{"time":1788189605682,"blocks":[{"id":"PGZrj9D9WX","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"For Joey Cipollone, hockey has never been simply about\nreaching the next level. It has been the foundation of his life. It has shaped\nhis friendships, contributed to his maturity, and taught him how to approach adversity along the way."}},{"id":"otc2Jx2vnd","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Cipollone is entering his third professional season with the\nAtlanta Gladiators. He has established himself as the player every team need: a\nversatile, dependable and willing to do whatever is necessary to help his team\nwin type of player. His path to professional hockey began long before he\narrived in Atlanta. “Probably when I was little. Obviously, when you grow up\nand fall in love with the game, you reach a point where you start looking\ntoward the future. For me, it was always college. Once I realized that playing\nDivision One was going to be a possibility, that’s when the professional ranks\nstarted to become within reach.”"}},{"id":"ddVX7R6SIY","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Cipollone spent the first two seasons of his college career\nat the University of Vermont before transferring to Quinnipiac University. He\nwas part of the team that was one of the most successful in Quinnipiac’s\nhistory. During three seasons with the\nBobcats, Cipollone recorded 38 points on 19 goals and 19 assists in 107 games.\nHis best collegiate season came in 2021-2022, when he registered 10 goals and\neight assists for 18 points during 41 games. His senior season garnered another\n13 points in the span of 41 games, which included a total of five game-winning\ngoals. He tied for second in the ECAC and seventh in the nation. "}},{"id":"-IhFxA6Wz-","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Photo Credit: Atlanta Gladiators","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/7063cb2c-152c-450f-ae0a-97580e93ba83.jpeg","width":1639,"height":2048}}},{"id":"S4kmh5kATB","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"His numbers are only part of his story. Cipollone was part\nof the Quinnipiac team that took home the NCAA national championship in 2023.\nDuring that game, Quinnipiac defeated Minnesota 3-2 in overtime. "}},{"id":"r3ES1VTXW7","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Cipollone was part of the Quinnipiac team that captured the\nprogram's first NCAA national championship in 2023, defeating Minnesota 3-2 in\novertime. He dressed in all 41 games that season and even blocked four shots in\nthe national championship game. The championship experience is something that\nCipollone brings with him to the Gladiators. “I’m a 200-foot, complete forward\nwho can play all situations. I’m a guy who’s relied on by my teammates, not\nonly on the ice but off it as well. I believe my play is one that can drag guys\ninto a fight, and it allows my teammates to trust that I’m going to do my job.\nIt also allows me to trust that they’re going to do theirs.”"}},{"id":"w-3J0X24ua","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"After his collegiate career ended, Cipollone started his\ngame in the professional world. He started in the 2023-2024 season with the\nWorcester Railers. During his rookie season, he played 63 games and produced\nseven goals with 15 assists. In the 2024-2025 season, Cipollone went south and\njoined the Atlanta Gladiators. He became an important piece for the Gladiator’s\nlineup in that season, playing in 68 games and tallying 15 goals with 19\nassists. "}},{"id":"T2H_F1xi7z","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"During the 2025-2026 season, Cipollone took a step forward,\nrecording an all-time career high with 17 goals and 20 assists. He dressed in\nall 72 regular-season games. He was sixth on the team for scoring, fifth in goals,\nand tied for sixth in assists. He added one goal and two assists during six\npostseason games against the South Carolina Stingrays during his first\npostseason appearance in his professional career. "}},{"id":"XBfyjHIo11","type":"embed","data":{"service":"twitter","source":"https://x.com/atlgladiators/status/2050410231151104171","embed":"https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=2050410231151104171","width":600,"height":300,"caption":"Credit: Atlanta Gladiators","meta":{"title":"Atlanta Gladiators (@atlgladiators) on X","site_name":"X (formerly Twitter)","description":"JOEY CIPOLLONE IS YOUR DOUBLE OVERTIME HERO!\n\nWE'RE COMING HOME, BABY!! \n\n🚨: Cipollone (1)\n🍎: Davies\n\n3-2 ATL | 10:16 OT2\n\n#OneBattle⚔️","image":{"url":"https://jf.x.com/images/media-preview/2050410231151104171","type":"image/png"}}}},{"id":"GdIoDxRijm","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The transition from college hockey to professional hockey\nalways requires more than adjusting to a higher level of competition. “A lot of\nguys say it coming out of college, but it’s true. The biggest adjustment is\ngoing from playing 30 or 40 games to 72. You’re in the gym three or four days a\nweek in college, and some weeks in pro, you’re only in once if you can. That\nwas probably the biggest adjustment.” He also attributed that to the\nprofessional world, where patience is a virtue. \"In college, everything is 100 miles an\nhour, whereas in pro hockey, you have to be more strategic and methodical with\nyour approach.”"}},{"id":"F_3-YAcCuV","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The experience gained in his college days has shaped the player\nhe has become for Atlanta. Currently going into his third season, Cipollone\nlends more to his responsibilities than just producing goals and assists. He is\ntaking on an increasing role to be relied on as a leader. “It’s about\nleadership. I think being a third-year guy in Atlanta means I’m leaned on a\nlittle bit more from a character and leadership standpoint. For me, it’s about\ndoing my best to set an example for everyone, and that’s been a big goal of\nmine.”"