At 200 goals, Ruiz makes the moment about everyone else

Jonny Ruiz eventually lifted the barrel. But before he did, he pointed.

As the Hat Tricks gathered at center ice around the Litchfield Distillery victory barrel — a post-win celebration — following the overtime winner, the Danbury captain pointed at Eli Rivers, the new face in town who had just scored the game-winning goal in his Hat Tricks debut.

“I love seeing my teammates get their chance to shine,” Ruiz said. “He won the game for us.”

Only later did the importance of the night settle in. In the third period, Ruiz scored the 200th goal of his professional career, becoming the fifth player in FPHL history to reach the mark. Ruiz, 31, joined Tyler Gjurich, Ahmed Mahfouz, Dalton Jay and Justin Brausen in the league’s 200 Club, staking his claim among the FPHL’s all-time top scorers.

Over 291 career games spanning seven seasons, Ruiz reached the milestone while maintaining steady production for Danbury. Along with his 200 career goals, the former UMass-Dartmouth Corsair has added 172 assists for 372 points, averaging 1.3 points per game over that span.

He has been there from the beginning. Since his rookie campaign in the 2019-20 season, which coincided with the Hat Tricks’ first season, Ruiz has seen plenty of roster turnover.

As the waves have pounded the shore, Ruiz has been the rock that never moves, the constant in Danbury. The Williamstown, New Jersey native takes a family approach. Once a new player steps inside, he becomes a brother. 

“Families fight at times, so you're going to hold each other accountable,” Ruiz said. “But the big thing is picking each other up.”

Treating others in the building like family has extended beyond the boards and glass, and into the stands, where the fans have been just as much a part of the journey as the players and coaches.

“This is their team, this is their city,” Ruiz said. “It's one big family.”

In Ruiz’s seven seasons in the FPHL, six were with the Hat Tricks. After his rookie year, the COVID-19 pandemic put the Hat Tricks organization on a temporary hiatus. In order to keep playing hockey, Ruiz was loaned to the Elmira Enforcers in 2020-21, where he played 19 games and recorded 10 goals and six assists for 16 points.

“Obviously, you want to play for your city, your team, but you know, when you’re unable to, you still want to stay around the game and play,” Ruiz said. “When the Hat Tricks were able to start up again, I came back and have been here ever since.”

To be around one team for so long, consistency is a must, and Ruiz has proven to be consistent both in production on the ice, and being a leader off of it. He leads the Hat Tricks in every major category, including points, goals, assists, power-play goals and shorthanded goals, but also leads his teammates every single night.

As a steady presence in the locker room, Ruiz believes being approachable holds a lot of weight in a team’s dynamic. Like a great college professor, he has an open phone policy, meaning any one of his teammates can call or text him anytime.

“It doesn't matter what the situation is, whether it's hockey related, not hockey related,” Ruiz said. “I like to think they can always come to me for anything.”

Even in a milestone moment like scoring your 200th goal, he has always made the spotlight about others — on the ice, with teammates, and off the ice, with his own family that keeps him pushing forward.

Ruiz’s fiancée, Taylor, and their two children, Adrian and Lyla, are his No. 1 fans and his biggest motivators. Seeing his kids watch him play the game he loves —and succeed — has been one of the most meaningful parts of Ruiz’s hockey career.

“They get to say my daddy did this.”

Taylor, Adrian and Lyla are exposed to something not even players, coaches or fans are privy to: Ruiz’s behind-the-scenes work to sustain a professional hockey career for this long.

In his most vulnerable moments, his family has been there for him.

“They know how much you know this city and this sport and this team means to me,” Ruiz said. “They just, they love seeing it come alive once we step on the ice.”

Even with 200 goals in the record books, Ruiz approached the night like any other game. He tried to defer the victory barrel to Rivers, as well as the postgame interview. It was business as usual for the captain who has made a name for himself in Danbury by leading that way.

Now with the milestone behind him, it hasn’t changed how he leads or prepares, as the attention remains on the team and the tasks at hand.

“Selfishly, I'm looking for the next one,” Ruiz said. “I want to keep this continuing. I want to bring another championship back here.”

The Danbury Hat Tricks continue their sixth season in the Federal Prospects Hockey League on Friday, Jan. 16 (7:05 p.m.) and Saturday, Jan. 17 (6:05 p.m.) in Port Huron, MI to take on the Port Huron Prowlers. 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.

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.