Danbury Hat Tricks, Port Huron Prowlers: A rivalry on the rise

The Danbury Hat Tricks and Port Huron Prowlers have established themselves as bitter rivals in the Federal Prospects Hockey League.

Danbury prides itself on a tough, physical style of play. Port Huron mirrors that edge. The Prowlers finished second in the league in penalty minutes last season with 1,370 and lead the FPHL this season with 868.

When these two teams meet, it’s hydrogen and oxygen — a guaranteed reaction.

But every rivalry has a starting point, and this one was forged last season. A total of 244 penalty minutes were assessed across seven meetings, with the Hat Tricks winning five of those games by a combined score of 30-22.

Danbury finished second in the Empire Division at 32-15-8-1 (102 points), while Port Huron placed third at 30-18-6-2 (95 points), setting up a first-round matchup in the 2024-25 playoffs.

Here’s a breakdown of the rivalry ahead of the Hat Tricks’ next meeting with the Prowlers on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

April 18, 2025 | 7:05 p.m. ET | Port Huron, MI

After weeks of regular-season matchups, the rivalry found its footing. Every feud has main characters, and this game revealed one when Port Huron defenseman Ben Brockway stepped into the spotlight.

Down 6-2 in the third period and looking for a spark, Danbury forward Josh Newberg dropped the gloves with Brockway. The fight didn’t spark a Hat Tricks comeback; the team scored once more for a 6-3 final, but it added fuel to a rivalry on the rise.

April 19, 2025 | 8 p.m. ET | Danbury, CT

While no gloves hit the ice in Game 2, it was certainly chippy. Two minutes in, Danbury forward Connor Woolley and Prowlers forward Dan Chartrand exchanged some words before a faceoff, and the officials were quick to assess misconducts for inciting an opponent on both players

Those go into the fold with the rest of the games' 54 penalty minutes, but with the Hat Tricks backs against the wall, facing elimination, they focused on securing the 4-2 win to extend the season at least one more game.

April 20, 2025 | 5 p.m. ET | Danbury, CT

If it wasn't already cemented, Game 3 is the Woodstock of the Hat Tricks-Prowlers rivalry. Port Huron ended Danbury’s season with a 5-3 victory, but what happened after the final horn is what sent this pairing of teams into infamy.

As the Hat Tricks left the ice for the final time of the 2024-25 season,  Brockway took position at center ice and slammed his stick into the middle of the Hat Tricks’ logo, a gesture that drew Danbury back onto the ice to confront the rookie.

As players swarmed, referees kept the teams separated, and by a miracle, no fights broke out. Handshake lines followed, helping cool down the heated players.

As the 2025-26 schedules came out, the Hat Tricks faced a familiar foe for opening weekend: the Prowlers, setting the two reloaded teams on a collision course.

Oct. 10, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. ET | Danbury, CT

If any fans were wondering if the feud would continue into the next season, they quickly found it in the 2025-26 season opener. 

Two seconds into the game, Danbury’s freshly signed enforcer Jesse Swanson and Port Huron forward A.J. Schlepp dropped the gloves in what was a clear message from the Hat Tricks to the Prowlers.

Swanson got another shot at fisticuffs later in the period; this time, it was public enemy No. 1 in Danbury, Brockway, who ate some punches from Swanson shortly after a defensive-zone faceoff. The bout left Brockway with a bloody nose.

Two more fights broke out — between Hat Tricks forward Josh Tomasi and Port Huron forward Jamie Bucell, and between Prowlers forward Brett Morich and Danbury defenseman Justin Movalli — bringing the game’s total penalty minutes to 101.

Port Huron held on for the 3-1 win.

Oct. 11, 2025 | 7 p.m. ET | Danbury, CT

The 148 penalty minutes in Game 2 tell the story of its intensity, including infractions for roughing, spearing (match penalty), slashing, cross-checking, boarding, unsportsmanlike conduct, instigating, and fighting.

Amidst the chaos, Brockway, now sporting a bandaged nose from Game 1, got some revenge against the Hat Tricks, earning an assist on Port Huron defenseman Brett Lockhart’s goal — the first of four for the Prowlers in their 4-0 victory.