Danbury Hat Tricks

Professional ice hockey team

Danbury Hat Tricks

City| Danbury, Connecticut
League| Federal Prospects Hockey League
Division| Empire
Founded| 2019
Home arena| Danbury Ice Arena
Owner(s)| DP 110, LLC
General manager| Matt Voity
Head coach| Jonny Ruiz & Kyle Gonzalez (Co-Head Coaches)
Website| Danbury Hat Tricks
Franchise history
2019–present| Danbury Hat Tricks
Championships
Regular season titles| 1 (2022-23)
Division titles| 2 (2019-20, 2022-23)
Playoff championships| 1 (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.

## History

[edit]

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

[edit]

Regular season  | Playoffs

|

Season  | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts[a] | Pct | GF | GA | PIM | Finish  | Head Coach  | Quarterfinals  | Semi-Finals  | Finals
2019–20  | 46  | 31  | 12  | 3  | 94  | .681  | 212  | 158  | 809  | 1st of 5, Eastern

2nd of 10, Overall

| Billy McCreary  | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22  | 61  | 36  | 22  | 3  | 105  | .574  | 253  | 232  | 1168  | 3rd of 7, Overall  | David MacIsaac | W, 2-1, Binghamton | L, 0-2, Columbus | —
2022-23  | 56  | 44  | 7  | 5  | 129  | .768  | 251  | 156  | 1627  | 1st of 5, Empire

1st of 10, Overall

| Billy McCreary  | W, 2-0, Elmira | W, 2-1, Binghamton | W, 3-2, Carolina
2023-24  | 56  | 31  | 19  | 6  | 90  | .536  | 216  | 192  | 1167  | 3rd of 5, Empire

5th of 11, Overall

| Billy McCreary  | L, 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

[edit]

Forward of the Year

* 2019–20: Carter Shinkaruk
* 2021–22: Jonny Ruiz
* 2022–23: Jonny Ruiz (All FPHL 2nd Team)[8][9][10]

Defenseman of the Year

* 2019–20: Aaron Atwell
* 2021–22: Steve Brown[11][12]

Goaltender of the Year

* 2019–20: Tom McGuckin
* 2022–23: Brian Wilson[13][14]

Coach of the Year

* 2019–20: Billy McCreary[15]

Founders' Award

* 2019–20: John Krupinsky
* 2021–22: Billy McCreary
* 2022–23: Dave Smith[16][17][18]

Broadcasters of the Year

* 2019–20: Casey Bryant, Jack O'Marra, Zak McGinniss[19]

Goaltender of the Month

* February 2019–20: Tom McGuckin[20]
* February 2022–23: Brian Wilson[21]

## Franchise leaders

[edit]

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

All-time regular season[22]

* Games played: Jonny Ruiz, 201
* Goals scored: Jonny Ruiz, 147
* Assists: Jonny Ruiz, 121
* Points: Jonny Ruiz, 268
* Penalty minutes: Daniel Amesbury, 370

All-time postseason

* Games played: Jonny Ruiz, 18
* Goals scored: Jonny Ruiz, 10
* Assists: Lucas Debenedet & Jonny Ruiz, 8
* Points: Jonny Ruiz, 18
* Penalty minutes: Tobias Odjick, 58

Season records

* Goals scored: Jonny Ruiz, 49 (2021-22)
* Assists: Carter Shinkaruk, 38 (2019-20)
* Points: Jonny Ruiz, 85 (2021-22)
* Penalty minutes: Daniel Amesbury, 298 (2022-23)

Postseason records

* Goals scored: Michael Marchesan & Jacob Ratcliffe, 8 (2023)
* Assists: Lucas Debenedet, 8 (2023)
* Points: Michael Marchesan, 13 (2023)
* Penalty minutes: Tobias Odjick, 53 (2023)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "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.

## External links

[edit]

* Danbury Hat Tricks

* v
* t
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Federal Prospects Hockey League

Teams|

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* Watertown Wolves

Arenas|

* Big Boy Arena (Motor City)
* Classic Center Arena (Athens)
* Columbus Civic Center (Columbus)
* Danbury Ice Arena (Danbury)
* David S. Palmer Arena (Danville)
* Hitachi Energy Arena  (Blue Ridge)
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Former teams|

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* 2010–11
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* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
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Other professional hockey leagues

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Danbury, Connecticut

Landmarks|

* Danbury Fair
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* Danbury Museum and Historical Society
* Rogers Park
* The Summit at Danbury

| NRHP|

* Ball and Roller Bearing Company
* Charles Ives House
* Hearthstone Castle
* John Rider House
* Locust Avenue School
* Main Street Historic District
* Octagon House
* P. Robinson Fur Cutting Company
* Tarrywile
* Union Station (Danbury Railway Museum)

|

Neighborhoods|

* Beaverbrook
* Beckettville
* Germantown
* Great Plain
* Hayestown
* Lake Waubeeka
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* King Street
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* Miry Brook
* Pembroke

Government|

* Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury

Education|

* Danbury Public Schools
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* ACE
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Transportation|

* Danbury Municipal Airport
* Danbury station
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* North Danbury station

Sports teams|

Current
Danbury Hat Tricks
Danbury Westerners

Former
Connecticut Whale
Danbury Mad Hatters
Danbury Titans
Danbury Trashers
Danbury Whalers
New England Stars

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| NCAA
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Main article: Sports in the New York metropolitan area
*[GP]: Games played
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: losses
*[OTL]: Overtime losses
*[Pts]: Points
*[Pct]: Points percentage
*[GF]: Goals for
*[GA]: Goals allowed
*[PIM]: Penalties in minutes
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template