Manlius, N.Y. -- He'd rather be crashing into them during a game, but for now, Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Anthony Angello has to settle for boards that are games.  And when it comes to his favorite, "The Settlers of Catan", you might call Anthony the 'chairman' of the board.

"I typically finish first," he said.  "We have a family competition, and right now I'm in first and my mom's close behind, and both of my sisters are bringing up the rear."

Angello has been back home in Manlius for two months now, ever since he and his teammates were sent home when the COVID-19 outbreak forced the suspension of the NHL season.  He says he's trying to keep himself in shape by rollerblading around the neighborhood, shooting pucks in the backyard, and working out in a gym he set up in his parents' living room.  But the former F-M Hornet hasn't laced up the skates in exactly two months, since the day the season was halted March 12.

"It gets tedious, it's the same four exercises because, obviously, you don't have that much flexibility.  But, I just wake up, I do it, and hopefully I can get back on the ice here, come June."

The AHL, where Anthony spent most of this season and last, cancelled the rest of its season Monday.  But, the Wilkes-Barre product still believes the NHL will resume its campaign in some form or fashion this year, albeit more than likely with no fans in the stands.  And that scenario, Angello says, would be a 'game-changer'.

"It's going to be a different animal with the whole rink being silent," said the guy who played home games at raucous Lynah Rink for three years at Cornell.  "That home-ice advantage is a little bit lessened without the fans, you have to create your own energy."

The 24-year old admits this has all happened pretty fast, from the moment he first thought about the possibility of being an NHL'er (when he was drafted by the Penguins in 2014), to Cornell, to Wilkes-Barre, and to Pittsburgh for eight games this season.

"It feels like yesterday I was still playing for F-M High School," he said, recalling the 2012-13 season when he scored an incredible 66 points in just 18 games.

Then, less than three weeks before his birthday, came his first NHL goal in only his fifth appearance on February 18.  In a year many would like to forget, or even bypass altogether because of the pandemic, Angello made sure it's one he'll remember forever.

"A lot of hard work paid off, and it's something to be proud of for my whole life," he said, while adding, "I'm not satisfied, I want to get back out there.  I'm hungry for more."