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Say Hello to Joe “THE HUSTLER” Vitale

By William Grigsby

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On July 1, 2014 free agent Joe Vitale signed a three year contract with the Arizona Coyotes.

Coming from a team like the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have had significant success, it’s no real surprise that Vitale has shown signs of his hustling playing style since joining the Coyotes.

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To me, he epitomizes the very core of what it takes to be an Arizona Coyote. There have been many players on the Coyotes who go into the corners, do the dirty work, exceed expectations, and just flat out hustle their tails off- Vernon Fiddler was one, and now we have the “GO TO JOE” showing us what real determination means.

At 5’11”, 205, he’s not the biggest guy out there- but the man can hit people with the best of them. His speed is exceptional, and Coach Tippett has shown his confidence in Joe to kill penalties, due to his fore-checking tenacity. He can score, too… seems like this bottom six forward could be the full package for the team’s core.

Vitale’s NHL debut took place with the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 10, 2011 against the L.A. Kings. Six days later Joe scored his first NHL goal against Peter Budaj of the Coloroado Avalanche. Take a look:

Vitale has been relegated to the fourth line, where he has been teamed up with B.J. Crombeen and Dave Moss (who is now injured) as well as Kyle Chipchura.

One thing Vitale was great at when he was with Pittsburgh was face-offs. Ever since the Coyotes lost face-off specialist Boyd Gordon, they have been missing that talent- and although Vitale’s numbers are down a bit (his FO% is 44 percent for this season, as opposed to his 62.5 percent efficiency last season for Pittsburgh), he hopes to return to his spot as one of the best in the league.

"“I was a great faceoff guy in Pittsburgh, and I’m facing a lot of different centermen now, so it’s about getting used to new guys and comfort,” Vitale said, published in the AZ Republic. “But it’s about confidence and just finding that zone, that kind of rhythm. I haven’t really found it yet, so hopefully I get it soon.”"

If you took him, it would undoubtedly be for the faceoff category- so you have to hope he gets it right soon. He’s been on the wing his last two games as Kyle Chipchura takes most of the draws when the two are on the ice, so he hasn’t gotten much chance to boost his numbers- but that could change at any point.

I think as time goes by, Joe will rediscover his infamous face-off skills, and he is fast becoming a fan favorite as well. He was an excellent addition to the team, and I look forward to watching Joe “the hustler” as this season progresses.

WELCOME JOE, WE NEEDED A GUY LIKE YOU ! ! 

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