Danbury Hat Tricks

Last updated
Danbury Hat Tricks
Danbury Hat Tricks.svg
City Danbury, Connecticut
League Federal Prospects Hockey League
DivisionEmpire
Founded2019
Home arena Danbury Ice Arena
Owner(s)DP 110, LLC
General managerMatt Voity
Head coachJonny Ruiz & Kyle Gonzalez (Co-Head Coaches)
Website Danbury Hat Tricks
Franchise history
2019–presentDanbury Hat Tricks
Championships
Regular season titles1 (2022-23)
Division titles2 (2019-20, 2022-23)
Playoff championships1 (2022-23)

The Danbury Hat Tricks are a professional ice hockey team based in Danbury, Connecticut. The team is a member of the Federal Prospects Hockey League and plays at the Danbury Ice Arena.

Contents

History

The Danbury Hat Tricks were announced as a member of the Federal Prospects Hockey League on May 7, 2019. Former FHL player Billy McCreary was announced as general manager and head coach. [1] The team is owned by DP 110 LLC, the same group that recently purchased the Danbury Ice Arena. [1] The first signings by the team were goaltender Jordan Brant and defenseman Kruz Listmayer. Listmayer is the nephew of Hat Tricks' co-owner and former NHL player Colton Orr.

The Hat Tricks are the third FHL/FPHL team to have played in Danbury, the previous being the Whalers and Titans. The five stars in the Hat Tricks' logo refer to the five previous professional teams to have played in the city; the others being the Trashers, Stars and Mad Hatters. Besides the reference to the players that score three goals in a single game, the team's name pays tribute to Danbury being known as "Hat City" due to its history at the center of the American hat industry. [2]

During the team's inaugural season, Danbury was in first place in the Eastern Division when the league cancelled the rest of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. McCreary stepped down as head coach after winning Coach of the Year to take the head coaching job with the North American Hockey League's (NAHL) Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks, but kept the general manager position with the FPHL team. Former Maine Mariners assistant coach Anthony Bohn was named head coach.

The team opted out of the 2020–21 season entirely due to capacity restrictions in the arena during the pandemic. Before returning in the 2021–22 season, Bohn left to become the head coach of the NAHL's El Paso Rhinos and the Hat Tricks hired former Danbury Trashers captain Dave MacIsaac as head coach. [3]

In the 2021-22 season, the Hat Tricks were among the league's best, but were swept in the second round by Columbus.

Following the season, McCreary was named Head Coach a second time, while also adding on president of hockey operations, replacing MacIsaac.

In the 2022-23 season, the Hat Tricks won the league's regular season championship, and made it into the team's first Commissioner's Cup finals where they came from behind winning the series 3-2 in five games, and winning on a Michael Marchesan goal at 11:58 of overtime.

On April 12th, 2024 in the final regular season home game of the 2023-24 season against the division rivals, the Black Bears, the Hat Tricks became the first team in professional hockey history to have a full African-American starting line-up (goalie included). They would go on to lose the game 4-3 in a shootout. [4] On August 19, 2024, Billy McCreary announced he was leaving the Hat Tricks to join the Kalamazoo Wings as an assistant coach in the ECHL. [5]

On September 12, 2024, during a fan event at the Danbury Ice Arena, the Hat Tricks announced their hockey operations staff for the 2024-25 season. Director of Goaltending/Assistant Coach Matt Voity was elevated to General Manager, while team Captain Jonny Ruiz, and Alternate Captain Kyle Gonzalez were named Co-Head Coaches while remaining as active players. Former Danbury Trashers President/General Manager AJ Galante was named Senior Advisor to the General Manager. [6]

Season-by-season results

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonGPWLOTLPts [lower-alpha 1] PctGFGAPIMFinishHead CoachQuarterfinalsSemi-FinalsFinals
2019–20463112394.6812121588091st of 5, Eastern

2nd of 10, Overall

Billy McCrearySeason cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-226136223105.57425323211683rd of 7, Overall David MacIsaac W, 2-1, Binghamton L, 0-2, Columbus —
2022-23564475129.76825115616271st of 5, Empire

1st of 10, Overall

Billy McCrearyW, 2-0, Elmira W, 2-1, BinghamtonW, 3-2, Carolina
2023-24563119690.53621619211673rd of 5, Empire

