Hat Tricks Announce 2025 Player Award Winners

DANBURY — The Danbury Hat Tricks are proud to announce our Team Player Award recipients for the 2024-25 season. The winners were voted on by the public.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR & OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: GLEB BANDURKIN

In his debut season, Gleb Bandurkin has the best offensive numbers of any Hat Trick. His 63 points and 32 goals each lead the team. The 25-year-old from Moskov, Russia is seventh in the league in goals and tops the Hat Tricks with three of their five hat tricks, including a franchise-best four goals on April 4 at Mississippi (11-3W). The top-line center has put together 16 multi-point outings in 48 games and his +25 rating paces the group.

Prior to joining the Hat Tricks, he last played for Dynamo-Altay Barnaul in Russia3 during the 2022-2023 season. The 6-foot center put up 18 points (7g, 11a) in 26 regular season games.

From 2015-2017, Bandurkin played in three different Russian junior age groups, but in 2017-18, he headed to the United States to compete in the USPHL Premier with the Chicago Cougars. Offensively, he shined, posting 36 points (21g, 15a) in 28 regular season games and five points (3g, 2a) in five playoff games. Bandurkin moved on to the Rochester Monarchs of the NCDC in 2018-2019 (18 GP, 3-4-7, 2 PIM) before heading to Kazakhstan and Ukraine from 2020-2022.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: JOSH LABELLE 

Defenseman Josh Labelle has been the backbone of Danbury’s blueliner group, in addition to serving as a points-producer. In his fourth FPHL season, the Mississauga, Ontario, native has served the Hat Tricks as one of their smartest blueliners and top shot blockers. Labelle has also provided 10 goals and 36 assists in 55 games, adding reinforcement to the top six forwards with two game-winning goals and three on the power play. Labelle has become a mainstay d-man in his second season in Danbury following his first two seasons in Watertown and Columbus.

FAN FAVORITE: ZACH PAMAYLAON

The third-year Swiss-Army knife, Zach Pamaylaon has tallied 21 points (5g, 16a) in 48 games this season. Likely to play in Saturday’s game against the Watertown Wolves, ZP will reach 50 games played for the first time in his career. He has played the majority of this season as a forward but can seamlessly transition back to defense whenever needed. The first Hawaiian-born male professional ice hockey player, Pamaylaon is heavily involved with the Danbury Hat Tricks Youth program and attends countless community events and school appearances year-after-year. This is the third time the 29-year-old native of Aiea, Hawaii, has won the Fan Favorite and took home the Hat Tricks award in 2022-23. Pamaylaon has been a consistent player with the Hat Tricks surpassing 20-points in all three seasons.

HAT TRICKS AWARD: CORY ANDERSON & JONNY RUIZ

Forward Cory Anderson has been the ultimate leader in the Danbury dressing room. The 31-year-old of Bakersfield, Calif., has displayed his leadership as a top-six forward, logging 16 goals, including three on the power play, and 15 assists in 47 outings. Now with the Hat Tricks in his second stint, Anderson first suited up for the Hat Tricks in their inaugural season in 2019-2020 (24g, 17a) in just 36 games. Following his 47-point campaign in 2021-2022, Anderson took a two-year hiatus from professional hockey before returning this season.

Ruiz played his first five seasons in the FPHL as the cornerstone of Danbury under former head coach Billy McCreary, who gave way to Ruiz upon departing for the Kalamazoo Wings as an assistant coach before the 2024-2025 season. The forward of Williamstown, N.J., played two seasons at Johnson and Wales University before spending three seasons at UMass-Dartmouth (MASCAC) from 2016-2019. Upon arriving to Danbury in 2019-2020, Ruiz registered 25 goals and 24 assists in 43 games, and played a pivotal role in delivering the Hat Tricks their first Commissioner’s Cup championship in 2022-2023, supplying 53 goals and 39 helpers in 64 outings.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS: CONOR MCCOLLUM & JONNY RUIZ

Conor McCollum, 28, has been a workhorse in the net for the Hat Tricks in his second season, starting 41 of the team's 55 games and posting a 21-13-6 record and a .913 save percentage. His 21 wins are tied for second-most in the FPHL. He has 10 40-save performances this season, three-50 save outings, and three shutouts, including 44 saves against Motor City on Jan. 18.

As a rookie last season, McCollum led the FPHL in wins (24), minutes played (2,278:11), and assists (6) by a goaltender. He posted a 24-12-3 record, a 3.00 goals-against average, and a .918 save percentage and was named an Empire Division First-Team Rookie All-Star. The Pickering, Ontario, native appeared in 39 of Danbury's 56 games, starting in 38.

His three shutouts this season are a franchise record, and his four total shutouts are a franchise best. He is also the franchise-leader in wins with 45, surpassing Brian Wilson (42) earlier this year.

Ruiz, the co-head coach and team captain, is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (246), goals (174), assists (153), and points (327). This marks his fourth MVP award and the sixth-year forward holds 18 multi-point performances and, recently, rocked an eight-game point streak (6-9-15) from March 8–March 28. In one of Danbury’s most outstanding games this season against Binghamton (7-4W) on Nov. 23, Ruiz netted a team-high two goals for his first multi-goal outing of the season. 

ABOUT DANBURY HAT TRICKS:

The Danbury Hat Tricks are a professional hockey team based in Danbury, CT and compete in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). Since their founding in 2019, the 2023 Commissioner's Cup Champions have brought thrilling, fast-paced, and hard-hitting hockey to the Danbury Ice Arena, earning a reputation for their competitive spirit, electric atmosphere and strong community ties. The team is dedicated to providing an unforgettable game-day experience for fans of all ages while proudly representing the city of Danbury.

Off the ice, the Hat Tricks are committed to fostering connections within the local community through outreach programs with schools, businesses and charities. By developing top-tier hockey talent and growing the sport in the region, the Hat Tricks aim to bring the community together and deliver entertainment that leaves a lasting impact.

The 2025 Commissioner's Cup Playoffs are here and tickets are on sale now! Lock in your seats for the full playoff run and save. A comprehensive postseason package is just $72—only $12 per ticket, a 35% discount. If any games are not played, you will receive a refund or a credit for the 2025-26 season. To purchase a playoff package, email herm@danburyhattricks.com or call 973-713-7547. Single-game tickets are also available through 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).