Game Preview: Hat Tricks at Hudson Valley Venom | Oct. 26, 2024

LAST TIME OUT

The Hat Tricks dropped a back-and-forth overtime thriller to the Binghamton Black Bears, 3-2, on Friday night in the third game of the season. Cameron Clarke tapped home the game-winner on the power play at 3:03 of overtime to seal the victory for the Black Bears and push their win streak to three. All five goals came on special teams, four on the power play, and one shorthanded. Danbury forwards Chase Harwell and Cory Anderson each scored their first goals of the season.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Hat Tricks visit the Hudson Valley Venom on Saturday in the inaugural matchup between the two teams. Saturday marks the first of 12 meetings between the sides this season, in what is being called the “Battle of 84”, with six taking place in Danbury and six in Newburgh, N.Y. Following Saturday’s series opener, the two teams resume their season series on Nov. 22 and on Dec. 13 in Hudson Valley before moving to Danbury on Dec. 14 and Jan. 3. Danbury returns to Hudson Valley for the series’ next two games on Jan. 4 and Jan. 31. The Hat Tricks are then back home against the Venom on Feb. 1. The sides meet again in New York the following day, Feb. 2. The two sides will not see each other again until March 7–9, when Danbury takes home ice against the Venom for three straight games.

Hudson Valley is one of the four new franchises in the FPHL this season joining the Athens Rock Lobsters, Dashers Hockey, and Monroe Moccasins. The Venom and Dashers play in the Empire Division while the Rock Lobsters and Moccasins are in the Continental.

ABOUT THE VENOM

Hudson Valley is the lone relocated franchise in the FPHL this season after new ownership moved the Elmira River Sharks from Elmira, N.Y., to Newburgh in May. Hudson Valley is the league’s first relocated franchise since 2017 when the St. Clair Shores Fighting Saints relocated to Kingsville, Ontario, as the North Shore Knights.

The Venom are led by player-head coach Josh Newberg, who has an abundance of experience in the FPHL. The forward, 37, has produced 160 combined points with six league teams over the past six seasons. Newberg played two seasons with the Binghamton Black Bears from 2021 to 2023 before he scored six goals and tallied 21 assists for the Blue Ridge Bobcats last season. In 2021-22, his first of two seasons with the Black Bears, Newberg registered a career-high 70 points (24g, 46a). Offensively, the Venom are led by two former Elmira River Sharks. Forward Dustin Jesseau, who was with Danbury from 2021-23, paces the group with three goals and six points while forward Davide Gaeta holds the team-high in assists with four.

The Venom picked up their first win of the season against the Port Huron Prowlers, 4-3, on Friday night in the first of nine consecutive home games. Quinn Chevers notched the game-winning goal with two minutes left in regulation after the Prowlers had tied the score earlier in the period.

Through three games, Hudson Valley is fourth in the league in power play scoring (18.8%) and tied second-to-last in penalty kill (76.2%).

HAT TRICKS HEADLINES

The Hat Tricks hit the road for the first time this season in the first game of The Battle of 84. Forward Jacob Ratcliffe added two assists in Friday night’s overtime loss to Binghamton. The third-year winger leads the Hat Tricks in points this season (5a) and has registered an assist in three straight. Forwards Aleksandr Gamzatov and Corey Cunningham havescored six of Danbury’s first 10 goals despite being held off the scoresheet on Friday.

Jonny Ruiz, the Hat Tricks’ all-time points leader and last season’s league leader in power play goals (12) and shorthanded goals (5), led Danbury in points (74), goals (38), assists (36) in 2023-24, and has two assist through three games as he continues to adjust to his new role a co-head coach, alongside alternate captain Kyle Gonzalez.

RATCLIFFE’S STRONG START

Forward Jacob Ratcliffe has registered a team-high five assists through the Hat Tricks’ first three games. In his second season last year, he recorded a career-high 46 points (15g, 31a), the second-most on the team behind Jonny Ruiz. This past summer, the Canterbury, New Zealand, native won an AIHL championship with the Canberra Brave and was named the Finals MVP with four points (2g, 2a) in a 5-0 win. He also won the Team MVP after notching 42 points (17g, 25a) in 21 games.