}},{"id":"SLhlipNd4V","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"A strong locker room is just as important as individual\ntalent, specifically in the ECHL, where rosters can change day to day, hour to\nhour. “You need a good leadership group\nno matter where you are because there’s a lot of movement with guys coming in\nand out. When you get new guys, you need them to be able to buy into your\nculture and what you’re doing. That’s not only going to help the team, but it’s\nalso going to help them individually.” That locker room culture helped Atlanta have\na record of 44-23-4-1 with 93 points during the course of the 2025-2026. They\nheld onto third place in the ECHL’s South Division and headed to the playoffs for\nthe first time since the 2021-2022 season. Cipollone attributed that success to\nteam chemistry. “We had a family-like atmosphere in our locker room. Guys\nreally wanted to play for each other, and that was a big reason why we had such\na good year.”"}},{"id":"y0jiV4prxn","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Photo Credit: Atlanta Gladiators","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/cca21fff-ee11-44f6-8f05-703762815653.jpeg","width":1365,"height":2048}}},{"id":"Q986CO2sw-","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"In the offseason, Cipollone goes back to his roots at Quinnipiac\nto train alongside his brother Anthony and other former teammates. He works\nwith the strength coach Brijesh Patel. “I think it’s the best way to get ready\nfor a professional hockey season, and it’s served me well so far in terms of\nbeing ready for Game One.”"}},{"id":"q2tQVx4sh9","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The Quinnipiac connection extends well beyond the weight\nroom for Cipollone. The memory of winning the national championship remains one\nof the most significant experiences. Still, his appreciation for the program is\nwrapped up in the relationships he built throughout hockey there and beyond. Cipollone's\nconnection to Quinnipiac extends well beyond the weight room. “Hockey has been\neverything for me. I could probably say that almost all my friends have come\nfrom hockey. All the experiences and maturity I’ve gained throughout my life\nhave come through hockey.”"}},{"id":"hli05ci6tr","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Two people have seen him through every\nstage of his life and career and continue to play a pivotal role in his life. “Definitely\nmy parents, both Mom and Dad. It’s hard to really repay what they’ve done for\nme. There have been countless sacrifices and an incredible amount of commitment\nto me, not only helping me grow as a young man but also giving me the skills\nthat will help me in the future. I’m forever grateful for my parents.”"}},{"id":"L_sVyztGgZ","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Photo Credit: Atlanta Gladiators","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/101a0435-a2c8-48f4-a644-7eac8ccb0943.jpeg","width":1638,"height":2047}}},{"id":"YetsvXGvi8","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Heading into a new season with the Gladiators, Cipollone’s\ngoals aren't limited to maintaining what he's already accomplished, but to continue building on it. “I’m just trying to improve offensively. I want to build a more\nnatural scoring touch and capitalize on more of my chances. I felt like I left\na lot of goals on the table last year, so hopefully I can capitalize on more of\nthose opportunities.”"}},{"id":"jE82BdjHDX","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The desire to improve is what has defined Cipollone’s\njourney so far. He has had the highs of winning a national championship and establishing himself as a professional player, but those moments didn't come without times when he felt overlooked. “The adversity I’ve faced. Everyone has\nfaced adversity at some point in different ways, shapes, or forms. For me, I\nthink adversity has come from being a guy who, at times, has felt undervalued\nor underappreciated.” Instead of allowing those experiences to define him as a person\nand player, Cipollone turned it into motivation. “When I’ve faced adversity\nlike that, I’ve been able to rebound. Whether it was in college, going to\nQuinnipiac and winning a national championship, or in pro hockey, where I got\ncut from a team and was then able to help Atlanta and thrive in a role where I\nfeel like I’m contributing in all ways and fighting for a championship every\nyear.”"}},{"id":"svFzC9DFEG","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Photo Credit: Atlanta Gladiators","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/7c5c692f-905e-4b99-9891-3165afdc7b24.jpeg","width":1637,"height":2048}}},{"id":"5ARDz2OIvW","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Harnessing the ability to reset has become an important\naspect of his game. “I’ve done a pretty good job of having a clean reset every\ngame. For me, I do a really good job now of leaving what happens at the rink at\nthe rink. Then you come back the next day and attack it again.” Having that\nmentality has allowed his game to progress while letting him pass that\nperspective on to teammates who might be facing similar challenges. “I’d\nprobably say being able to handle those situations not only gives me the\nconfidence to continue moving forward, but it also helps when I’m able to talk\nto teammates, share similar experiences or give them a pat on the shoulder and\ntell them, ‘Hey, I know you’re going through this.’”"}},{"id":"wWx5UdOcJZ","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Cipollone is more than a former Quinnipiac champion trying\nto find his footing in professional hockey. He has found his role, embraced a\nleadership mentality, and continues to grow his game and as a person. After a\ncareer-best season, Cipollone is heading into the 2026-2027 season proving that\nhis value goes far beyond what is on the scoresheet every night. "}}],"version":"2.31.6"}

Worcester's Jenkins and Iowa's DeRidder Named ECHL Player and Goaltender of the Week