5th of 11, Overall

Billy McCrearyL, 2-1, Motor City ——
  1. ↑ The FHL awards 3 points for a regulation time win, 2 points for an overtime win, and 1 point for an overtime or shootout loss

Source: [7]

Awards

Forward of the Year

Defenseman of the Year

Goaltender of the Year

Coach of the Year

Founders' Award

Broadcasters of the Year

Goaltender of the Month

Franchise leaders

All-time and season leaders as of the 2023-24 season:

All-time regular season [22]

All-time postseason

Season records

Postseason records

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danbury Ice Arena</span> Multi-purpose arena in Danbury, Connecticut

The Danbury Ice Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Danbury, Connecticut, that can seat about 3,000. It was built in 1999 with renovation and expansion in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monroe Moccasins</span> American ice hockey team

The Monroe Moccasins were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Western Professional Hockey League. Based in Monroe, Louisiana from 1997 until the end of the 2001 season, the team played its home games at the Monroe Civic Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Prospects Hockey League</span> American ice hockey league

The Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) is a professional ice hockey independent minor league with teams in the Midwestern, Southern, and Northeastern United States. The FPHL began operations in November 2010 as the Federal Hockey League. Don Kirnan is the league's commissioner. The league also occasionally branded itself as the Federal Professional Hockey League from 2015 to 2018 until it began using the name Federal Prospects Hockey League and completing the rebrand in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watertown Wolves</span> Ice hockey team in Watertown, New York

The Watertown Wolves are a minor professional hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) based in Watertown, New York, and play home games at the Watertown Municipal Arena. The team was on hiatus during the 2015–16 season while renovations at the Watertown Municipal Arena were completed and then returned for the 2016–17 season. With a history dating to 2010, the Wolves are the last original franchise in the FPHL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danville Dashers (FPHL)</span> Ice hockey team in Danville, Illinois

The Danville Dashers are a hockey team from Danville, Illinois, in the Federal Prospects Hockey League. The team is now known as Dashers Hockey during their second incarnation from 2024. The Dashers were named in honor of the original Danville Dashers. From 2011 to 2020, the team played their home games at David S. Palmer Arena, which was also home to the original Dashers that played in the Continental Hockey League from 1981 to 1986, but were voted out of the arena in 2021. On February 28, 2024, it was announced that the David S. Palmer Arena board had accepted the lease from Barry Soskin and Diane Short to bring the Danville Dashers back for the 2024-25 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Capitals</span> Ice hockey team in Duluth, Georgia

The Atlanta Capitals are an American Tier III ice hockey team in the North American 3 Hockey League's South Division. The team's home arena is the Atlanta IceForum in Duluth, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Huron Prowlers</span> Sports team

The Port Huron Prowlers are a minor professional ice hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Port Huron, Michigan, the Prowlers play their home games at the McMorran Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolina Thunderbirds (FPHL)</span> Ice hockey team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

The Carolina Thunderbirds are a minor league professional hockey team located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and play in the Federal Prospects Hockey League. Their home games are played at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornwall Nationals</span> Ice hockey team in Cornwall, Ontario

The Cornwall Nationals were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Federal Hockey League (FHL) that played in the 2016–17 season and folded during the 2017–18 season. Based in Cornwall, Ontario, the Nationals played their home games at the Ed Lumley Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mentor Ice Breakers</span> Ice hockey team in Mentor, Ohio

The Mentor Ice Breakers were a professional ice hockey team based in Mentor, Ohio. The team was a member of the Federal Prospects Hockey League and played at Mentor Civic Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmira Enforcers</span> Ice hockey team in Elmira, New York

The Elmira Enforcers were a minor professional ice hockey team located in Elmira, New York, and a member of the Federal Prospects Hockey League. Their home games were played at First Arena. The team folded in 2021 after an arena contract dispute after three seasons. The team made the playoffs in each of their 3 seasons.

Steve Harrison is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He last played for the Fort Worth Fire of the Central Hockey League. He his currently the head coach for the Carolina Thunderbirds in the FPHL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle Creek Rumble Bees</span> Professional ice hockey team

The Battle Creek Rumble Bees were a professional ice hockey team based in Battle Creek, Michigan. The team was a member of the Federal Prospects Hockey League and played at The Rink Battle Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Binghamton Black Bears</span> Minor professional hockey team

The Binghamton Black Bears are a minor professional hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) based in Binghamton, New York, with home games at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks</span> North American Hockey League team based in Danbury, Connecticut

The Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks are a USA Hockey-sanctioned junior ice hockey organization based in Danbury, Connecticut. The organization has junior teams in the Tier II North American Hockey League and the Tier III North American 3 Hockey League, both of which play home games at the Danbury Ice Arena.

