Interview with Chris Firriolo - President and Head Coach of New Jersey Outlaws
August 30, 2011 - Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) News Release
In almost stealth like fashion the expansion New Jersey Outlaws are building a well-stocked arsenal of hockey talent and at least on paper look to be the team to beat in the second season of the Federal Hockey League. Team President and head coach Chris Firriolo wasted no time signing right wing Matt Puntureri, the heart and soul of the New York Aviators last season who were runners up to the Champion Akwesasne Warriors in the FHL's inaugural season. Recently I had a chance to sit down with Chris Firriolo and chat about the New Jersey Outlaws and the upcoming season.
John Landers: "Well Chris nice to chat with you again. Seems that since we last spoke you have taken a few giant steps in your career."
Chris Firriolo: "I guess, just a few."
JL: "You left Danbury and are now running the New Jersey Outlaws operation out of Wayne, NJ. Why did you settle in New Jersey, particularly Wayne."
CF: "From the earliest days of traveling with Commissioner Kirnan city to city and rink to rink looking for the right locations to establish the Federal Hockey League, New Jersey was of great interest to the FHL and its footprint. We would have loved to have had a New Jersey team in place for our first season, but it just did not work out that way. Here in season two Im excited about the role the New Jersey market will play in the growth of the Federal Hockey League and I'm excited to take part in bringing a championship here to New Jersey.'
JL: "Why did you leave Danbury -
CF: "I enjoyed my time in Danbury but the time was right to move on. The opportunity to build this team from scratch in the manner I wanted to was just too overpowering to say no to. I will cherish my time in Danbury and the people I worked with. They are great folks and the fans are true fans of the game, but now I have moved on and come October 27th it's about setting the Outlaws on one path and achieving one goal. For the first time in my life I live 10 minutes from the rink, and as we have discussed before my two boys are the most important things in my life and now that I am so close to home they can be part of the Outlaws experience as well."
JL: "Well you wasted no time surgically removing what many Aviators' fans might think was the lifeblood of their organization last season in winger Matt Puntureri and making him your first signing."
CF: "Our thoughts early on were me wanted to sign a few guys who we thought would become the spine of our organization. When the opportunity to sign Matty came up I had to do it. He is absolutely a dynamic player capable of doing it all. Yes, I agree he was their heart and soul last season along with a few others, so when the chance came up to bring him on board I did. I have coached Matty before in junior hockey and I don't have to remind you of all people how he burned Danbury last season in the final eight minutes or how two seasons before as a member of the New Jersey Rockhoppers he beat us in the finals. That's the kind of Matt Puntureri the Outlaws fans will see day in and day out and he will quickly become a star here. He is also one of the best players I have ever seen in how he deals with the fans, both home and away, and most important kids all love him".
JL: "You signed a few other stellar players recently as well. Tell me about them particularly Travis Kauffeldt ."
CF: "Travis is a tremendous tremendous player and is a former SPHL Player of the year who led the Huntsville Havoc to their first SPHL title. We anticipate huge things from Travis and our fans are going to be amazed at his ability. A great leader and a great player and he is the kind of guy we want on this team and want to build around. With Puntureri and Kauffeldt we went out and signed two standout defensemen in Jim Jensen, who is a former ECHL and SPHL standout blueliner. Jimmy gives us a solid presence on the back line. We also signed Billy McCreary from Huntsville of the SPHL. Billy knows how to win and will become the backbone of our defensive corp. His desire will help us to build a championship core that will attract other players to our club. He comes from a long rich tradition of professional hockey in his family. His grandfather, Bill McCreary, played in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, the St. Louis Blues, the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadians. His father Bill played 12 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 80-81 and never played another shift after his infamous hit on Wayne Gretzky."
JL: "Chris, the game of hockey they say is from the cage out so how does your goaltending shape up so far -
CF: "We have the two best goalies in the FHL. It's that simple. Dan McWhinney and Adam Dekker are going to be lights out. McWhinney was the Southern Pro League's 2009 - 2010 Playoff MVP and along with McCreary and Kauffeldt captured the SPHL's President's Trophy. I have to tell you that this is the first time in my coaching career that I have had two goalies with this level of talent and it will make things a whole lot easierbecause I am confident that on any given night either of these two guys can get us the win.
JL: "There's a buzz around minor league hockey that you are involved in a major documentary project about minor league hockey. Can you fill us in on the details -
CF: "Our team owner Kristen Rooney also owns Desert Sky Productions and we are shooting a full-blown reality documentary following the everyday world of minor league hockey, what life's about on this level and following their dream of advancing to another level be it one day possibly the NHL or some other professional league. The documentary will also deal with what it's like for the players on the tail end of their careers who may not have made it anywhere close to where they had hoped. We plan on exposing in a good way what these players go through, the everyday struggles and the commitment they put in and this is a story that needs to be told not just for hockey people but for anyone even interested in sports and seeing how tough this business is. Stories have been told in the U.S. about baseball, football and basketball on the minor league level but not minor league hockey. I am happy to say we are all on the same page with this project and we are in negotiations with some big networks to air this reality documentary when completed and I am really excited about it. So it is a positive thing all around for our players, fans, the organization and the League."
JL: "I guess the fairytale ending to your documentary would be for the Outlaws to win the FHL Commissioner's Cup. How are you going to accomplish that -
CF: "Like every other team we all begin at the same starting line. I believe with us it will come down to our level of commitment which I know is rock solid. The game starts from the net out and like I said our two goalies are going to be the best in the league and give us a chance to win every night. I feel knowing how to win is so important in a locker room. If you have won a championship on any professional hockey level you know the level of commitment it takes and how difficult it is. Many of our guys have won championships in the past and at the end of the day that is a very important part of the equation."
JL: "Always a pleasure. Thanks for chatting Chris any last words -
CF: "I'm excited to be back here in New Jersy and look forward to all hockey fans in the area coming out to the Capital One Ice Vault in Wayne New Jersey to catch some great hockey. Our first home game is October 28th against Danbury and I hope to see everyone come out and cheer us on."
John Landers
Minor League Correspondent
Fischler Report
Federal Prospects Hockey League Stories from August 30, 2011
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
