#DanburyIceArena

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DANBURY HAT TRICKS WIN FPHL CHAMPIONSHIP

By: Chris Lynch, Danbury Hat Tricks Danbury, CT- The Danbury Hat Tricks and Carolina Thunderbirds concluded a competitive, harshly fought series with a legendary game that Danbury emerged from with a 3-2 overtime victory and the FPHL Commissioner’s Cup. Danbury opened the scoring 56 seconds in courtesy of Michael Marchesan’s first goal of the Finals off a rebound generated by a Brendan Sheehan shot on Thunderbird goaltender Gregory Hussey. The Thunderbirds tilted the ice in their favor for the remainder of the opening stanza, outshooting the Hat Tricks 19-6 after Danbury got the first three shots in the first minute. Josh Koepplinger landed the equalizer with 51 seconds left in the opening stanza to send the game into the intermission tied 1-1. While killing a penalty early in the second period, Jonny Ruiz took a hard hit from Tucker Firth, resulting in the Hat Tricks’ Captain’s blood on the ice and a five-minute major penalty against Firth. On the ensuing power play, Tobias Odjick put the Hat Tricks ahead with his fourth goal of the playoffs at 4:14 in. Danbury had a few more chances, including with Marchesan hitting the post, but only got one power play goal and took their 2-1 lead into the intermission. Carolina hammered the net with 11 shots in the final stanza and on the seventh Thunderbirds power play of the night -a major power play against Brendan Sheehan- Carolina finally paid the chance off thanks to Jiri Pestuka with 5:55 left in regulation. However, neither team scored again in regulation, so the game entered a tense overtime. In the extra session, both teams had their looks in front of a nervously excited Danbury Ice Arena, and both goaltenders made significant saves that kept the game going. But ultimately, the home team struck gold and claimed the title. Xavier Abdella slalomed through the neutral zone, fired a shot on Greg Hussey, and generated a rebound off his pad. Michael Marchesan collected the rebound and fired a shot into Hussey’s five-hole that trickled across the line 11:58 into the overtime session to land the Hat Tricks their first Commissioner’s Cup in franchise history. For his heroics, Marchesan was awarded the FPHL’s Playoff MVP Award. The Burlington, Ontario native, who was held off the goal counter for the first four games of the Finals, recorded two goals in the championship-deciding game and 8 for the playoffs to pair with 5 assists for a total of 13 points in nine playoff games. The assist was Abdella’s first point of the postseason. Brian Wilson performed heroically, stopping 40 shots and getting every playoff win for the Hat Tricks. Greg Hussey stopped 28 of 31 shots in the Carolina net. The Thunderbirds won the Continental Division and made an impressive run to the FPHL Championship series, winning 40 games in the regular season. The Hat Tricks won a league-high 44 games in the regular season and all six home games at the Danbury Ice Arena to claim the Commissioner’s Cup.

DANBURY HAT TRICKS HOME Read the full article

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Come see #me @author_loren_molloy at @cthorrorfest this #saturday at #danbury #ct #danburyicearena #connecticut #september #2017 #sept2017 #horror #con #horrorcon #cthorrorfest #author #horrorwriter #lorenmolloy

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BRYANT: HAT TRICKS BLOW OUT RUMBLE BEES 10-2

BY: Casey Bryant, Danbury Hat Tricks Danbury, CT - The Danbury Hat Tricks thoroughly dismantled the Battle Creek Rumble Bees 10-2 on Saturday night at the Danbury Ice Arena, posting double-digit goals for the first time in franchise history. Adam Howey stroke just 29 seconds into the contest on Tricks' goaltender, Tom McGuckin. The Hat Tricks answered back just over two minutes later off the stick of Jonny Ruiz. Gordy Bonnel gave Danbury their first lead of the night, but that lead lasted just shy of five minutes as a shorthanded goal would be buried by Toni Lampo of the Rumble Bees at 7:26. At 15:25 Phil Bronner would give the Hat Tricks the lead for good, as the Hat Tricks rattled off eight straight unanswered goals. Bronner and Nicola Levesque continued their red-hot scoring streak, Steve Mele found the back of the net, Ruiz would tack on his second of the game as Bonnel, Vlad Gavrik would tally two of his own and Brett Menton would net his first with the team. Fists would also fly multiple times throughout the game, as several bouts of fisticuffs ignited the arena. McGuckin made 21 saves en route to his first professional victory. "It's an emotional game, and I'm glad we kept that fire going," head coach Billy McCreary commented. "We stuck up for teammates, we battled hard and played the full 60 minutes. We don't let up, and I'm glad we played hard and played smart." The Hat Tricks will be on the road next week, visiting the Elmira Enforcers for a three-game set.

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CANTLON: MAXIM LETUNOV SIGNS IN RUSSIA

BY: Gerry Cantlon: Howlings HARTFORD, CT - As training camp nears its opening, Maxim Letunov has followed through and returned to Russia and will play for Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL), where he joins last year's Hartford Wolf Pack and former UCONN teammate, goaltender, Adam Huska. He became the 100th AHL player (now 102) to sign overseas and the 20th player to sign with Russia for next season. He also becomes the eighth former Wolf Pack to sign with Russia/Belarus, despite their supposedly being an international pariah due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He is the ninth heading to the KHL. Letunov will play for his ninth team in his short professional career.  Only two Wolf Pack players have unknown destinations, goalie Tyler Wall and forward Matt Lorito. Former Danbury Trasher, Jon “Nasty” Mirasty, 40, has resurfaced and signed with the Binghamton (NY) Black Bears (FPHL) for next season. He played a season and a half in the Hat City before he was cut by then-coach for Danbury and former New Haven Knights coach, Paul Gillis, for his unwillingness to play some hockey at the Danbury Ice Arena. He played just 36 games and racked up 259 PIM. He is a well-known fighter in minor league circles. He is a native Canadian of Cree heritage and has been playing senior club hockey over the last three years in his native Saskatchewan. He hasn’t played competitive hockey in five years. Mirasty last played competitively with the Trois-Rivieres Draveurs (LNAH), where he had 991 PIM in just 100 league games. He had 677 PIM in 176 AHL games with Syracuse (AHL), and in the ECHL with three teams accrued 405 PIM in 66 games. In the KHL, he played 40 games and had 214 PIM.  He has played the last three years for his hometown Meadow Lake Broncos (SASHL). In 22 games, he had just 56 PIM.  He also played 14 games with other senior clubs and had just 26 PIM according to the Mitch Menick afternoon drive show Former Nighthawk and Springfield Falcon Oleg Mikulchik is the new assistant coach for Avangard Omsk (Russia-KHL) after being the head coach last year for SK Sokol Kyiv (Ukraine-UHL) and we all know why he is no longer there. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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CANTLON'S CORNER: HOCKEY NEWS AND NOTES VOLUME 9

