by Katie Hamlin | AHL On The Beat
It takes time to build chemistry with teammates. In the American Hockey League, only some players are lucky enough to share the ice with their friends for multiple seasons.
But some players – like the Syracuse Crunch’s Nick Abruzzese, Tommy Miller and Matteo Pietroniro – build a bond that spans multiple organizations.
While playing for the Toronto Marlies for the past three seasons, the three became close friends. They spent time together both at the rink and away. They shared dinners and even stints as roommates.
As last season came to an end, Abruzzese, Miller and Pietroniro were unsure if their journeys would put them in the same place again.
“Whenever you have some of your best pals you made three years ago, you leave thinking you’re never going to see them again,” Miller said. “You hope your paths cross soon, but you don’t know if they’re ever going to. To have two guys here, especially those two guys, it’s nice to have.”
Abruzzese was the first to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the offseason, inking a one-year contract on July 1. Pietroniro also signed a new deal on July 1 – a one-year AHL contract with the Crunch. Two days later, Miller signed his one-year AHL deal with Syracuse.
As each player signed for the 2025-26 season, they would update their friends, each getting the opportunity to share the good news.
“I remember my wife and I calling Nick and telling him we would be with him in Syracuse,” Miller recalls. “He said, ‘Oh, funny joke.’ We said, ‘No, we’re serious, we signed there!’”
“I remember calling Nick to tell him that we were expecting our first child and we’d be in Syracuse,” Pietroniro said. “He called me back a few hours later asking if he could babysit. We didn’t have any idea, but it’s really a blessing to be able to do that and spend years together.”
Reflecting back on it, it’s no surprise that these three would end up in an organization like the Crunch.
“It says a lot about the culture and type of place that’s established here in Syracuse,” Miller said. “They’re bringing in those character guys. You want to be around those guys and surround yourself with that type of culture.”
Like any friend group, the three have their own unique personalities that blend. They all agree that Pietroniro is the most outgoing of the three, describing him as the jokester of the group. Miller is described as a soft-spoken and hard-working guy, while Abruzzese is the old soul with
strong character.
Their friendship has made their transition to a new city and team easier and more comfortable for the trio. They look out for each other and even offer a spare room when necessary. Over the past month, Abruzzese served as the third roommate living with Pietroniro and his wife before moving in with Miller and his wife on Sunday.
“It was fun,” Pietroniro says. “Cooking together, driving to the rink together, just annoying him maybe a little too much. He’s like a brother. Some fun times and things we’ll look back on in our careers and remember.”
For Abruzzese, it’s helped having people around to spend time with away from the rink, whether for dinners or just hanging out.
“I’ve had him over for dinner and we talk over dinner and then watch football and don’t say a word. That’s just kind of how Nick and I can be sometimes, which is fine,” Miller says. He wants him to feel at home while staying with him and makes sure he knows that it’s his house now too.
“This morning my dog didn’t even want to be around me,” Miller laughs. “She was waiting outside Nick’s door whining whenever he went into the bathroom. She didn’t even care about me.”
“One thing we’ve done a good job of over the past number of years in Toronto and then this year is make sure we’re spending time outside of the rink together to grow our friendship and grow our bond,” said Abruzzese.
A key element in their friendship is cooking. The trio rotate who is preparing meals for the others each week. Abruzzese and Miller both agree that Pietroniro and his wife, Delaney, are the best when it comes to the kitchen. He cooks while she bakes, making the perfect one-two punch.
A strong friendship away from the rink has transitioned into success on the ice as the Crunch posted their best October in team history.
As the team continues to mesh and the relationships in the room grow, these three will be at the core as they continue to show that hockey is much more than just a sport.