Defenseman Randy Gazzola returns to the Pond

Defenseman Randy Gazzola has agreed to terms with the Walleye for the 2020-21 season.

Gazzola, a native of Thorold, Ontario, rejoins the Walleye after spending the 2019-20 in Italy with Rittner Baum, of the 17-team Alps Hockey League. Over 44 games, he scored ten goals and 24 assists, and was a +21 for the season. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound defenseman appeared in seven games with Toledo during the 2018-19 season, where he tallied five points (1G, 4A).

Prior to turning pro, the 27-year-old helped the University of New Brunswick to three University Cup Championships in Canada. Over his five-year career, Gazzola appeared in 134 games with 19 goals and 86 assists for 105 points, along with 60 penalty minutes.

His decorated career started with taking home the Rookie of the Year honor in the 2014-15 season, where he averaged nearly a point-per-game with two goals and 22 assists in 28 games. That landed him on the CIS All-Rookie Team. In the 2017-18 season, Gazzola was named to the CIS Second All-Star team while collecting awards for the Most Sportsmanlike Player and the Outstanding Student Athlete award.