Game Preview: Hat Tricks vs. Binghamton Black Bears | Oct. 25, 2024

LAST TIME OUT

The Hat Tricks picked up their first win of the 2024-25 season, 6-2, over the Motor City Rockers on Saturday (Oct. 19). Danbury netted three unanswered goals two separate times in the game, including the final three scores, and put up 62 shots to split the opening weekend series with Motor City. Forwards Corey Cunningham and Alexandr Gamzatov led the offense with two goals apiece to push their season totals to three through two games.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Hat Tricks host the Black Bears for the first of 11 total meetings this season. The two sides will face off five more times in Danbury and five times in Binghamton, N.Y.

Danbury travels to Binghamton for one game on Nov. 2 before the series shifts back to Connecticut for two more games from Nov. 15–16 and an additional on Nov. 23. Danbury returns to Binghamton on Nov. 27, Thanksgiving Eve, before again hosting on Dec. 28. After that, the Empire Division foes will not meet again until March, when the Hat Tricks revisit the Black Bears on March 14 and March 28. On March 29, Danbury is back home versus Binghamton for one game until it travels to Binghamton for one final time on April 11.

Last season, the Hat Tricks took down the Black Bears six times — three in a shootout, twice in overtime, and once in regulation — in 18 games. Danbury allowed a combined 74 goals to Binghamton, which held the second-highest goal differential (+106) in both the regular season and the playoffs (+13). Danbury finished with a 22-19-6-9 record in the regular season, 30 points behind Binghamton for first in the Empire Division, last season.

ABOUT THE BLACK BEARS

Binghamton is the reigning FPHL Commissioner’s Cup champion after it won all seven of its playoff games en route to its first championship last season. Led by returning captain Tyson Kirkby and veteran forward Don Olivieri’s  eight points (3g, 5a each), the Black Bears have begun the season 3-1-0 having swept the Watertown Wolves in their first series and splitting with the Hudson Valley Venom last weekend. In last season’s playoffs, the Black Bears swept the Wolves and the Motor City Rockers in the first two rounds before taking all three games from the Carolina Thunderbirds in the finals.

The Black Bears ended last season with the league’s second-best power play (23.3%) and the third-highest penalty kill (82.3%), leading to the second-best record (35-10-7-1) in the FPHL. 

Through Binghamton’s first two series, Kirkby has scored one goal in each of the past three games, in addition to a season-high three assists on Friday. Forward Austin Thompson has four goals, including a hat trick in the Black Bears’ 9-6 win over Hudson Valley on Friday, in the last two games.

HAT TRICKS HEADLINES

The Hat Tricks’ second opponent of the season are the Binghamton Black Bears at the Danbury Ice Arena. Danbury looks to build its first point streak of the season following its first win of the campaign against Motor City at home on Saturday.

Rookie forward Aleksandr Gamzatov leads the Hat Tricks in points (3g, 1a) after a three-goal weekend against Motor City. Forwards Jacob Ratcliffe and Corey Cunningham, two of 15 returning players from last season’s squad, each notched three points in the season-opening series. Ratcliffe provided three assists and Cunnigham scored three goals, one on the power play.

Jonny Ruiz, the Hat Tricks’ all-time points leader and last season’s league leader in power play goals (12) and shorthanded goals (5), points (74), goals (38), and assists (36), notched two helpers during the opening weekend split.

YOUNGSTERS ON A SCORING TEAR

Forwards Aleksandr Gamzatov and Corey Cunningham have combined to score six of Danbury’s first eight goals of the season. A Russian-born winger, Gamzatov was acquired from Watertown on Oct. 14 for future considerations and posted 36 points (12g, 24a) 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 in 2023-24, both ranking second on the team behind Jonny Ruiz. The other two goals were scored 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.

CAPTAIN PLAYED THROUGH PAIN

Co-head coach Jonny Ruiz provided two assists in the Hat Tricks’ first win of the season on Saturday. The forward was initially a game-time decision due to an injury sustained on Friday, Oct 18, but suited up and contributed his first points of the season. Ruiz led Danbury’s offense last season with a team-high 74 points and league-high 12 power play and five shorthanded goals.

PASSING OF THE TORCH

The first win of the Ruiz-Gonzalez coaching era in Danbury was clinched on Saturday, with both players, as expected, skating as player-coaches. Forward Jonny Ruiz and defenseman Kyle Gonzalez undertook co-head coaching duties as former head coach Billy McCreary now serves as an assistant coach for the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL). In his three combined seasons with the Hat Tricks, McCreary led them to a franchise-high 106 wins. Former director of goaltending Matt Voity was named the Hat Tricks’ new general manager after working in his prior role for the past four seasons.

RATCLIFFE’S STRONG START

Forward Jacob Ratcliffe has registered three assists through the Hat Tricks’ first two 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.

“A” FOR LABELLE

Defenseman Josh Labelle logged his first assist of the year in the season opener Friday. Entering season two in Danbury, the Toronto native changed numbers from No. 5 to 9 and added an “A” to his jersey. Labelle’s best point-scoring season came last year with the Hat Tricks, providing 19 assists and a career-high 23 goals en route to 34 points.

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 as 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.