Criscuolo received word of his recall following Rochester's 3-0 win over Binghamton on Wednesday night. Sabres coach Phil Housley was on hand for that game, and said he saw the same attributes that left a mark when Criscuolo was with the Sabres in the preseason.
"It's his competitive nature," Housley said. "His willingness to get into tough areas, go down low and win puck battles against tougher guys, using his speed and the energy he brought. I thought it really rubbed off well on our bench and on our coaching staff."
Criscuolo's story is a familiar one in today's NHL, an undersized forward who used hard work and grit to pave a path to professional hockey. He went undrafted prior to spending four years at Harvard, the final two of which he spent captaining the Crimson.
It was during his collegiate career that Criscuolo began to think a shot at the NHL might be on the table. In his final two seasons at Harvard, he combined for 80 points in 71 games.
"The caliber of players I was playing with in college and knowing they were going to be making the next step to pro hockey, NHL, I sort of felt like I could play with these guys and I could keep up," he said. "Certain guys I was playing against, I felt like I can do it. I didn't know what was going to come of it, but I was definitely motivated and wanted to keep going."
He signed a minor league deal with Detroit upon finishing his career at Harvard and played four games with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids to conclude the 2015-16 season. As a rookie last season, he scored 41 points (17+24) for Grand Rapids and won the Calder Cup.
Making the decision to leave Grand Rapids during the offseason was admittedly difficult, he said, but Botterill and the Buffalo front office won him over with their message and their preparedness.
"They understood how I play and how I want to play," Criscuolo said. "I think they did a good job of knowing what kind of player and person I am and what I want to bring to the team. I think what they said to me was pretty convincing that they want to put me in spots they think I can be effective."
In 14 games with Rochester this season, Criscuolo's 11 points (5+6) tie him with C.J. Smith for the Amerks' team lead.
Whether or not Criscuolo makes his NHL debut in Detroit remains to be seen. Housley said his status will be a game-time decision, but the fact that he practiced on a line with Jordan Nolan and Zemgus Girgensons while Matt Moulson and Nick Baptiste skated as extras should bode well for the possibility.
For now, he's just trying not to get caught up in the emotion of what's been a long journey.
"I think it's obviously a long road to get here," he said. "I'm excited to be here. I'm going to think about it maybe in a couple weeks. But right now, I've got to focus on the game tomorrow."
