If all goes according to plan, when Joe Gambardella’s season with the Bakersfield Condors concludes, he’ll be a Calder Cup champion.
But regardless of whether or not the 25-year-old former UMass Lowell forward, who’s in his second full professional season toiling in the Edmonton Oilers organization, holds the glorious American Hockey League trophy later this spring, the first place he’ll go when the campaign ends is home with his girlfriend, Jenna, to unwind and let his body rest, recharge and refresh.
The Staten Island, N.Y., native also will eat some of the foods he doesn’t get to enjoy during the season.
“We don’t have New York pizza in California and Edmonton, so that’s a really big one,” he said. “I like to get to a couple of famous places back home.”