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The news cycle is overflowing with COVID-19-related stories and the sports world, and hockey in-particular is no exception. AHL AWARDS With the 2019-020 season now officially canceled the parade of end of season awards begins. Former Quinnipiac Bobcat (ECACHL), Sam Anas, a fourth-year pro who finished the season with 20 goals and 50 assists for a league-best 70 points while skating in all 63 games for the Iowa Wild, won the AHL John B. Sollenberger Trophy. Anas 26, represented Iowa at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic in Ontario, CA and is Iowa’s franchise leader in career assists (125) and points (197). He ranks second in goals (72) and games played (259). He was signed as a free agent by the Minnesota Wild on April 15, 2016. In the trophy announcement, Anas has a teammate's company. Gerald Mayhew led the AHL with 39 goals and totaled 61 points in just 49 games with Iowa this season. He wins the Willie Marshall Award for the most goals scored in the season. That award honors the AHL's all-time leading scorer in goals, assists, total points, and games played. In his third pro campaign since coming out of Ferris State University (WCHA), Mayhew made his NHL debut in 2019-20 where he notched two goals in 13 games with Minnesota. He skated in the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic and appeared in 209 career AHL contests – all with Iowa – where he scored a franchise-record 88 goals as well as 72 assists (160 points). Mayhew signed his first NHL contract with Minnesota on May 10, 2019, after playing two seasons on an AHL deal. The AHL awarded Troy Grosenick and Connor Ingram of the Milwaukee Admirals as the recipients of the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award for the 2019-20 season. Since 1972, the award has been presented to the goaltender(s) with at least 25 games played on the team which allows the fewest goals per game in the regular season. The Admirals allowed an average of 2.24 goals per game in 2019-20 while posting a league-best record of 41-14-5-3 (90 points, .714). Milwaukee finished with the fewest goals against in the AHL for the first time in the franchise’s 19 seasons in the league. Grosenick, who won the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding goaltender back in 2016-17, made 33 appearances for the Admirals this season. Grosenick is a seventh-year pro and went 20-9-3 with a 2.29 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage, and two shutouts. A Milwaukee native, Grosenick was also named the recipient of the AHL’s Yanick Dupre Memorial Award for his outstanding community work in 2019-20. Ingram was 21-5-5 in 33 games for Milwaukee during the 2019-20 season and ranked third in the AHL in both goals-against average (1.92) and save percentage (.933) while also posting two shutouts. A third-year pro, Ingram was honored with his second consecutive selection to the AHL All-Star Classic this year and started his pro career in Syracuse eight appearances. In other AHL news, The Hershey Bears and Washington Capitals agreed to extend their very solid affiliation relationship to the 2023-24 season. The two teams have been together since 2005. Since then the Bears have made the AHL playoffs 12 times in 15 years and are won three Calder Cup titles in five appearances. CONNECTICUT’S NEWEST JUNIOR TEAM The new hockey hotbed in the Nutmeg State is Danbury. Earlier in the week, Danbury saw its newest addition to the Hat Tricks family and the fourth team of its portfolio playing out of the Danbury Ice Arena. The Tier II North American Hockey League (NAHL) announced Tuesday, the relocation of the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Knights. They will be renamed the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks for the upcoming 2020-21 season. "We are looking forward to having NAHL hockey right here in town, which brings the highest level of junior hockey to the area. The addition of this team aligns with our vision of turning the Danbury Arena into a premier hockey destination.  We can't wait to drop the puck. We know our fans are going to love this team and the energy it brings,” Herm Sorcher, Partner of DP 110, the ownership group of the Danbury Arena, said. Bill McCreary, the head coach for the FPHL Hat Tricks team last season has been named the first GM/Head coach for the Jr. Hat Tricks. McCreary is an NAHL grad. He played for the Texas Tornado where he collected 45 goals and 71 assists in 98 career games. He was named to the NAHL All-Rookie team and an NAHL First Team All-Star during the 2002-03 season. “The arrival of the NAHL is an exciting moment for not only hockey in Danbury but the entire state of Connecticut. The North American Hockey League has been instrumental in developing players into NCAA student-athletes and we are honored to continue that tradition,” McCreary said. “We are extremely excited to be able to build a culture that embodies the spirit of the NAHL while focusing on developing our players into future NCAA and professional athletes. It’s our commitment to not only helping our players achieve their goals but to also build a ‘family’ that competes for a Robertson Cup year-in and year-out." McCreary is a nine-year (2006-15) minor league hockey veteran as both a player and coach with a playing resume that includes time spent with the Trenton Titans (ECHL), Huntsville Havoc (SPHL), New Mexico Scorpions (CHL) and the New Jersey Outlaws (FHL). He was part of championship teams in both Hunstville (2010) and New Jersey (2012), where he served a dual role as player-coach. Collegiately, McCreary played for Providence College (Hockey East) and Curry College (MA) (ECAC-NE). The other Danbury teams include the NA3HL Danbury Colonials and a youth team. The building is also home to a fifth team, the NWHL's Connecticut Whale. The Knights franchise has been a member of the NAHL since the 2015-16 season. The Knights enjoyed its’ most successful season to date in 2018. They reached 30 wins in the regular season, earning 66 points in the standings to clinch a playoff berth for the third consecutive season. The team not only made the playoffs but also won its’ first playoff series, where they dispatched the New Jersey Titans in a best-of-five series that went the distance. The following round, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton swept the Philadelphia Rebels, thus clinching the 2018 NAHL East Division earning the opportunity to compete for the NAHL Robertson Cup Championship. The Junior Hat Tricks will play in the seven-team NAHL East Division with the New Jersey (Middletown) Titans, Johnstown (PA) Tomahawks, Jamestown (NY) Rebels, Maryland (Odenton, MD) Black Bears, Northeast (Attleboro, MA) Generals, and the Maine (Lewiston) Nordiques. Danbury participated in their first NAHL hockey business as part of the league's Supplemental Draft where they took Andrew Mancini from Canterbury Prep School Saints (New Milford) with the 13th selection and then with their second pick 40th overall drafted Cole Vallese (Salisbury Prep) who is a Providence College (HE) commit for 2021-22. Other names of note include the 19th overall pick, Cam Knuble, the son of former New York Ranger, Mike Knuble, who was taken by the Shreveport (LA) Mudbugs, He was also taken in the USHL Draft 2016 by the Des Moines Buccaneers in the 6th round 82nd overall. The 34th selection was Cooper Swift (West Hartford/Choate Prep), who was taken by the Maine Nordiques. He played four games with Langley (BCHL) and most of the season with New Jersey (NCDC). Jack Ring (Guilford) went 71st overall to the Fairbanks (AK) Ice Dogs. He played for New Hampton (NH) School last season. The NAHL also announced the rebranding of two teams for next season. The first is the St. Cloud (MN) Blizzard who moved from Brookings, MN last year and will now be known as the St. Cloud Norsemen playing in the NAHL Central Division The second is the Topeka (KS) Pilots who become the Kansas City Scouts in the fall. That named was used after the NHL team of the mid-1970s for two years (1974-1976) before the franchise was moved to Colorado to become the Rockies who eventually became the New Jersey Devils. The NAHL is a 26 team league with Danbury as its second foray into the Northeast has primarily been located in the US Midwest and Southwest. The league has teams in Odessa, TX, Shreveport, LA, Amarillo, TX , Springfield, MO, Chippewa Falls, WI, West Minot, ND, and two teams in Alaska, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs and the Kenai River Brown Bears in Soldotna. A 27th team will be coming in 2021-22 in the Wichita Falls (TX) Warriors. TRANSACTIONS Ex-Hartford Wolf Pack, Oscar Lindberg, leaves EV Zug (Switzerland-LNA) and heads to Dynamo Moscow (Russia-KHL). Markus Granlund, who split the year between Bakersfield and Edmonton, departs for Salvat Yulaev (Russia-KHL) becoming the 15th AHL player to sign overseas for next season. 12 of 31 teams have seen a player sign in Europe. UCONN gets another commit from Russia for the fall making him a critical flip from a powerful Hockey East opponent. Artem Shlaine, who has dual citizenship (US/Russia) comes out of the highly-respected Shattuck St. Mary’s Sabres program in Faribault, MN. He was originally a BU commit last May but was scheduled to go for the 2021-22 season for the Terriers, but he has selected the Huskies and will be on campus in the fall. He also had offers from Boston College and Ohio State. Shlaine is 6’1 and 175lbs. He is a left-handed shooting center who resides in Florida. His family moved from Moscow where he scored 60 points in 44 games this past season. Here in the states this season, in 46 games, Shlaine had 26 goals and 52 assists (78 points). Last season, for SSM he posted 90 points in 56 games played including 34 goals and 56 assists while wearing the number 13 jersey. In six games with Muskegon (USHL) this season, he had two goals and three points. Last month, Shlaine was drafted in the third round (56th overall) in the OHL Priority Draft by the Owen Sound Attack. A sixth-round (93rd overall) draft pick in 2018 of USHL Sioux Falls, he suited up for the Stampede in two playoff games last season. In the Central Scouting Bureau (CSB) final list, he joins three other Huskies who are eligible to be drafted he was in the 94th spot, with a pair of sophomore defenseman, Yan Kuznetsov was rated the highest of the four at 36th, Jacob Flynn was 112th and incoming freshmen East Haven’s Nick Capone at 126th. USA Hockey announced on Wednesday that Ted Donato (Harvard-ECACHL), Kris Mayotte (Michigan-Big 10) and Steve Miller (Ohio State - Big 10) will serve as assistant coaches. Theresa Feaster (Providence) will be video coach for the 2021 U.S. National Junior Team scheduled to compete in the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship that's presently scheduled for December 26, 2020, to January 5, 2021, in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. The group will assist head coach Nate Leaman (Providence), who was named to the position in March. Nick Halloran Colorado College (NCHC) has turned pro and signed a deal with Ontario (AHL). Three more Division III players have signed deals in Europe. College players turning pro in North America now stand at 95, including Division III and Europe a total of 154 have done so and 24 underclassmen have left early. Hockey East leads with 22 signings, Big 10 has 20, NCHC with 18, WCHA has 13, ECACHL has 12, and the AHA has nine. 26 college players have signed in Europe the latest is Parker Tuomie who heads back home to play for Eisbaren Berlin (Germany-DEL). Read the full article

