Campoli likes Hawks’ ‘positive energy’
Chris Campoli came from a great hockey town in Ottawa, but the buzz the newest Blackhawks defenseman felt upon his arrival in Chicago was something he couldn’t wait to soak up.
“There’s so much positive energy around the team here, and the city has really taken to the Hawks the last few years,” said Campoli, who made his debut Wednesday night against Calgary. “I’m excited to be part of that and it has added to my expectations to come in and help.
“In Canada there’s a lot of passion for the game, so that’s there, but I think the confidence and buzz around the team and our lack of success in Ottawa this year kind of deflates that,” Campoli said.
“Here there’s so much excitement, obviously winning the Cup last year and having another successful season this year. It’s a great town, great team, great group of guys, and I just want to come in and fit well and help us.”
Campoli wore No. 14 and was paired with Brian Campbell on defense. He played almost 17 minutes and had 3 hits. He expected the Hawks’ up-tempo system to be an easy fit for him with his ability to skate and move the puck.
“The majority of the teams in the league play roughly a similar style of game,” Campoli said. “There’s a saying: It’s a copycat league. Teams have success and other teams try to mimic what they’re doing.
“Hopefully I won’t have too much of a problem there. There are a few adjustments to make and I’ll be playing with someone different, obviously. Hopefully it’ll be a smooth transition.”
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville liked the idea of pairing Campoli with Campbell.
“I think they will both complement each other with their agility and the way they move the puck and the way they defend,” Quenneville said. “It will be a nice start for both of them. He adds an ingredient we like in our team, whether it’s puck possession or the activation of our defense in a pressure game.
“He’s going to have some minutes back there and we’re looking forward to seeing how it progresses.”
As far as working Campoli into the system, Quenneville said it would be a case of learning on the job.
“Talking to him and going over our systems the first thing you want to say is trust your instincts and we can add to it as we go along here,” Quenneville said. “We want him to play his game. We don’t want to complicate things too much.”