MYTH EXPLOSION: Gervais and Campoli = BFF
Also: Islanders recall 3 from The Bridge
10:10 pm - Bruno Gervais and Chris Campoli came through the Islanders’ system together. At times, they were in competition for one of the six spots on the blueline. Through it all in their development years, they were supportive of one another.
Gervais and Campoli are also gems when it comes to charitable appearances. As single young men, they had the time. As good young men, they were always willing.
But it’s interesting how, because they were young and single and always willing to do a charity event, just about everyone made the leap that they must be the best of friends. I don’t know: are you tight with every person around your age that you’ve worked with the last five years?
Here’s what I can share from first-hand experience. For at least the last two years before I left in May of 2008, I wasn’t aware that Gervais and Campoli rolled. Teammates? Yes. Respectful? Absolutely. Brothers on the blueline and in the clubs? Not to my knowledge. As everyone knows, often life takes you in different directions.
The morning after Chris was traded to Ottawa, more than a handful of reporters and bloggers crowded around Bruno’s locker room stall. They wanted to know how Gervais was holding up. A few told me they felt really bad for Gervais, as if he lost his dog. One report referred to Gervais as Campoli’s “best friend on the team.”
What exactly was that based on? The media scrum turned a little awkward when everyone got the sense, rightfully so, that Bruno was not even the slightest bit misty about Chris being off the Island. (Of course Gervais is too kind a soul to think about this much, but a part of him had to be like, “Phew…that’s one good young defenseman I don’t have to battle for a job anymore”).
Tomorrow in Ottawa, the Islanders probably won’t have a morning skate because they play tonight in Carolina. Those workouts are prime time for former teammates to share a brief, warm reunion. Instead, Gervais and Campoli will make the usual eye contact in the 6:30 warmup, maybe even tap sticks at the red line. Early in the game, if there’s time at a whistle, they might share a laugh. When it’s over, Campoli will shower quicker than usual and make sure he hugs it out with several of his old teammates down the hall. Gervais will no doubt be one of the first he looks for.
But let’s not confuse this with the kind of genuine, life-long bonds we share with our closest friends created back in grade school, or in the neighborhood, or, yes, even at work. Let’s be real. If you asked Bruno and Chris to draw up a list of their 50 closest buddies…well, let’s put it this way:
Gervais and Campoli were no Damon and Affleck.
ETC: The Islanders have recalled goaltender Peter Mannino and forwards Joel Rechlicz and Mike Iggulden from Bridgeport for tonight’s game against the Hurricanes.
Two insightful stats from James Mirtle: Gervais is 16th in the faux Rod Langway Award competition for best defensive defensemen. And, as y’all know, the Islanders have been hurt a lot the last few years.
Our plan for later today is to go to Bridgeport and attempt to bring you something a little different. The Sound Tigers host Worcester tonight at 7:00 pm at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
Comments.
52 Responses to MYTH EXPLOSION: Gervais and Campoli = BFF
Also: Islanders recall 3 from The Bridge
-
cusi says:
Glad we get to more of a sample of Iggy to see if he should be part of the team next year.
-
Mike says:
I can’t remember where that came from but I always got the impression that they were close too. One of the first things I thought of when I heard about the trade was how it would affect Bruno. Guess it was all speculation.
-
thepolishprince says:
Nice insight CB. I too assumed that Chris and Bruno were tight, probably based on the myth being propogated by the media. I’m glad to see Bruno developing. As for Campoli I hope he’s successful in Ottowa though I don’t think he’ll become nearly the player he thinks he will.
-
Paul in Canada says:
I’ve given it some time and not sure I like the Campoli trade. With the first round pick, will we get a better player than Campoli presently is? Not sure why Gordon let Okposo have his spot on the power play and get him riled enough to want out. Now he seems to get points every night for Ottawa.
-
Jon says:
I’ll be honest with you Chris, this was one of the worst articles you’ve written since this site started. Who cares?!
-
Mike says:
Wow CB,reachin’ deep, eh
-
Healy says:
Jon (#6):
CB is bringing us the special features to the Islanders DVD. It may not be the main reason you buy the movie, but for fans it adds some interesting tidbits.
I’d rather have it then empty space anyway.
-
dose says:
jon is a little harsh, but i have to agree that this is the kind of stuff i not only don’t care about but is none of my business.
-
PSM1966 says:
#6 I was thinking the same thing.
-
Moose says:
CB, Friends or not I am sure Bruno would have had good insight on why a fellow young defenseman would have requested a trade.
It seemed like Campoli never embraced his role on the team while Bruno continued to work hard an wait for his chance.
-
Rick says:
(Jon #6)
You might need to switch to decaf. They can’t all be hard hitting scoops. CB gave us a bit of the human side of the business. Nice, but if not your cup of tea, move on. No need to call him out. -
Can’t please everyone, eh CB. I enjoyed the article. I always thought they were tight. Insight like this shows a possible reason for the better play from Bruno. Now he’s not “under Campoli’s Shadow” so to speak. Good Job CB.
-
Nova Scotia Isles Fan says:
Projected 566 man games lost to injury this year?