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BRYANT: HAT TRICKS ROLL TO THEIR SEVENTH STRAIGHT WIN

BY: Casey Bryant, Danbury Hat Tricks DANBURY, CT - The Danbury Hat Tricks just keep on rollin'. A franchise-best win streak extended to seven as the Hat Tricks completed the sweep of the Delaware Thunder to the tune of a 5-4 final at the Danbury Ice Arena before 1,102 on Saturday night. Like Friday night's game between the same two teams, Danbury built a 2-0 lead on goals from Matyas Kasek at 6:01 and then Vladyslav Gavrik at 10:06 only to see the Thunder come roaring back to even up the score. The Thunder got a goal from defensemen Charlie Pens, Jr. on the power play at 11:43 and then Kieran Devine knotted the score with an even-strength goal on a pass from Evgenii Devine at 12:35. Cory Anderson would give the Hat Tricks back the lead at 3-2 with a tally at 15:02, but that lead only lasted 1:14 when a loose puck in front of Danbury's net was poked home past starting netminder, Thomas McGuckin, by Brennan Young to knot the score again at 3. 9:43 into the second frame, newly-acquired, Wolcott, CT-native, Nick DiNicola continued his torrid streak, notching his fourth goal in his first two games with Danbury. But the Thunder would not relent, as the team generated constant offensive zone pressure and sparked several breakaways and odd-man rushes that McGuckin was able to repel. With 3:23 remaining in the second period, Ryan Marker poked a puck in the neutral zone ahead towards the Danbury net and raced to corral it. McGuckin aggressively skated out to the hash marks in an attempt to knock the puck away, but a nifty move by Marker deked the goalie, easily potting his 15th of the season. The black-and-orange regrouped from the error, as Kasek got the puck to Thomas Freeman who toe-dragged the puck and finished a highlight-reel-like goal past Aaron Taylor to put the Hat Tricks back on top to stay at 5-4. Danbury would control the pace of play in the third period, firing 19 shots in the final frame and 50 overall in the contest. The Thunder would have eight chances of their own, but could not find an equalizer that could get past McGuckin. The Hat Tricks are firmly in second place in the Eastern Division (29 points) and nine total wins. They square off with the first-place Watertown Wolves in a critical showdown next weekend in a home-and-home set, playing in Watertown Friday night, and then at the Danbury Ice Arena on Saturday. In his post-game press conference in acknowledgement of the team's winning ways, head coach Billy McCreary was brief. "We're looking forward to next weekend," he said with a wry smile. Read the full article