Jonathon Alexander Evans is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi Sea Wolves (FPHL)</span> Ice hockey team in Biloxi, Mississippi

The Mississippi Sea Wolves are a professional hockey team located in Biloxi, Mississippi, and play at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. They currently play in the Federal Prospects Hockey League. The team is named after a former ECHL team that played in Biloxi from 1996 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmira River Sharks</span> Ice hockey team in Elmira, New York

Playing in the Federal Prospects Hockey League, the Elmira River Sharks were a professional hockey team based in Elmira, New York. First Arena served as the home arena for them.

The 2019–20 Federal Prospects Hockey League season was the tenth season of the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) and the first with "Prospects" in the league's name. The regular season was an unbalanced schedule with the ten teams in the league playing somewhere from 56 to 60 games per team. On March 16, 2020, the league canceled the remainder of the 2019–20 season schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2023–24 Federal Prospects Hockey League season was the fourteenth season of the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). The regular season began on October 13, 2023, and concluded on April 13, 2023. The 2024 Commissioners Cup playoffs began on April 17. The finals between the Binghamton Black Bears and the Carolina Thunderbirds began on May 3 and ended on May 10 with a Binghamton victory.

References

  1. 1 2 "FHL Returns to Danbury". Federal Prospects Hockey League . May 7, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Danbury Hat Tricks Pro Hockey Team Unveiled, Coach Announced". i-95 Rock. May 3, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Hat Tricks Tab Dave MacIsaac as FPHL Head Coach". OurSports Central. July 8, 2021.
  4. ↑ "News: Hat Tricks Make History, First Pro Hockey Team to Have All-Black Starting Lineup - Danbury Hat Tricks". www.danburyhattricks.com. 2024-04-13. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  5. ↑ "News: Billy McCreary Accepts Assistant Coaching Role with ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings - Danbury Hat Tricks". www.danburyhattricks.com. 2024-08-19. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  6. ↑ "News: Hat Tricks Announce Coaching and Hockey Operations Staff - Danbury Hat Tricks". www.danburyhattricks.com. 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  7. ↑ "Home - Federal Prospects Hockey League". www.federalhockey.com. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  8. ↑ "News: BLACK BEARS RECEIVE LEAGUE AWARDS! - Binghamton Black Bears". www.binghamtonblackbears.com. 2022-04-12. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  9. ↑ "Wilson, Ruiz, Smith Take Home FPHL Awards". OurSports Central. 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  10. ↑ "FPHL ANNOUNCES YEAR END AWARDS". www.federalhockey.com. 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  11. ↑ "News: BLACK BEARS RECEIVE LEAGUE AWARDS! - Binghamton Black Bears". www.binghamtonblackbears.com. 2022-04-12. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  12. ↑ "FPHL ANNOUNCES YEAR END AWARDS". www.federalhockey.com. 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  13. ↑ "Wilson, Ruiz, Smith Take Home FPHL Awards". OurSports Central. 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  14. ↑ "FPHL ANNOUNCES YEAR END AWARDS". www.federalhockey.com. 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  15. ↑ "McCreary Named Head Coach - 2019-20 Coach of the Year Returns to the Bench". OurSports Central. 2022-07-11. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  16. ↑ "News: BLACK BEARS RECEIVE LEAGUE AWARDS! - Binghamton Black Bears". www.binghamtonblackbears.com. 2022-04-12. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  17. ↑ "Wilson, Ruiz, Smith Take Home FPHL Awards". OurSports Central. 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  18. ↑ "FPHL ANNOUNCES YEAR END AWARDS". www.federalhockey.com. 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  19. ↑ "FPHL ANNOUNCES YEAR END AWARDS". www.federalhockey.com. 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  20. ↑ "Wilson, Ruiz, Smith Take Home FPHL Awards". OurSports Central. 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  21. ↑ "FPHL ANNOUNCES YEAR END AWARDS". www.federalhockey.com. 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  22. ↑ "Danbury Hat Tricks all-time player list at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.