in the league is a start. Just having those two guys around with Sonny and a lot of young guys coming back, I wanted to be part of a winning team."

A free agent who can sign with any National Hockey League team, Campagna is aware of the success of veterans Carter Sandlak, Andy Bathgate, James Livingston, Mitchell Heard, Robby Czarnik and other older players who signed pro contracts after finishing their OHL careers with the Whalers.

He's looking to do the same thing and will gladly pay the price to get there.

"Seeing those guys that get contracts while being under (Mike) Vellucci then and Donnie now and knowing they are really close, it just shows what kind of a program Plymouth is," Campagna said. "But with all the older guys, it didn't come easy; they had to work for it. That's what I'm going to do - I'm going to work for it and earn it – I don't want to just have a contract given to me. I have to earn it and I understand that.

"So I have to keep competing and do my thing and help the Plymouth Whalers win."

There's a Plymouth connection with Campagna's switch to number 90.

"I wore 37 for about ten years to honor Dan Snyder," he said. "But I'm trying to have a new start and with number 90, I worked out with Stephen Weiss. He's a genuine guy with me – a guy who, every time you talked to him would give you the time of day. He was always a fun guy.

"That what I want to be – he minds his own business, but he treats everyone with respect. He's just a nice guy and that why I wear number 90 now."

AWAY AT NHL CAMPS: The following Whalers have gone to attend various National Hockey League Prospect Tournaments and Training Camps: Alex Nedeljkovic, Mathew Campagna and Josh Wesley (Carolina), Mitch Jones (Ottawa), Alex Peters (Dallas), Sonny Milano (Columbus), Victor Crus Rydberg (NY Islanders), Gianluca Curcuruto (Montreal), Connor Chatham (New Jersey) and Matt Mistele (Los Angeles).