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BRYANT: HAT TRICKS HAT TRICK LEADS HAT TRICKS TO VICTORY

BY: Casey Bryant, Danbury Hat Tricks DANBURY, CT - In his first game since signing with the team earlier in the week, Nick DiNicola made a huge splash with three goals to lead the Danbury Hat Tricks to a 6-4 victory over the Delaware Thunder before 1,040 at the Danbury Ice Arena on Friday night. The win was the Hat Tricks' sixth win in a row. DiNicola, a Wolcott, CT native, was named the game's first star as he registered the first hat trick in team history. "It wasn't pretty, but good teams find a way to win," Hat Tricks head coach Billy McCreary commented after the game. "We kinda eased into the lineup tonight but he gave us a lot of energy. He possesses the puck, he makes plays, and he got better as the game went along." The Hat Tricks built a 2-0 lead in the early goings of the first period. Cory Anderson opened the scoring just 2:22 taking a feed from Carter Shinkaruk and beating Thunder netminder, Morgan Hudson. Just over six minutes later, Phil Bronner found the back of the net as well with assists coming from Shinkaruk and Thomas Freeman. Just over a minute later, Eli Kinsman cut the lead in half for the Thunder when he buried a wrist shot past the blocker of Hat Tricks goaltender, Tom McGuckin. Just 21 seconds later the Hat Tricks responded. Matyas Kasek snuck a turnaround shot past Hudson to restore a two-goal lead for the home team. Delaware refused to quit and cut into the deficit again with 5:24 remaining in the period. Anton Kalinin took a feed from Evgenii Demin and fired a slapshot that deflected off a Danbury stick and changed direction on McGurkin and found the back of the net. Anderson took an interference penalty just 1:31 into the second period, giving Delaware a power play that they would capitalize on to even the score. With power play time winding down, Taylor Cutting took a Ryan Marker pass and sent a shot that got past McGurkin at 3:22 and the score was tied at 3. But DiNicola, starting in his first game with the Hat Tricks went to work and would restore the Danbury lead. DiNicola took a saucer pass from Gordy Bonnel and took off on a breakaway and buried his first goal as a Hat Trick at 11:26. With both sides trading high-danger chances, Marker would get on the score sheet for a second time with his 14th goal of the season, 6:14 into the third period. After spending two minutes in the penalty box with Cutting on matching roughing calls, DiNicola went to work. At 14:20, Charlie Pens, Jr went to the box for the Thunder on an Elbowing call. He was joined in the box 1:38 later when Kieran Devine joined him on a Tripping call, giving the Hat Tricks 22 seconds of 5-on-3 power-play time. Jonny Ruiz sent a backdoor pass to DiNicola who banged home his second of the game on the power play at 16:09 to reestablish a Hat Tricks lead at 5-4. With 2:02 left in regulation, DiNicola again found himself the recipient of a cross-crease pass from Ruiz, banged the puck into the net and mailed down the win. McGuckin stopped 29 shots in the win. Shinkaruk registered three assists, with two of them being the primary helper earning him the game's Second Star. Marker, with a goal and an assist, was named Third Star for the Thunder. Danbury rides their six-game winning streak into the rematch tomorrow night at Danbury Arena against the Thunder. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here. Read the full article

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BRYANT: HAT TRICKS DOUBLE UP RUMBLE BEES

Photo by Dan Stockfield DANBURY, CT - Danbury Hat Tricks goaltender, Dillon Kelley, turned aside 25 shots en route to a 4-2 victory over the Battle Creek Rumble Bees before 1,024 at the Danbury Ice Arena on Friday night. "I thought we played a solid game," Tricks head coach Billy McCreary said. "DK was great for us in the net. He made some key stops, and I thought we controlled the pace of play." Carter Shinkaruk scored first for the Tricks at 8:20 of the first period with a one-timer from the left-wing off a gorgeous cross-ice feed from Gordy Bonnel on the powerplay. Nicola Levesque extended the Hat Tricks lead at 4:33 of the second period, corralling a Phil Bronner pass from behind the net and slipping a point-blank shot under the left pad of Rumble Bees netminder, Jacob Mullen. Battle Creek halved Danbury's lead less than two minutes later with a wrist shot that squeaked under Kelley's right leg at 6:28. The Hat Tricks' powerplay would strike once more before the period's end, with Bronner shoveling a rebound top shelf to beat Mullen at 16:45. At 12:59 of the third period, Levesque saucered a 2-on-1 pass to Bronner, who took a stick to the midsection from Battle Creek's Hayden Way. Taking exception to the hook, Bronner dropped the gloves and fought Way in a bout of fisticuffs, delighting the Danbury Hat Tricks faithful in the stands. Though Vinnie Susi would tally with just 3:22 left in regulation for the Rumble Bees, Bonnel responded for the home team with a tally 11 seconds later to secure the 4-2 win. The Danbury Hat Tricks are back in action tomorrow night for a rematch against the 0-10-0 Rumble Bees at 7 pm.

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BRYANT: (SAT) HAT TICKS BATTERED BY ENFORCERS 8-3

Photo by Dan Stockfield BY: Casey Bryant, Danbury Hat Tricks DANBURY, CT - A physical weekend ended Saturday night at the Danbury Ice Arena in an ugly 8-3 fashion by the visiting Elmira Enforcers over the Danbury Hat Tricks. The Hat Tricks surrendered three goals in a span of 26-seconds in the second period sinking the black-and-orange before a crowd of 1,492. At 16:56 of the second period, Danbury's sweeping intensity led to a scrum after the whistle that led to a fight between Elmira's Ahmed Mahfouz and Danbury's Phil Bronner. While the officials were busy pulling the two apart, Enforcers forward Kyle Stevens, and Hat Tricks player/coach Nicola Levesque squared off at center ice. Levesque dropped Stevens after a lengthy bout, firing up the Danbury Arena crowd. All were issued fighting majors while both Levesque and Stevens were issued Game Misconducts. The momentum shifted and Elmira jumped all over it. Skinner netted a goal into an empty cage when Danbury goaltender Tom McGuckin dove out to the hashmarks on a partial breakaway. Eleven seconds later, Andrew Harrison poked a slow, trickling puck through McGuckin's five-hole. Then, just fifteen seconds after, Harrison banged home a pop-up rebound, chasing McGuckin from the contest. The scoring began at 2:19, after a tripping call went to Mahfouz. At the same time, Danbury's Matyas Kasek was issued an instigator minor but also handed a five-minute major for fighting. Elmira gained plenty of momentum from the major penalty and took an early lead at 6:26, when Mahfouz and Michealis set up a power play goal by Andrew Harrison. The Enforcers outshot the Hat Tricks 12-5 in the first frame and carried the 1-0 lead into the second period. Penalties would hurt the Hat Tricks again in the second period as Bronner went to the sin bin for an Unsportsmanlike Conduct call at 6:55. Mahfouz took a pass from Harrison and Cameron Yarwood who buried a power-play goal 7:44 into the second. Christian Whitcomb was called for a double minor for boarding and Unsportsmanlike Conduct allowing the Hat Tricks to go on the power play. Casper Dyrssen would put Danbury on the board just 17 seconds into the man-advantage. With two minutes of power play time remaining and the tying score just out of reach, the Hat Tricks applied intense pressure on Enforcers netminder, Troy Passingham. "We've got to be more disciplined," Levesque said after the game. "I was trying to help my team out , obviously it didn't work out the way we wanted. We've got to turn the page and get the next one." Danbury will be on home ice next weekend against the Battle Creek Rumble Bees. SCORESHEET Read the full article