2005-6: 248
2006-7: 351
2007-8: 402
2008-9: 566 (projected)
Average: 392 per yearSweet Mother of God. This raises a ton of issues.
Assuming these to be correct, what can be done? Are these conditioning related? Are they related to bad ice at the rink? Age of the players? Has anyone on the team really analyzed this to see of they can be reduced/eliminated?
Ottawa’s average over the same period is 117. The difference is bascially 14 games where the entire 20 man roster roster was injured. What kind of additional costs does this impose on the team in terms of salaries.?
I expect this team to have some pretty good young players in the next couple of years and to lose them to serious, preventable injuries would be tragic.
-
admin says:
I appreciate everyone’s candor and I’m not at all surprised by the reaction to this story.
Its genesis was in the aftermath of the Campoli trade, when I received about 20 emails from readers requesting a story about what Gervais thought of his close pal departing.
This morning, the issue was raised again in Comments after my first post on Gervais. I thought I’d shed a little light, and I’m happy with how the post turned out…CB
-
Larry says:
when the campoli trade went down, gervais was one of the first things to cross my mind. how would he handle his “best bud” getting traded away. i think we perceived it that way due to prior comments by the islanders, the broadcasters, and the papers. they were a tandem at the bridge, they were a tandem often on the isle, two man advantage had a video feature with campoli and gervais asking questions to see how well the friends knew each other. i guess i just didnt notice that they got each others answers wrong almost every question. including each others favorite hang outs and drinks. it should have been a sign! haha
-
the 2 man advantage episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD3KgJfUm4A&feature=channel_page
-
joebrain says:
Moose(11), Campoli requested the trade because he was not getting any PP time with Oksposo and Streit on the points and typically staying on the ice for all 2 minutes of each PP.
Okposo should not be on that point, for so many reasons. They should move Okposo down to the half board and put Bailey on the 2nd unit. Except for 2 Streit blasts on Sunday against a rusty Khabibulin in net, this Islanders PP has been dismal this year with a 17.2 % effectivity rate.
-
#18 raises a good point i also wonder about. i think it’s weird the coach has okposo on the PP point. it reminds me of nolan putting satan out there. it seems to diminsh his strength with the puck in front of and around the net. is it because he likes his ability to keep the puck in the zone? i trust the coach completely but this one puzzles me. maybe i missed it but has gordon been asked about it specifically?
-
Coach B says:
Campoli was getting top powerplay time with Ottawa at first but in most recent games Kuba is on the point with Alfredsson.
-
Pete says:
I’m going to have to agree with the rest of everyone else here. This is the type of barrel-scraper I’d expect during June…not during the middle of an actual season with so much to talk about.
-
TuxTax says:
You sure CB? Those two were regulars at the Crazy Donkey.
-
(21) Pete: my article might have sucked, but this is where you and I disagree. If this site is still up and running, it’s going to be a lot more interesting in June than for back-to-back games in March when they’re long out of the playoff race. I believe I’ve written about the “development of the kids” plenty the last few weeks, LOL. Tonight it’s off to Bridgeport…CB
-
UIF says:
Why shouldn’t Okposo be on the point? His defensive play is fantastic, he has a nice, low, accurate shot, and his vision and side-to-side movement are better than any of our defensive options besides Streit. I’ve never understood the problem there…he’s gotten a bunch of PP points. It’s working, so why mess with it? I don’t think it’s “slowing his development down” or anything like that. If he appeared overwhelmed or out of place, I’d agree it’s a mistake. But he seems to be thriving in that role.
-
19..I felt the same way about Okposo meaning on the point however it does seem like they are trying to feed him as he slips down from the point…I don’t really know much X’s and O’s in hockey but its almost like a 1-4 and most of KOs shots don’t come from up top.
-
Hostility dility!
Sheesh, some of you act like CB writes one story a week or something. They guys often puts up numerous articles a day lol- theres plenty to make everyone happy! Jon (6) says “who cares” but I daresay that there are a lot more people who care about this article topic than care whether any of us happen to like it or not!
-
Okposo never played the point until this year but it a good thing for players to learn other positions. It gives a coach and the team more options.
-
Willis says:
Well I know they came up together and there may have been that starting together bond in the beginning but I never got the impression that they were real close anyway. For one thing they didn’t really talk on the bench too much and for some reason I notice things like who keeps to themselves and whatnot. In addition, they seemed to have different personalities. Campoli seemed to have a big ego and Gervais seemed more laid back to me.
Anyway, its all good and hopefully Campoli is getting the treatment he didn’t feel he got here. We didn’t need someone who was so unhappy he asked for a trade and in my opinion we got the better person, if not player just yet.
I have no problem with articles like this CB.
CAN’T WAIT FOR SOME ISLANDER HOCKEY WOOO! -
JKP in Halifax says:
CB, I enjoyed the insight.
I, like many probably, wrongly assumed that because they’d been playing together through the AHL and had pretty good chemistry on the ice that it translated off the ice.
-
I think we all need some Islanders hockey tonight to make everyone feel sane again!
-
Alexei Kasatonov and Slava Fetisov, the great Russians who later played for the Devils were fantastic defensive partners. Off the ice they never spoke.
