In his second year with the Islanders, defenseman Chris Campoli continues to show why he won the Canadian Hickey League’s humanitarian award in 2003-04 and why he is a fan favorite.

Modest, kind, generous with his time and always pleasant, Campoli was the guest at the first Booster Club meeting this year. Many club members met Campoli at the Booster Club pizza party last year, where he also made sure everyone got an autograph, a picture with him, or time talking with him, whichever they wanted (or even all three).

"I see a lot of familiar faces, thanks for having me tonight guys," was his opening line. And you believed he meant it. "I’m really excited about our team, I think we have a lot to be optimistic about."

He said the Islanders brought in some quality leaders, "great hockey players and part of the ingredients it takes to win games.

Describing his youth, Campoli said he started playing hockey at age three and, growing up outside of Toronto, rooted for the Maple Leafs, "but not anymore. ... I found a home and I’m really excited about it."

In fact, he later described how his parents were at a family Easter Sunday dinner the last day of last season, when either the Islanders or Maple Leafs would make the playoffs. Some of the cousins where cheering for theNew Jersey Devils to beat the Islanders and allow the Leafs to make the playoffs. His mom got angry at them. There was a bit of an argument and "my parents left early."

He thanked his parents for the 6 a.m. trips to the rink, noting, my parents "gave me every opportunity." His mom came from a hockey background, her two brothers played hockey. "She had a lot to do with why I play hockey."

Campoli has two brothers, ages 21 and 18, who no longer play hockey. He speaks to them often, but doesn’t see them much during the season, but they remain close.

The quality of the ice at the beginning of the season was lacking because of the weather and events at the Coliseum, Campoli said in response to a question, but he said that’s a problem across the league at this time of year.

Although Campoli said he rooms with Bruno Gervais, he always admired and styled himself after Bryan Berard. When asked if Berard lived up to his expectations, Campoli said he had. "Playing with him has been great. I’ve got to know him pretty well ... has a lot of knowledge to pass onto me. With someone like that, I’m all ears."

About the schedule anomalies that have the Islanders starting the season with three games in four night, a couple days off and doing it again was "tough" but there are pros and cons to it. By playing well, he said, the team could get on a roll and build momentum. "We didn’t polay great in Toronto, we had our moments in Philadelphia.

The week off from the game against the Devils on October 20 until the game against Carolina on the 27th was unusual, he said. "You don’t know what’s going to happen."

When asking about jumping into the play on offense. "My skating and speed and offense is ... part of the reason why I’m here. It’s an asset of mine. I’ve got to take advantage of those opportunities." He added, "I’m a defenseman first, my job is to keep the puck out of the net. ... I’m just playing the game."

About goalie Rick DiPietro and his puck handling, Campoli said, "No one in the league plays the puck like Ricky. Ricky is such an asset. As a defenseman he save me 100 hits a year. I don’t have to be back there to get the puck because Ricky already has it."

"When asked if he ever tells Ricky to get back in the net, Campoli quipped, "I don’t say that out loud, but sometimes I think that. I’ll be honest sometimes I don’t know what he’s doing. The joke is he passes the puck better than our defensemen."

As for "post-Ranger game letdown," Campoli said, playing the night after a Ranger game is "part of our job. The teams that can bring it every night and get through the schedule" are the successes. "I’m not gonna have my legs every night, but I have to be smart about it."

When asked about former teammate Jason Blake, Campoli said, they spoke on the phone and he’s doing well and "up in spirits" but he didn’t have the chance to talk to him when the Islanders were in Toronto, since the team got in late. But he’s still able to play while being treated and there’s a lot of positives to the situation – especially that it’s treatable.

Campoli added, "He’s still the same. It was weird playing against him."

On the subject of superstitions, Campoli said he doesn’t have any, but he has a routine he follows to get ready. "I do do everything the same way at about the same time." He said he learned from his teammates how to be a professional and get ready and prepare for a game.

The toughest goalies Campoli said he faced are Roberto Luongo and Ryan Miller.

The Islanders made many changes in the off-season, one of which was bringing in a new captain, Bill Guerin. Campoli said there is a difference between Guerin and past captains. "Not in a bad way. ... Bill is a very, very well-respected individual in the league...The atmosphere is different. He’s honestly a good captain and he’s never been a captain before."

Of the chest-banging celebration Campoli does with DiPietro, he said he doesn’t worry about getting injured or hurting Ricky, "I made Sports Illustrated with that celebration and it’s the only way I’m going to make Sports Illustrated."

Campoli and Gervais spent a day with the East Meadow Fire Department. He said, "It was a great experience, a lot of fun."

An outdoor game would be "electric ... a great experience." He spoke of the talk last year about an Islander-Ranger game at Yankee Stadium, and said "I don’t know what happened."

When asked to pick his favorite NHL experience, after a short pause, Campoli said it was scoring his first goal on his first shot in his first game. "You dream of doing that as a kid." And it was more special because he did it in front of 50 family members and friends in Buffalo.

A close second he said was the way the team made the playoffs on the last day of last season with a shootout win.

As for team not being respected, picked last by most pundits in pre-season polls, Campoli said, "If you want respect you go out and earn respect. Teams know that when they play us they’re gonna have a hard fight ... win or lose we’re gonna come to play. ... That’s the attitude [coach] Ted [Nolan] brought here."

On the new bigger buildings in the NHL, Campoli said, the lower ceiling in the Coliseum makes it louder, but he enjoys playing in the new facilities and he hopes the new building can be built for the Islanders, "I want to be here for it."

When asked about Garth Snow and if there’s any difference in their relationship with Snow being GM instead of a teammate, Campoli said, "Of course there’s a difference, he’s your boss now. ...I’m friends with Garth. ... He’s doing a great job as GM. ... I’m not hanging out with him and going to dinner with him like I did in my first year."

Campoli said the change in assistant coaches hasn’t really meant much because it’s about the players executing. "Taking advantage when we’re on the power play and playing a smart game" will be keys to Islanders success.

Campoli recently signed a new contract with the Islanders, which is definitely a step in the right direction.