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BRYANT: (FRI) HAT TRICKS EARN FRANCHISE FIRST HOME WIN, 7-4

Photo by Dan Stockfield BY: Casey Bryant, Danbury Hat Tricks DANBURY, CT - History was made at the Danbury Ice Arena, as the FPHL's Hat Tricks earned their first home victory in franchise history by topping the Elmira Enforcers 7-4, on Friday night. "It's always great to win at home," said Hat Tricks head coach Billy McCreary said. "I liked the jump in our game, we have a few things that we want to tighten up, but for the most part we had great energy and did a good job supplying pressure up front." Danbury jumped out to an early lead courtesy of Cory Anderson, who rifled home a wrist shot from between the hash marks just 1:33 into the game. Jonny Ruiz made it 2-0 with a power play goal at 5:52. The Enforcers answered back 32 seconds later when Ahmed Mahfouz netted his fifth goal of the season at 6:24 to make it a 2-1 home team lead. Danbury jumped right back into the fray adding a third goal just 26 seconds later as a net-mouth scramble led to Vladyslav Gavrik's third goal of the season to restore Danbury's two-goal margin at 3-1. At 14:19, Anderson would strike again to make it a 4-1 Hat Trick lead. As the period was coming to a close, with 57 seconds left, Sean Reynolds took a pass from Mahfouz and put one past Hat Tricks starting netminder, Dillon Kelley (36 saves) to send the teams to the intermission with the Hat Tricks leading 4-2. Despite being down two goals, the Enforcers went to the first break leading in shot attempts, 14-13. In the second period, the Hat Tricks failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity as Elmira took back-to-back penalites, a cross-checking call to Christian Whitcomb at 3:32 and then just shy of a minute later, at 4:27, Jordan Clarke took a hooking call giving the Hat Tricks a two-man advantage for 1:05. Danbury got two shots from Steve Mele on the two-man advantage but Passingham was able to deny him both times. A nifty passing play led to a Jordan Clarke goal for Elmira midway through the second, but Ruiz banged home a rebound minutes later for his second of the contest to keep the Hat Tricks' lead at two. Kyle Stevens pulled the Enforcers to within a goal at 4-3 at 10:58 off a Mahfouz pass giving him his third point of the night midway through the second period. At 14:57 Ruiz restored the Hat Tricks two-goal margin with an even strength goal off passes from Phil Bronner and Nicola Levesque to make it 5-3 Andrew Harrison responded with a quick strike to make it 5-4 off a Clarke feed. With Gordy Bonnel in the penalty box for Danbury for a hooking call at 18:21, Elmira coughed up the puck allowing for a shorthanded three-on-one odd-man rush. The Hat Tricks executed a perfect tic-tac-toe sequence allowing Bronner to give the Hat Tricks a much-needed shot in the arm heading into the final frame and a 6-4 lead. Sam Williams would tack on one more in the third period at 7:29 for Danbury, securing the 7-4 final. "It's a big win for us," Anderson said. "We got a lot of chances. They're a good team over there. We wanted to get that first home win and give our fans something to cheer about." The Hat Tricks will be back in action tomorrow night for a rematch with the Enforcers. BOX SCORE

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BRYANT: DEJÁ VÚ: PROWLERS STEAL OT WIN FOR SECOND NIGHT

BY: Casey Bryant, Danbury Hat Tricks DANBURY, CT - How ironic that a Matt Robertson goal in overtime would secure him a hat trick and put the dagger for the second consecutive night to the Danbury Hat Tricks to the visiting Port Huron Prowlers, in a 4-3 loss before 881 at the Danbury Ice Arena on Saturday. It must have seemed like deja vu for the Hat Tricks as they had in their opener the night before, they once again sprung to an early lead as defender Steve Mele made a marvelous move from the point, maneuvered his way along the perimeter to the goal line and roofed a wrister past Chris Paulin just 2:28 into the contest. The score stayed that way until with just fifty seconds remaining in the period The Prowlers answered, as Robertson scored the first of what would be three goals on the night. In the second period, both teams struggled to stay out of the penalty box as both were hit with a myriad of penalties allowing them to trade powerplay goals. Port Huron's Austin Fetterly buried a shot from between the hash-marks at 9:06, only to be countered by a net-front scramble that led to a tally from Cory Anderson at 17:14. Despite being tagged with five penalties in the second period alone, Danbury escaped tied 2-2. But staying out of the box continued to be a Danbury issue in the third period, but Vladyslav Gavrik managed to give the Hat Tricks the lead with a terrific physical shift on the man advantage at 11:40. On the ensuing faceoff, Anderson shoved the Prowlers' Matt Graham earning himself a roughing minor. It took just 40 seconds for Port Huron to make them pay when Robertson struck again on the powerplay. Anderson was called for a roughing minor at 15:28 and on the resulting penalty kill, Kyle Gonzalez took a roughing call at 16:02 putting Danbury down two players for 1:26. Despite playing an extended 5-on-3 the Hat Tricks penalty killers held and the Prowlers were unable to capitalize. Danbury survived to get to overtime, but once again would be unable to close it out. In extra time, Nicola Levesque rifled a shot on Paulin that sailed wide of the net. The puck rattled around the glass and sprung Port Huron for a rush the other direction. Robertson planted himself in front of the net and sheathed the dagger, earning the hat trick and the victory. "We've got to be better," head coach Billy McCreary said. "We want to be physical. We want to compete. It's encouraging to take these guys to overtime on back-to-back nights, but there are some things we want to clean up going forward." The Hat Tricks take their show on the road next weekend, visiting the Danville Dashers. Read the full article

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BRYANT: PROWLERS SPOIL OPENER IN OT, TAKE 5-4 VICTORY FROM HAT TRICKS

