2026 DANBURY RING OF HONOR INDUCTEE: JULIAN FRASER
2026 DANBURY RING OF HONOR
DANBURY - The Danbury Hat Tricks are excited to announce the first member of the 2026 Danbury Ring of Honor class – former Danbury Whalers forward/defenseman - Julian Fraser.
On Saturday, April 4th, the Hat Tricks will host the 6th annual Alumni Night. Former players, staff, and contributors from Danbury professional hockey teams past and present will be in attendance for another reunion and celebration of Danbury hockey.
As a part of the festivities, three former players will be honored. We’ll be highlighting all three inductees this week, starting with former the Danbury Whalers forward/defenseman Julian Fraser.
Julian joined the Whalers in their third season in the FHL at 21 years old, having played his final season of juniors the previous year in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. As a rookie, he became a fan favorite right away during Danbury’s 2013 championship season, tallying 6 goals and 16 assists along with 206 penalty minutes.
Fraser logged more than 160 penalty minutes in each of his three seasons with the Whalers, immediately embracing the physical brand of Danbury hockey. He continued to embody that enforcer role in his second season, racking up 171 penalty minutes as the Whalers made another FHL finals appearance, this time falling in 5 games to the Dayton Demonz.
In his third and final season in the Hat City, Julian played in 40 games and logged 9 points to go with 163 PIMs as the Whalers bowed out in the FHL semifinals vs the Watertown Wolves.
In his Danbury career, Julian Fraser played in 132 games (playoffs included) for the Whalers, notched 19 goals, 32 assists, and logged 540 penalty minutes. Compared alongside the Hat Tricks’ all-time leaders in PIMS, his 540 penalty minutes would place him 1st on the list.
However, the greatest statistic and accomplishment, Julian had in his time in Danbury was in his 3-years in Danbury, each of those years, he was voted by the fans the People’s Choice Award winner as the team’s most popular player.
To this day, people still talk about Fraser eleven years after his final game for the Whalers. It takes something special to leave such an indelible mark in three short years. While Julian will not be in attendance Saturday night for his induction into the Ring of Honor, his legacy will now live on forever as one of the most memorable and beloved players to ever call Danbury home.
Current Danbury Hat Tricks team President/Partner, who was the CEO/Partner of the Danbury Whalers, Herm Sorcher commented, “Julian is one of the most amazing stories in Danbury Hockey history. He came to us from Canadian Juniors and right away at an Exhibition Game in New Haven, the fans starting chanting his name. I guess it was the mullet, the missing tooth, and the willingness to drop the gloves, but he was beloved early on and it never stopped.”
Sorcher added, “One of the cool parts to that story was one of the young fans in attendance in New Haven that night was Mike Falanga, who later went on to play 60 games for the Danbury Hat Tricks and was a member of the 2022-23 Championship team. When I first met Mike as a member of the Hat Tricks, one of the first things he said was one of those kids who were chanting for Julian that night in New Haven. I can’t help but think that was the type of inspiration Julian gave to this community. Taking that a step further…I also met Mike Dowler in 2015 to get him a Fraser jersey – his son Brendan went on to become a huge part of Hat Tricks Championship run.”
“We have tried so many different angles to connect with Julian, but kept coming up empty. I hope he sees this and knows the impact he had here in this city. He is still recalled by so many. He will now have a permanent home in the Danbury Ice Arena from a community that is forever grateful for his efforts.”
Danbury Whalers Head Coach Phil Esposito added, “Julian brought it every night. One of the most high energy guys I have ever coached. He was a Champion on the ice. Just as important – he was a Champion off the ice in this community.”
Danbury Whalers President, Alan Friedman “Loved this guy…willingness to do it all. Left it all out there and the fans loved him for it.”
Over the next few days, the rest of the 2026 Ring of Honor class will be announced. Stay tuned for more as we celebrate this year’s group of Danbury greats!
We encourage all alumni to register for the event through the team website. We look forward to hosting!
The Danbury Hat Tricks continue their sixth season in the Federal Prospects Hockey League on Friday, April 3rd (7:30 p.m.) at the Watertown Municipal Arena, to take on the Watertown Wolves. Single-game tickets and partial season ticket packages are on sale and can be purchased in person at the Hat Tricks office located inside the Danbury Ice Arena at 1 Independence Way in Danbury, by calling (973-713-7547) or emailing (herm@danburyhattricks.com) the office, or online through Tixr. For the latest Hat Tricks news, visit www.danburyhattricks.com, follow the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/danburyhattricks), Instagram (@danburyhattricks), X (@DanburyHatTrick), TikTok (@danburyhattricks), and YouTube (@DanburyHatTricks), and subscribe to the Hat Tricks' newsletter.
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.