Game Preview: Hat Tricks at Port Huron Prowlers | Nov. 30, 2024

LAST TIME OUT

Gleb Bandurkin's game-winning goal five minutes into the third period nudged the Hat Tricks by the Prowlers 5-4 in Danbury's first trip to Port Huron since April 15. The victory marked the Hat Tricks' second in three games and their first of a six-game road trip, which started Wednesday in Binghamton.

Connor Woolley netted two goals while Vadim Frolov (1g, 1a) and Jacob Ratcliffe (2a) each had two points. Woolley scored 1:45 into the opening period and at 11:35 to lift the Hat Tricks ahead 3-2.

Port Huron scored twice in the second as Kenneth Styles scored his first professional goal, and Tucker Scantlebury posted the tying goal 29 seconds into the third. Dustin Henning, in his return to Port Huron, crashed the net and scored his first goal of the season and second as a Hat Trick. Danbury led four times in the game (1-0, 3-2, 4-3, 5-4).

The Hat Tricks held on the rest of the way to secure the three points on Black Friday.

Frankie McClendon made 33 saves for his first win of the season in his second start and defenseman Dustin Henning potted his first goal of the year against his former team. D-man Josh Labelle picked up his 100th FPHL point on Woolley's first goal.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Hat Tricks battle the Prowlers for the second time in as many nights on Saturday following Danbury’s 5-4 win on Friday in the first of seven meetings this season. The Empire Division foes will battle two more times after Saturday in Port Huron on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 before the series shifts to Danbury. On Feb. 22, Feb. 28, and March 1, the Hat Tricks will host the final three matchups of the regular season.

Last season, the Hat Tricks and Prowlers had five matchups, with Danbury winning the series four games to one by a combined seven goals. With four wins and one shootout loss in the season series, the Hat Tricks extended their home-point streak against the Prowlers to 14 games going back to the 2019-20 season. The Hat Tricks have never lost a regulation home game to Port Huron and have dropped just four games to the Prowlers all-time, with just one coming in regulation (4-3 on Nov. 13, 2021). Danbury is 11-1-3-4 all-time versus Port Huron. Last year, all five games were played inside the Danbury Ice Arena. The Hat Tricks won one game in overtime (4-3 on Dec. 23), one in a shootout (6-5 on March 1), and two in regulation (4-3 on March 2), including netminder Conor McCollum’s lone shutout on Dec. 22, 2023, in a 4-0 win. Jacob Ratcliffe buried the game-winning goals in overtime on Dec. 23 and in the shootout on March 1).  In the regular season, the Hat Tricks and Prowlers totaled the same number of regulation wins (22) and overtime losses (6) and both fell in the first round of the playoffs. 

ABOUT THE PROWLERS

In their 10th season in the FPHL, the Prowlers enter Saturday’s matchup at 4-7-2-2 (18 points) following their 5-4 home loss to the Hat Tricks on Friday. With just one win in its last five games, Port Huron trails Watertown by 11 points for second place in the Empire Division. In nine road games, the Prowlers have won just once, a 3-1 victory over in-state rival Motor City on Nov. 2. Tenth-year forward and general manager/head coach Matt Graham brings in the FPHL’s fifth-most points (18) with two goals and 16 assists. In his eighth season with the Prowlers, Graham leads the league in assists (18). Before skating for the Prowlers, Graham, 36, spent the 2016-17 season with the Danbury Titans before the franchise’s folding in 2017.

After its first 15 games, Port Huron has a goal differential of -1, scoring 42 and allowing 43. Last season, the Prowlers finished with 11 fewer than their opponents and placed third in the Continental Division.

The Prowlers’ special teams have turned in 16 power play goals, the third-most in the FPHL, and have the third-best penalty kill (84.5%). Last season, the Prowlers had the second-worst PK (73.6%) allowing the 4th-most power play goals in the FPHL (57). Alex Johnson ranks second in the league’s power play scoring with five goals.

Ninth-year forward and captain Austin Fetterly leads Port Huron’s goal-scoring with eight goals, including two game-winners. Fetterly scored on Friday against the Hat Tricks and has three goals over the past three games.

HAT TRICKS HEADLINES

The Hat Tricks continue their six-game road trip Saturday in Port Huron and look to build a winning streak for the first time this season. Danbury’s 5-4 victory on Friday marked just the second win in its last seven games, and the first on the road since its shootout win at Binghamton on Nov. 2.

Following Connor Woolley’s second goal of the first period on Friday, the Hat Tricks won their third game this season when leading after the opening frame (2-1-2-1). Dustin Henning’s first goal of the season in the middle frame made Danbury 4-0-2-1 when leading into the third period.

The Hat Tricks lead the FPHL with four shorthanded goals this season, including two from Chase Harwell, after tying with Mississippi for the second most (13) last season.