BY: Casey Bryant, Danbury Hat Tricks DANBURY, CT - Fans got exactly what they wanted from their first professional Danbury hockey game in two years. Well, everything except a win. Despite leading at three different times in the game, the Danbury Hat Tricks, playing their first game in franchise history, failed to close it out. Just 39 seconds into the overtime period, a Matt Robinson goal, ironically his third of the game giving him the hat trick, did in Danbury as the visiting Port Huron Prowlers won it, 4-3. Jonny Ruiz scored the franchise's first goal as well as netted his first professional goal, just one minute into the first period. With a bouncing puck along the far wall, Ruiz corralled it onto his stick, maneuvered out to the slot and ripped a wrister past the Prowlers netminder, Chris Paulin. Port Huron answered back late in the first with just 50 seconds remaining off a brilliant feed from the point by Paul Arnott that found Robertson who slipped it past Hat Tricks starting netminder, Nick Niedert. The Prowlers grabbed the lead on the power play at 9:06 of the second period when Austin Fetterly took advantage of a fortuitous bounce off a Danbury defender, Kruz Listmayer and beat Neidert for the 2-1 lead. The Prowlers dominated possession in the second period, but it was the Hat Tricks on a power play at 17:14 with Ruiz's second of the game to end the period tied at 2. Penalties abounded in the final frame, with a back-and-forth exchange of scoring. Dalton Jay netted his second of the contest to knot the game at three. With less than three minutes remaining in the third period, Cory Anderson potted a powerplay goal to give the Tricks their third lead. That advantage did not last long, as a shot from the high slot off the stick of Matt Stoia redirected off a Danbury defender and past Niedert. In overtime, off a 2-on-1 rush generated by two of the most dangerous scorers in the FPHL, was started by Matt Graham and finished by Robertson. "We showed a lot of character," Hat Tricks head coach Billy McCreary said. "Any time we went through adversity, the guys didn't shy away from it...our defensive zone play has got to get a little better." McCreary specifically found plenty of positives in Ruiz's play. The rookie in his first pro game notched two goals. "He brings a lot of energy. He's very vocal. For him to take the next step, he's gotta be solid in all three zones. He's definitely a big part of what we're doing. "Danbury Arena is an electric place," McCreary said as he praised the 1,509 who packed Danbury Ice Arena. The crowd gave his team a standing ovation following the overtime loss. "We want to give them more to cheer about." Read the full article

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CRAWFORD: PACK DOUBLE UP SOUND TIGERS 2-1

Hartford Wolf Pack 2, Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1 BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack Hartford, CT, September 27, 2019 – Nick Jones scored both Hartford Wolf Pack goals, and goaltenders Adam Huska and Tom McCollum combined to stop 37 out of 38 shots, Friday at Trinity College’s Koeppel Community Sports Center, in a 2-1 AHL preseason victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Patrick Newell assisted on both of Jones’ goals, and a Connor Doherty shorthanded score was the Sound Tigers’ only marker. The win evened the preseason slate at 1-1 for the Wolf Pack, who dropped their preseason opener, 4-2, to the Springfield Thunderbirds Wednesday night at the Danbury Ice Arena. “We had another strong start, which is nice, but we need to work on some things to maintain that pressure,” Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch said.  “And the goaltending, I think that’s a big story today, was how well both goaltenders played.  It could have been a different situation, but Adam and Tom were really good for us.” Jones opened the scoring at 13:46 of the first period, on a strong individual effort.  He battled the puck out of the left-wing corner and threaded his way to the front of the Bridgeport net, before stuffing a close-in bid underneath the left pad of Sound Tiger goaltender Jakub Skarek. Shots favored the Wolf Pack by a margin of 8-4 in the first, and the second period was scoreless, despite a 16-4 shots edge for Bridgeport. Jones clicked for his second of the game only 26 seconds into the third period, making it a 2-0 Hartford lead. A Matt Beleskey pass from the right-wing corner found Jones alone to the right of Linus Soderstrom, who had relieved Skarek at 11:01 of the second period, and Jones easily flicked the puck past Soderstrom on the glove side. “He’s a guy that’s just continued to impress,” Knoblauch said of Jones.  “Obviously he has some skills, but I think what separates him is his determination.  He works so hard.  He’s not the fastest guy, not the most skilled guy, but he just wins a lot of puck battles.  He goes into the corner and comes out with the puck so often.” That goal loomed large, as Doherty cut the lead in half for Bridgeport at 6:06, while the Wolf Pack were on their first power play of the game.  Doherty and Kyle Thomas moved into the Hartford zone on a 2-on-1, and Thomas sent the puck across from the right side to Doherty, who shot back against the grain to beat McCollum. McCollum, who made 25 saves in just 28:59 of work, and the Wolf Pack shut the door the rest of the way, though, including a stretch of 1:21 at the end of the contest during which the Sound Tigers had Soderstrom on the bench for an extra attacker. The Wolf Pack open their 2019-20 regular season next Saturday, October 5, with a home-ice contest vs. the defending Calder Cup-champion Charlotte Checkers.  Faceoff is 7:00 PM.  Tickets for that game and all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack online, go to hartfordwolfpack.com. Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1 at Hartford Wolf Pack 2 Friday, September 27, 2019 - Koeppel Community Sports Center Bridgeport 0 0 1 - 1 Hartford     1 0 1 - 2 1st Period-1, Hartford, Jones 1 (Dmowski, Newell), 13:46. Penalties-No Penalties 2nd Period- No Scoring.  Penalties-Murray Bri (fighting), 1:21; Beleskey Hfd (fighting), 1:21; Taylor Hfd (slashing), 6:11; Quenneville Bri (holding), 8:11; Thomson Bri (fighting), 12:20; Geertsen Hfd (fighting), 12:20. 3rd Period-2, Hartford, Jones 2 (Newell, Beleskey), 0:26. 3, Bridgeport, Doherty 1 (Thomas), 6:06 (SH). Penalties-Durandeau Bri (tripping), 4:47; served by Durandeau Bri (bench minor - delay of game (faceoff violation)), 7:19; Pond Bri (holding), 11:17; Cornell Bri (fighting), 12:31; Beleskey Hfd (slashing, fighting), 12:31; Zerter-Gossage Hfd (slashing), 16:15. Shots on Goal-Bridgeport 4-16-18-38. Hartford 8-4-4-16. Power Play Opportunities-Bridgeport 0 / 3; Hartford 0 / 4. Goalies-Bridgeport, Skarek 1-0-0 (9 shots-8 saves); Soderstrom 0-1-0 (7 shots-6 saves). Hartford, Huska 0-0-0 (12 shots-12 saves); McCollum 1-0-0 (26 shots-25 saves). A- Referees-Conor O'Donnell (41), Patrick Hanrahan (52). Linesmen-Kevin Briganti (39), Nick Briganti (58). Read the full article

