Chad Pietroniro joins the Devils for the rest of the season
Cardiff Devils are pleased to confirm the signing of versatile Canadian Chad Pietroniro for the remainder of the 2022/23 season. Pietroniro was signed before the IIHF signing deadline, but the Devils held off on announcing him until all relevant paperwork and visa approval came through. He is now in the UK and as of 10am this morning, he is eligible to play.
Pietroniro joins the Devils from Trois-Rivieres Lions of the ECHL having previously played 4 seasons in the Alps Hockey League for Asiago and Cortina and one season in the French Ligue Magnus for Mulhouse. Pietroniro has the ability to play across all three forward positions as well as on defence, where he has recently been playing for Trois-Rivieres.
Pietroniro comes from a big hockey family and has 4 brothers all playing pro hockey. His father Marco has a distinguished hockey resume as he spent 10 years playing pro, including alongside Devils legend Vezio Sacratini in Milan, before moving into coaching for the last 19 years.
Coach Brodie Dupont spoke about the latest signing:
"I'm really excited we managed to come to an agreement with Chad on deadline day. Aside from Chad's versatility, which is obviously a big benefit, he also plays a high energy game and is an extremely good skater.
“We always play best when we are aggressive on the forecheck and in some games this year we haven't done that well enough. Adding someone who skates as well as Chad and likes to get on the body can help us break those tight games where we have struggled.
“He has also shown in Italy that he can put up points, whereas in France he was used as a swingman to cover all forward positions and play tight defence.
"I was impressed during my conversations with Chad, and I know he is itching to get going. I think the fans will appreciate the way he plays the game.
"With the Championship race being so tight and having already had our season disrupted by injuries, we felt it was vital that we added to our roster for these final few weeks of the season and into playoffs.”
Pietroniro will wear the #23 jersey. He trained for the first time with his new teammates on Wednesday morning. He has been cleared to play but will likely not play tonight against Glasgow. He is expected to make his debut in Nottingham on Saturday.
