Chris Bartolone

Assistant Coach
cbartolone@arizonasundogs.com

Chris Bartolone came to the Arizona Sundogs prior to the Club’s inaugural season in 2006-07 for his first season of pro hockey in North America after playing 16 seasons in the top leagues in Europe.

Bartolone served as team captain each of the Club’s first four seasons and was named player/assistant coach prior to the 2009-10 season. The 20-year-pro announced his retirement from the sport of hockey and was named full-time assistant coach on August 18, 2010.

The Clinton Township, Michigan native speaks English, Italian, French and German and has played hockey at both the junior and professional level throughout North American and Europe.

The veteran d-man played for six seasons in Italy before spending the next eight seasons in the top league in Germany, the German Elite League (DEL). Bartolone played for Team Italy in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan and has participated in nine world championships in Italy, Sweden, Austria and Finland.

In 2008-09 with Arizona, Bartolone finished tied for fourth in scoring among CHL blue liners with 52 points (11g/41a) and his 41 assists ranked tied for third among CHL d-men. The season prior, he finished tied for second among CHL defensemen in scoring (60 points) and assists (42) and ranked tied for fifth with a plus-25 rating. He led CHL defensemen with 12 power play goals during the regular season and helped the Sundogs secure their first-ever Ray Miron President’s Cup title, leading all CHL defensemen in scoring with 19 points (5g/14a) in 17 playoff games. In first season of pro hockey in North America in 2006-07, Bartolone finished second among CHL defensemen in scoring with 66 points (13g/53a).

Bartolone appeared in 260 total games with Arizona over four seasons recording 56 goals and 182 assists. He averaged nearly a point-per-game during the regular season tallying 210 points (49g/161a) in 232 contests and matched a point-per-game average during the post-season registering seven goals and 21 assists in 28 playoff games.

The 40-year-old owns numerous franchise records having been with the club since its inception. He recorded the first goal in team history on October 20, 2006 in a 6-3 win over the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and ranks first all-time in games played (260), assists (182), points (238), power-play goals (42) and shots (857).

He also co-owns the franchise record for most assists in a single game (4) and shares the second-longest goal scoring streak in team history at five games. Bartolone led the team in power play goals in 2006-07 (12) and twice led the team in assists in a single season (2006-07, 2008-09).

Bartolone appeared in his 1,000th pro game against the Tulsa Oilers on December 13, 2009. He closes out his playing career with 1,017 career games under his belt totaling 261 goals and 548 assists.

In addition to his CHL title in 2008, Bartolone won league titles in Austria (Klagenfurt, 2004) and Denmark (Vojens, 2005).

Chris and his wife, Marianna, are the proud parents of two daughters: Giulia (9) and Camilla (5). The family resides in Dewey with their dog, Lino.