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CANTLON: PACK DROP 4-2 PRESEASON GAME TO THUNDERBIRDS

Wolf Pack Drop Preseason Opener Against Springfield BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings DANBURY, CT - A strong second period by the Springfield Thunderbirds allowed them to spoil the Hartford Wolf Pack's preseason opener by a 4-2 margin at the Danbury Ice Arena on Wednesday night as both teams kicked off their AHL preseason play. “I liked a lot of the guys,” Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch said. “A lot of the guys that we’ve been watching, and who have been trying to make this team, played well. They separated themselves from other guys. Sure you want to win, but we had to look at the whole lineup knowing we'll have some different pieces soon.” Knoblauch said. With the score 3-2 and 36 seconds remaining, the Pack had a glorious chance to tie it. With goalie Francois Brassard pulled for an extra attacker, Lewis Zerter-Gossagae corralled a loose puck twenty feet out and sent a well-placed blind backhanded pass to a wide-open, Tim Gettinger on the right-wing. Gettinger's point-blank shot was stifled by Thunderbirds' goalie Ryan Bednard to preserve the win. Blaine Byron sealed the victory with eight seconds left in regulation after outmuscling Ryan Gropp for a loose puck at the left point. Byron got inside position heading toward the open cage and slipped in a backhander for the fourth Springfield goal. The Wolf Pack had a great chance to tie things at 3:20 of the third when Jake Elmer was on a clean breakaway on Bednard. Elmer went for a shake-and-bake backhander but was denied. The Wolf Pack was able to take advantage of a Thunderbirds miscue and were able to score their second goal. Defenseman Jeff Taylor corralled a dump-in attempt but fell down allowing Taylor to start the rush. On a three-on-two, Taylor, like Gropp, didn’t look to pass at all and beat Bernard high to the short-side at 9:06. Springfield answered right back a minute-and-a-half later as Rodrigo Abols came off the left-wing wall, dipsy-doodled on Darren Raddysh, who ate a lot of glass and then wired a hard wrist-shot that eluded Pack goalie, Tomas McCollum through the wickets at 11:12. The Wolf Pack faced a serious push back as Thunderbirds were able to maintain puck possession and stopped former QU Bobcat, Liam Porcaro, and Matt Marcinew to keep the game tied. Then, as was the case last season, the Thunderbirds scored a late goal with 1:06 left in the second period. Jonathan Ang fired a shot to the top shelf over the left shoulder of Brassard for a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish. The Wolf Pack scored the game's first goal on a two-on-one break. Gropp took a lead pass from Elmer, and with linemate, Greg Chase bore down on the lone Springfield defender. At the right-wing circle, Gropp snapped a hard, low wrist shot to the far side under Bednard’s stick at 1:56. “It was a good play and shot by Gropp, but what we liked on that play, was what he did in the defensive zone before the rush. That caught the entire staff’s attention,” remarked Knoblauch. The Wolf Pack showed solid forechecking, puck possession and offensive zone time which last season against Springfield was in short supply. Raddysh, Terrence Wallin, and Taylor all had good open shots on Bernard. The Pack went with a more veteran-filled lineup and McCollum, one of the five offseason free-agent signings, didn’t have much work early on. The Wolf Pack had the games' first powerplay and like the parent Rangers, there was plenty of quick one-time passing and shots, but were unable to add a second Wolf pack tally. The Thunderbirds capitalized on the lone Wolf Pack breakdown. Marcinew was on the right-wing and spotted Jake Massie streaking in off the left side and got him the puck. Massie snapped a one-timer past McCollum at 13:50 to even things at one goal per team. The Wolf Pack kept the pressure going in the later stages of the period and Matt Beleskey had a superb redirect of Bryan Lerg’s shot while on the left-wing, it rang off the post. NOTES: The Wolf Pack received two players from New York. They received AHL free agent signing Phil DiGiuseppe, and goaltender Adam Huska, a former UCONN Husky. Not yet announced, Danny O’Regan, a major AHL offseason signing, has been assigned but has to clear waivers first on Thursday before being officially assigned. Finnish defenseman Tarmo Reunanen is also going to be assigned to complete his North American training camp. By assigning him here is also a contractual matter, so that he can play here at the end of the year as he is being loaned to his Finnish team Lukko Rauma (Finland-FEL) where he will play the 2019-20 regular season. The Rangers signed him to a standard entry-level deal early in the spring. Defenseman Matt Robertson was sent back to his junior team, the Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL). In turn, the Wolf Pack released four players from their camp who are heading to their ECHL teams. Taylor Cammarata Maine (ECHL), a pair of defensemen, Cody Donaghey to Orlando (ECHL), and Jordan Klimek to South Carolina (ECHL) while goalie, Jake Kumsky, continues the pursuit of his career with the Ft. Wayne Komets (ECHL). After the game, Knoblauch hinted the lineup will be altered by tomorrow. “I’m pretty sure three players will be reassigned and we're not sure which players from New York will be here, but there is gonna be some changes and some very tough decisions will be made before we play Friday.” The Wolf Pack will play Bridgeport on Friday at 1 pm at the Koeppel Community Center on the campus of Trinity College. PACK LINES: Bryan Lerg-Tim Gettinger-Lewis Zerter-Gossage Gabriel Fontaine-Matt Beleskey-Ty Ronning Ryan Gropp-Greg Chase-Jake Elmer Terrence Wallin-Alex Kile-Patrick Newell Defense: Brandon Crawley-Darren Raddysh Joey Keane-Mason Geertsen Jeff Taylor- Zach Tolkinen Tomas McCollum Wolf Pack Scratches: Forwards - Connor Brickley, Ryan Dmowski, Ville Meskanen, Shawn McBride, Dawson Leedahl, DiGiuseppe, and Nick Jones. Defenseman: Jeff LoVerde, Sean Day (injury), and Johnny Coughlin. Springfield has former Yale Bulldog Adam Larkin in camp, and former Thunderbird, Cam Brown, a University of Maine grad. Florida assigned three players to Springfield who all must clear waivers including major Pack-killer from last season, Anthony Greco, as well as Ian McCoshen and Ethan Prow. Matt Mangene signed a contract extension yesterday. The Sound Tigers had seven players assigned including, Kieffer Bellows, Scott Eastnor, and Otto Koivula. Former Thunderbird, Harry Zolniercyzk, who signed a deal with Hartford over the summer elected to retire and that’s why Bryan Lerg is in camp looking to fill one of the veteran slots. A Wolf Pack player pre-game soccer and training took place adjacent to the parking garage at the arena. It was tight quarters. Hartford GM Chris Drury, Director of Pro Scouting, Kevin Maxwell, new development scout, Tanner Glass, and former Pack goalie and Yale grad Jeff Malcolm, now a scout for the team, were all in attendance. Wolf Pack fan jerseys of the night: Dan Cloutier 39, Dan Catenacci 43, and a Filip Chytil 72. The bromance continues between former Hartford Whaler, Ron Francis, who's the new GM of the Seattle expansion team, and his first two pro scouts that he hired. To no surprise, he hired his old Whalers teammate, plus a former Rangers and Wolf Pack assistant coach, Ulf Samuelsson. Samuelsson was relieved of his duties, along with the other three Whaler amigos, Joel Quenneville, and Kevin Dineen, from the Chicago Blackhawks last November. Quenneville is the new head man of the Florida Panthers, the parent team of Springfield. Dineen, who interviewed for the Wolf Pack job, is the head coach in San Diego. The other scout was long-time NHL’er, Stu Barnes, who played 1,136 games for Winnipeg (original Jets), Pittsburgh, Florida, Buffalo, and Dallas. Read the full article