-
jbranny says:
I have to agree with #18. Okposo should not be on the point on the PP. Yes he is OK on D when he muffs the puck at the blueline. But it seems his only option for a shot is a sometimes accurate one-timer. Changes need to be made to that power play as evidenced by their very low rate of effectiveness.
-
CJCB says:
Yes! Rechlitz is up!! I’m really starting to like watching Islander games now that they use Rechlitz(Enforcer). Much more entertaining hockey being played by the Islanders since the beginning of the year!! The last couple of weeks have been fun. Hopefully the Wrecker will be a full timer next year!
-
I don’t know, jbranny, 7 of Okposo’s 16 goals are on the power play. I think the inability of the carousel of guys down low to convert is a bigger PP problem than Okposo at the point. I suppose you could argue dropping Okposo down there would help that as well, but I wouldn’t agree that he’s a liability at all on the point. I think he makes himself a legit threat back there rather than “the other point guy” who does nothing other than trying to set up Streit.
-
Wizard of Isles says:
i believe stamkos is playing point on power play as well. not sure of reasoning behind move but definitely something different for the rooks.
-
Alex O says:
Holy Crap why criticize so much? Man you would think you were all paying for this. CB some of us appreciate your hard work and would love your site to be back for years to come. I am also one who wondered about what the post was about. About okposo on the point, You guys have to remember that Weight had already replaced Campoli on the point before that. When Weight went down, Campoli was tried out and aparently didnt do enough to satisfy the coach and he put Kyle in there. As far as how many points he is getting, How many points would you get if you played on the PP with Alfredson, Spezza, and Heatley……..
-
Alex Kinkead says:
The Islanders created that rumor
-
Isles4cups says:
joebrain #18 – What is a half board?
Okposo isn’t the first forward used on the PP. Ottawa does it and I believe Carolina used to use 5 forwards on the PP.
-
(38) Yeah Carolina did do that… I remember the Isles scored three SHGs against them in one game while they were doing it, and the coach who did it was fired this season… so lets say that lil experiment wasnt very successful lol?
-
Peter says:
#38- Halfboard is essentially the area where the hash closest to the boards is located.
General comment on the the story – This is exactlly the type of story that I like and would like more of.
-
First, CB thanks for the response. Nothing personal on the “barrel-scraper” comment, this site’s updates are like the highlights of my day in the office (especially the Tavares watch updates and the whole following up w/ the F.O. regarding the third jerseys).
Second, all I was trying to say was that I just didn’t understand where this post on the Gervais-Campoli relations was going… that’s all.
Other than that, I still read this site non-stop. And yes, more B-Port updates, there are fans out there who eat this stuff up (myself included).
Pete
-
Joe says:
CJCB- Totally agreed on the entertainment level. I like Thompson but Id much rather have Rechlicz up. Thompson has been hurt non-stop, Rechlicz is young (exactly what the Isles want), cant skate, hit and fight.
-
JPinVA says:
First off, thanks for the Mirtle reference. I saw the man games lost thing as well, but thought the Gervais info was more relevant to the Gervais post.
Secondly, this kind of post is EXACTLY why this is the first place I look for Islander info. This has been one of the most tumultuous Islander seasons in the past 15 years. The difference with this and those other seasons is that CB is on the other side of the glass sharing insightful information with all of us.
I, for one, have felt more engaged with the Islanders than ever before… even during the glory years. So… yeah, it may have been a softy, but it’s hard to argue that getting first hand anecdotal information ever “sucks”.
thirdly, if this site isn’t “up and running” in June I hope it’s only because you (CB) have found more “gainful” employment. That will be another sad time in Islander history.
- Sycophant in Hockey Siberia -
Tom says:
I actually always thought Campoli’s best friend on the team was DiPietro. Even if that is not the case it would have been fun if DP was around so he could add his thoughts to the subject of a good young dman wanting to move on to greener pastures.
-
I like this article. It gives insight to players and lets you know all players arent best friends lol.
-
IslesPassion 21 says:
Paul said that Campoli lefty because Okposo was playing the point on the power play…I didnt think of that but it makes perfect sense…Is that speculation or fact???
-
When he has more expirience you could see Bailey playing some point. He did it a lot for Windsor last season.
-
I have dishnetwork and the game is blacked out!!!Anyone else have a problem???
-
DP says:
This is exactly the kind of story that adds depth and interesting color to all the hockey information provided. You won’t read this in the mainstream media and that is why this blog is so great–
I missed the above referenced two man advantage when it first aired, but was pretty funny watching it with the additional background this story provides– -
Scratch that, the game is not blackedout…I panicked, sorry…
-
Islebethere4u says:
CB, you keep writing, we’ll keep reading.I have no problem with anything you write no matter what time of year! Considering the trade, I thought it was a good piece, food for thought for the up coming game!
-
AND I heartily agree with post #43. I have never been so in touch with this team as I am now since finding and reading this blog. Please keep it going CB. Its the best on the net!!!!!
Good to see the Wrecker back up. Will be interested to see the Campoli and Comrie and how pumped up they will be in the game on Saturday.