THE RETURN OF “SCORY” ANDERSON

Forward Cory Anderson buried his first goal of the season against Binghamton on Friday. The 30-year-old scored shorthanded in the second period after a two-year hiatus from pro hockey. In the 2021-22 season, Anderson tallied a career-best 47 points (32g, 15a), including eight power play goals, for the Hat Tricks. His first season in Danbury came in the Hat Tricks’ inaugural campaign in 2019-20.

YOUNGSTERS ON A SCORING TEAR

Forwards Aleksandr Gamzatov and Corey Cunningham have combined to score six of Danbury’s first 10 goals of the season. A Russian-born winger, Gamzatov was acquired from Watertown on Oct. 14 for future considerations and posted 36 points (12g) in 49 games for the Wolves last season. Cunningham, the Hat Tricks’ Rookie of the Year last season, netted seven power play tallies and 23 total goals, both ranking second on the team behind Jonny Ruiz. The other two goals were netted by rookie Vadim Frolov and second-year pro Gaetano DeLonge, both the first of their respective professional careers, while rookie Eric Linell totaled two assists.

HARWELL FINDS SCORESHEET IN SEASON DEBUT 

Making his season debut Friday night, second-year forward Chase Harwell wasted no time, scoring on the power play in the opening period. The Southbury, Conn., native missed last weekend’s season-opening series due to prior commitments but aims to build on his strong 2023-24 campaign, where he tallied 19 points (13g) in 27 games.

HAT TRICKS’ 5TH ANNIVERSARY

The fifth season of Hat Tricks hockey comes with achievements to reflect on from the first four. In just their third season in 2023, the Hat Tricks won their first Commissioner’s Cup. The Hat Tricks had the league’s Coach of the Year Billy McCreary and Goaltender of the Year Brian Wilson on their Cup team in 2023. In four seasons, the Hat Tricks have never missed the playoffs (three berths) and have finished third or better in the Empire Division, with first-place finishes in 2019-20 and 2022-23. Furthermore, the Hat Tricks have advanced to the second round or further twice. In 11 FPHL seasons with a Danbury-based franchise - four with the Hat Tricks - the city has had a team in the finals five times.

FPHL’S FIFTEENTH 

The 15th season of the FPHL begins this October with the Hat Tricks entering their fifth season in the league. The FPHL has welcomed 37 expansion franchises since 2010, with four new teams, the Athens Rock Lobsters, Hudson Valley Venom, Monroe Moccasins, and Dashers Hockey debuting this season. With 14 teams as league members, this FPHL season holds the highest number of teams in league history. One of the league’s first six teams was the Danbury Whalers, who won their only Federal Hockey League Commissioner’s Cup in 2013 and led the league in home attendance in the league’s first five seasons. Before the 2015-16 season, the Whalers were renamed the Titans following their eviction from the Danbury Ice Arena in April 2015 and a change in ownership. The Titans would fold after the 2016-17 season before the Hat Tricks were introduced as a league member in May 2019.

Single-game tickets for the entire home slate are on sale! In addition, full and partial season memberships are still available for purchase. If you are interested, email herm@danburyhattricks.com or go to Tixr.

To stay up to date on all things Danbury Hat Tricks hockey, go to danburyhattricks.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok (@DanburyHatTricks).

ABOUT DANBURY HAT TRICKS:

The Danbury Hat Tricks are a professional hockey team based in Danbury, Connecticut, competing in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). Since their founding in 2019, the Hat Tricks have brought thrilling, hard-hitting hockey to the Danbury Ice Arena, earning a reputation for their fierce competitive spirit and strong community presence. The team is dedicated to providing an exciting game-day experience for fans of all ages, with a focus on building long-lasting connections within the local community.

Proudly representing Danbury, the Hat Tricks are committed to excellence both on and off the ice. In addition to developing top-tier hockey talent, the team engages in numerous community outreach programs, fostering relationships with local schools, businesses, and charities. The Hat Tricks aim to continue growing the sport of hockey in the area and provide entertainment that brings the community together.

Whether you're a die-hard hockey fan or new to the sport, the Danbury Hat Tricks promise an unforgettable experience every time they take the ice.