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CRAWFORD: PACK DOUBLED UP BY T-BIRDS

Springfield Thunderbirds 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 2 BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack Danbury, CT, September 25, 2019 – The Hartford Wolf Pack had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 Wednesday night at Danbury Ice Arena, but the Springfield Thunderbirds scored the last three goals of the game for a 4-2 win, in the AHL preseason opener for both teams. Ryan Gropp and Jeff Taylor scored the Wolf Pack goals.  Jake Massie, Rodrigo Abols and Jonathan Ang scored for Springfield, and Blaine Byron added an empty-net goal. “I liked a lot of the guys,” Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch said.  “A lot of the guys that we’ve been watching, and who have been trying to make this team, played well.  They separated themselves from other guys.” Gropp opened the scoring only 1:56 in.  He came into the Springfield zone on a 2-on-1 with Greg Chase and elected to shoot, firing a snapshot past Thunderbird goaltender Ryan Bednard (32 saves) on the stick side. The Thunderbirds equalized at 13:50, on a goal by Massie.  Matt Marcinew fed a pass across the slot to Massie in the left-wing circle, and his shot got by the glove side of Wolf Pack starting netminder Tom McCollum. The Wolf Pack enjoyed an 11-3 shots advantage in the opening frame. Hartford went ahead again at 9:06 of the second period, on a shorthanded goal by Taylor.  Similar to the play on which Gropp scored in the first, Taylor kept the puck on a 2-on-1, putting a shot high into the net from the left side. That lead lasted less than a minute-and-a-half, though, as the Springfield power play answered at 11:21, with only 12 seconds left in a hooking penalty to Brandon Crawley.  Abols got the goal, sneaking the puck through McCollum’s legs from the left circle. Francois Brassard replaced McCollum in the Wolf Pack net at that point, after McCollum stopped five of the seven shots he faced, and the Thunderbirds went ahead for the first time with 1:06 remaining in the period. Ang gave Springfield the lead, taking a cross-ice pass from Byron and firing the puck past Brassard’s catching glove from the right circle. The third frame was scoreless, except for an empty-net goal by Byron with eight seconds left.  With Brassard (ten saves) on the bench for an extra attacker, Byron worked the puck away from Gropp near the Springfield blue line and was able to fend Gropp off enough to make his way into the Wolf Pack zone and push the puck into the vacated cage. The Wolf Pack’s next preseason action is this Friday, September 25, when they host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the Koeppel Community Sports Center on the campus of Trinity College.  Faceoff is 1:00 PM.  Donations will be accepted at the door in lieu of an admission charge, benefitting the Ryan Gordon/Hartford Wolf Pack Community Scholars Fund.  The fund memorializes young fan Ryan Gordon, who passed away in 2006 and asked that a portion of the monies set aside for his college education be donated to the Hartford Wolf Pack Community Foundation.  Suggested donation is $5 per person. The Wolf Pack open their 2019-20 regular season next Saturday, October 5, with a home-ice contest vs. the defending Calder Cup-champion Charlotte Checkers.  Faceoff is 7:00 PM.  Tickets for that game and all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack online, go to hartfordwolfpack.com. Springfield Thunderbirds 4 at Hartford Wolf Pack 2 Wednesday, September 25, 2019 - Danbury Ice Arena Springfield 1 2 1 - 4 Hartford     1 1 0 - 2 1st Period-1, Hartford, Gropp 1 (Elmer), 1:56. 2, Springfield, Massie 1 (Marcinew), 13:50. Penalties-Bajkov Spr (tripping), 8:59; Massie Spr (delay of game), 19:14. 2nd Period-3, Hartford, Taylor 1   10:54 (SH). 4, Springfield, Abols 1 (Bouramman), 11:21 (PP). 5, Springfield, Ang 1 (Byron, Rockwood), 18:54. Penalties-Geertsen Hfd (cross-checking), 8:07; Crawley Hfd (hooking), 9:33. 3rd Period-6, Springfield, Byron 1   19:52 (EN). Penalties-No Penalties Shots on Goal-Springfield 3-12-6-21. Hartford 11-12-11-34. Power Play Opportunities-Springfield 1 / 2; Hartford 0 / 2. Goalies-Springfield, Bednard 1-0-0 (34 shots-32 saves). Hartford, McCollum 0-0-0 (9 shots-7 saves); Brassard 0-1-0 (11 shots-10 saves). A- Referees-Terry Koharski (10), Jeremy Tufts (78). Linesmen-Eric Ernst (24), Petr Hejna (76). Read the full article

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SORCHER: HAT TRICKS SIGN LEVESQUE

BY: Herm Sorcher, Danbury Hat Tricks

Danbury, CT - The FPHL’s Danbury Hat Tricks Head Coach and General Manager, Bill McCreary, announced the team has acquired forward, Nicola Levesque, who will also be the first Player/Assistant Coach in team history. Levesque, a native of Trois Rivieres, Quebec, Canada, will be an offensive threat against any opponent in the league. He is a career point-per-game player at the FPHL level, notching 58 points in 56 regular-season games. Levesque is 6’2 and 190 lbs, and not only brings considerable skill to the ice, but he also plays an edge to his game and won’t hesitate to stick up for his teammates. “There are many great qualities to Nic’s game, but what I really like is that he is tough to play against,” McCreary said. “With the game evolving at every level, a player like Nic allows us to play with speed, skill, and toughness. That’s Danbury hockey, and that is our expectation. Defend our teammates. Defend our city.” Levesque previously helped guide the Watertown Wolves to an FPHL Championship in 2017-18.  He also has experience in both the SPHL with the Huntsville Havoc, and in the LNAH, one of the toughest professional leagues in the world. During the 2017-18 season, Levesque recorded 3 goals and 11 assists in 10 regular-season games for the Wolves. He also posted 1 goal and 5 assists along with 15 PIMS in 6 playoff games. “I am thankful for this amazing opportunity,” said Levesque. “I am truly honored to be part of this organization and to have the chance to play in this great hockey city.  I always loved to come to play and compete in Danbury because of the atmosphere the fans created, and I am happy to be on the good side now. I am looking forward to the start of the season and working towards this exciting new chapter of Danbury hockey and most importantly, bringing a championship back to Danbury! “I can’t wait to meet the team, the organization, and the best fans in the FPHL,” Levesque added. “Danbury has always been known to have a winning mentality and we plan on keeping it that way!” Levesque will be on the ice when the Hat Tricks open their season against the Port Huron Prowlers on Friday, October 25th at the Danbury Ice Arena. Season tickets are $290 which includes complimentary parking, a food credit, and a beverage. To secure your seats, contact Mitch Beck at mbeck@danburyice.com. For further information on the team, check out danburyhattricks.com  or call the team office at 203-794-1704. Read the full article