Game Preview: Hat Tricks vs. Motor City Rockers | Oct. 19, 2024

LAST TIME OUT

The Hat Tricks began the Jonny Ruiz-Kyle Gonzalez co-head coaching era with a 4-2 loss to the Motor City Rockers on Friday night at the Danbury Ice Arena. Following their Empire Division Semifinals playoff loss to the Rockers last season, the Hat Tricks welcomed Motor City in for the 2024-25 season opener. Despite the Hat Tricks peppering Motor City goaltender Ricardo Gonzalez with 51 shots, they could not recover from three unanswered Motor City goals in the second period. Rockers forward Marian Pazitka tallied two goals, one shorthanded, 2:09 apart in the second period to extend the Rockers’ lead to 4-2. Pazitka became the first Rocker since Dylan Johnson on Dec. 2, 2022 to score multiple goals in a debut, according to Rockers former broadcaster Ben Zagali. Hat Tricks co-head coach and captain Jonny Ruiz left the game in the second period and did not return. Last season, the Hat Tricks lost 3-2 in overtime to Motor City despite attempting 63 shots. Four days later, they lost 4-1 to Motor City attempting 26 shots.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Hat Tricks finish up an opening weekend two-game set with the Rockers on Saturday after falling 4-2 in the season opener on Friday. The two sides will face off five more times this season, with three games in Danbury and two in Fraser, Mich. 

The Hat Tricks travel to Fraser for two games on Dec. 6-7 to continue the season series before returning to Danbury on Dec. 20 for the series’ fifth contest. The second week of January brings the teams to their final meeting of the regular campaign with a two-game set at the Danbury Ice Arena.

Last season, the Hat Tricks lost the winner-take-all game of the opening round playoffs series against Motor City. The Rockers snatched a three-goal lead late in the second period and Motor City netminder Trevor Babin stole the show, especially down the stretch, stopping 42 of 43 shots on goal. Scott Coash, Motor City’s leading goal scorer in the regular season, buried two for the Rockers. Danbury was 0-for-19 on the power play in the series while Motor City connected twice on the man advantage. 

The Hat Tricks’ 2023-24 campaign ended with a loss to Motor City in Game 3 of the Empire Division Semifinals (Round 1). Danbury dropped its lone home game of the series, 3-2 in overtime (April 19) and despite grabbing a 4-2 win in Game 2 (April 20), fell 4-1 in the win-or-go-home contest to end the season (April 21). Danbury finished with a 22-19-6-9 record in the regular season, just seven points back of the Rockers (97) for the second-best record in the division. 

In the regular season, the division opponents only met twice, a two-game series from Dec. 1-2 in Danbury. The sides split the set, with the Rockers taking the first game in overtime, 5-4, and the Hat Tricks responding the next night in regulation, 5-3. 

ABOUT THE ROCKERS

Motor City enters its third season as an FPHL franchise coming off its second straight postseason berth and second-place finish in the Empire Division (27-19-4-6). Before being swept by the Commissioner’s Cup champion Binghamton Black Bears in the Empire Division Finals, the Rockers took down the Hat Tricks two games to one in the first round. 

Former Rockers head coach Gordie Brown won FPHL Coach of the Year in 2023-24, but resigned this offseason to pursue other opportunities. Former Motor City Mechanics head coach Steven Shannon steps in with 48 years of coaching experience.

The Rockers finished last regular season with the third-ranked power play (26.6%), and second-best penalty kill (83.3%) in the FPHL. The Rockers were led by Scott Coash who paced the team in goals (28) and points (56) in the regular year while forward Pavel Svintsov topped the team with 35 assists and was 2nd in points (44). 

Through one game, forward Marian Pazitka tops the group with two goals, one of which was shorthanded.

HAT TRICKS HEADLINES

The Hat Tricks open up the 2024-25 season at home with back-to–back games against the Motor City Rockers. Danbury looks for its first win of the new year after losing 4-2 in the home opener on Friday.

Entering their fifth season, the Hat Tricks return 15 players from last season’s squad, including all six defensemen and three goaltenders. Additionally, the team’s two leading goal scorers, Jonny Ruiz and Corey Cunningham are back as well as second-year goaltender Conor McCollum.

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,) and has become the team’s new co-head coach alongside alternate captain Kyle Gonzalez.  McCollum won a league-high and rookie-record 24 games with a 3.00 GAA in his first season in Danbury, moving to second in franchise history for the second-most single-season wins.

NEW SEASON, NEW NAMES

Friday marked the start of the Ruiz-Gonzalez coaching era in Danbury, with both players still 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 serving in his prior role for the past four seasons.

GAMZATOV GETS ON THE BOARD

Forward Aleksandr Gamzatov scored Danbury’s first goal of the 2024-25 season on Friday night in his Hat Tricks debut. The Russian-born winger was acquired from Watertown on Oct. 14 for future considerations. He posted 36 points (12g) in 49 games for the Wolves last season.

HAT TRICKS POTENTIALLY MISSING TOP TWO CENTERS

In the second period of the Hat Tricks’ season opener on Friday, co-head coach Jonny Ruiz was hit behind the Hat Tricks’ net in the second period and went down awkwardly. Danbury’s captain and leading point-scorer last year exited and did not return to the bench. He is a game-time decision for Saturday night. Forward Chase Harwell, Danbury’s second-line center, did not play Friday night and remains unavailable this weekend due to prior obligations. 

RATCLIFFE RETURNS

Last season, forward Jacob Ratcliffe recorded a career-high 46 points (15g, 31a) in his second year with Danbury, 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 after posting four points (2g, 2a) in a 5-0 win. He also won the Team MVP after notching 42 points (17g, 25a) in 21 games.

CUNNINGHAM LIGHTS LAMP

Left-winger Corey Cunningham, the Hat Tricks’ Rookie of the Year last season, scored on the power play in the season opener on Friday. The Prince George, British Columbia, native netted seven power play tallies and 23 total goals last season, both ranking second on the team behind Jonny Ruiz. 

“A” FOR JOSH LABELLE

Defenseman Josh Labelle logged his first assist of the year in the season opener Friday. Entering year two in Danbury, the Toronto native changed jersey 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.

ANDERSON FINDS SCORESHEET IN RETURN

Forward Cory Anderson took the ice for Danbury Friday night after a two-year hiatus from pro hockey and picked up his first assist of the season. The forward last played for the Hat Tricks in 2021-22. In his first two seasons in Danbury, Anderson notched 56 goals and 88 points, the third and fourth-most in Hat Tricks’ history, respectively.

HAT TRICKS SEASON FIVE

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 FPHL 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 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 FIFTEEN

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.