Hockey Operations

Jonny Ruiz is entering his fourth season as a player with the Danbury Hat Tricks. He has been a cornerstone of the franchise, holding all-time records in points (268), goals (147), assists (121), and games played (201). The 30-year-old center from Williamstown, New Jersey, also holds the team’s single-season records for points (85) and goals (49) and ranks second in assists (36).

During the 2023-24 season, he ranked fifth in the league in points (74), fourth in goals (38), and tied for first in both power-play goals (12) and short-handed goals (5). He also played his 200th FPHL game in February 2024. His efforts earned him an FPHL First Team All-Star selection and the Hat Tricks' Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards for the third straight season.

Ruiz’s leadership on the ice, as a captain and a player-coach, has been unparalleled, and his transition to co-head coach is a natural progression.

Kyle Gonzalez, a key defenseman for the Hat Tricks, is entering his fourth season with the team. The 30-year-old from Chino Hills, California, has been a steady presence on and off the ice. Despite missing 38 games in the 2023-24 season due to an upper-body injury, Gonzalez contributed nine points (3 goals, 6 assists) in 19 regular season games, posting an impressive +14 rating. His leadership extended beyond the ice as a player-coach, making an impact in the locker room and on the bench.

Gonzalez’s importance was especially evident during Danbury’s Commissioner’s Cup-winning season, when he recorded a career-high 34 points (3 goals, 31 assists) in 54 games. Known for his calm, reliable presence on the blue line, Gonzalez brings skill and leadership both as a player and in his new coaching role.

Matt Voity is entering his fifth season with the Danbury Hat Tricks. Voity has played a pivotal role in the development of goaltenders, facilitating numerous call-ups to both the professional and collegiate levels during his tenure as the director of goaltending for the Hat Tricks organization (FPHL, NAHL, NA3HL). His contributions have been instrumental in shaping the team's goaltending pipeline.

Voity began his coaching career with the Danbury Mad Hatters of the Eastern Professional Hockey League during the 2008-2009 season.

He later moved into NCAA Division I hockey, serving as the goaltending coach for the AIC Yellow Jackets from 2011-2014 and again from 2016-2019. In between, Voity worked with the University of Massachusetts from 2014 to 2016.

A former goaltender, Voity earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Western Connecticut State University, where he also played for the school's club hockey team.

AJ Galante is a Danbury hockey legend, best known for his time as president and general manager of the Danbury Trashers, a minor league hockey team in the United Hockey League from 2004 to 2006. Appointed at just 17 by his father, Jimmy Galante, AJ gained attention for his unconventional management style, emphasizing physical play and fan engagement. Under his leadership, the Trashers became known for their toughness and for turning the team into a cultural phenomenon in Danbury. Their story was chronicled in the Netflix documentary Untold: Crime & Penalties, further amplifying the team's legacy.

After his time with the Trashers, AJ transitioned into professional boxing, spending over 15 years advising boxers, securing bouts, strategizing careers, and promoting fighters. In 2015, he founded Champs Boxing Club, a facility that trains both professional and amateur boxers from across the country.

AJ also hosts the Talkin' Trash Podcast alongside former Hat Tricks enforcer "Diamond Hands" Daniel Amesbury. Known for his dynamic personality and business acumen, AJ continues to make an impact in sports management across both hockey and combat sports, while also being a devoted husband and father.

Bob Dalessio, entering his second season with the Hat Tricks, brings 35 years of experience to Danbury. Dalessio has worked with 25+ teams during his long and successful career, most notably in the National Hockey League with the San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins. Dalessio was a member of the Providence Bruins (AHL) staff in 2011 and received a Boston Bruins Championship ring that season after working the playoffs. 

Dalessio, married for 37 years, has five children and eight grandchildren.

Bill McCreary, Sr. was drafted in the 6th round, 114th overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. He played two seasons of hockey for Colgate University in the NCAA before signing a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in June 1980. He then split the 1980–81 season between the New Brunswick Hawks of the AHL and the Maple Leafs. He played 61 games in the AHL and 12 in the NHL with the Leafs that season. In those twelve games, he scored one goal, had no assists, and added four penalty minutes. 

Bill McCreary is remembered for his open-ice hit on Wayne Gretzky on January 3, 1981. The hit was remarkable because it was the first time that Gretzky had been hit hard in his young career and it left Gretzky on the ice for several minutes. 

Bill has coached in Michigan for the past 30 years.  He has also worked in tandem with his son coaching the East Coast Selects Program, which in the past two years has seen 3 players receive commitments from the US National Development Program, as well as Division I programs such as Boston University, Boston College, Providence College, Nebraska-Omaha and more. Coach Bill has players active at every level of the sport including, junior, college and pro.  Bill resides in Brighton, MI with his wife, Marianne.