Danbury has started the first season of the Ruiz-Gonzalez coaching era with five wins in its first 13 contests, including two against reigning Commissioner’s Cup champion Binghamton. Three of the Hat Tricks’ five wins have been decided by three or more goals. Aleksandr Gamzatov (6g, 6a) and Jacob Ratcliffe (2g, 10a) lead the team with 12 points each.

LABELLE HITS 100

On the first goal of Friday’s 5-4 win in Port Huron, defenseman Josh Labelle collected an assist to reach 100 FPHL points. The 25-year-old from Mississauga, Ontario, is in his second season with the Hat Tricks and fourth in the league, and has provided two goals and six assists, including one in each of his last two outings. Labelle won a Commissioner’s Cup championship with Watertown in 2022, scoring six goals and tallying 24 helpers in his first season in the FPHL.

FROLOV STRIKES AGAIN ON POWER PLAY

For the second straight game, first-year forward Vadim Frolov scored on the power play in Friday’s 5-4 road win over Port Huron. A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, Frolov has two power play goals and trails forward Chase Harwell by one for the team lead. The 21-year-old posted his first two-point outing of the season on Friday and has found the scoresheet in three consecutive games (2g, 2a).

RUSSKIY LINE DOMINANCE CONTINUES

Russia natives Gleb Bandurkin, Aleksandr Gamzatov, and Vadim Frolov have increased their point production over the past six games, combining for 18 points. Over that stretch, Bandurkin has tallied three goals, including the game-winner on Friday, and three assists, Gamzatov has provided three goals — two against Binghamton on Nov. 23 — and four assists, and Frolov has collected three goals and two assists. In their first seasons in the FPHL, Bandurkin has seven points (4g, 3a) and Frolov has six (4g, 2a), while Gamzatov has a team-high 12 (6g, 6a) in his second pro campaign.

WOOLLEY’S THIRD MULTI-GOAL OUTING

Third-year forward Connor Woolley scored two goals in Friday’s win, marking the third multi-goal game of his career. The Pawling, N.Y., native scored twice for the first time since Feb. 24 last season, a 10-4 home win against Elmira, and against the River Sharks on Nov. 18, 2023, in his eighth game with the Hat Tricks. Woolley joined forwards Chase Harwell, Jonny Ruiz, and Aleksandr Gamzatov, who have each scored two goals twice this season.

HENNING SCORES IN RETURN TO PORT HURON

As the Hat Tricks won in their first game against Port Huron this season, Dustin Henning scored his first goal of the season where he spent five of the past 11 seasons of his FPHL career. The 40-year-old defenseman skated in a combined 146 games for the Prowlers and registered 41 points (5g, 36a) across five seasons and was the captain for his final two years with the Prowlers. Henning skated for two seasons in Port Huron from 2015–17 before his second tenure lasted from 2020–23. Henning last scored on Feb. 3 last season against Carolina, a 4-3 road loss. Henning has also dressed for four other FPHL clubs, Delaware, Danville, Watertown, and St. Clair Shores, and has tallied three assists through 12 games in his second season with the Hat Tricks. 

BANDURKIN’S FIRST PRO POINT STREAK

First-year forward Gleb Bandurkin had the game-winning goal, his first of the season on Friday, extending the 24-year-old’s first professional point streak to three games. A Moscow, Russia, native, Bandurkin provided a season-high two assists while scoring his third goal of the season in a 7-4 win against Binghamton on Nov. 23. In his first season with the Hat Tricks, Bandurkin has notched four goals, only behind Chase Harwell and Aleksandr Gamzatov’s six.

MCCLENDON EARNS FIRST WIN

Goaltender Frankie McClendon turned in his first win of the season in Friday’s road victory, stopping a season-high 33 shots. The outing was the 10th-year netminder’s first victory since Feb. 10 last season, when he made 32 saves for the Carolina Thunderbirds in a two-goal road win against Blue Ridge. Before starting in two games this season, McClendon appeared for Danbury in 85 games over three seasons (2021–2024), going a combined 21-10 in that span. An Oakland, Calif., native, McClendon has also played for six other FPHL franchises (Elmira, Carolina, Columbus, Mentor, Berlin, and St. Clair Shores).

Single-game tickets and full/partial season membership plans are still available for purchase. If you are interested, email herm@danburyhattricks.com or go to Tixr.

From Friday, Nov. 29, to Monday, Dec. 2,  fans can enjoy 25% off all Danbury Hat Tricks merchandise, excluding authentic jerseys. It’s the perfect opportunity to stock up on hats, hoodies, T-shirts, and more to show your team pride or find the ultimate gift for the Hat Tricks fan in your life. Use code “BLACKFRIDAY” at checkout when shopping online to grab your discounted gear.

To stay up to date on all things Danbury Hat Tricks hockey, go to danburyhattricks.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok (@DanburyHatTricks).

ABOUT DANBURY HAT TRICKS:

The Danbury Hat Tricks are a professional hockey team based in Danbury, Connecticut, competing in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). Since their founding in 2019, the Hat Tricks have brought thrilling, hard-hitting hockey to the Danbury Ice Arena, earning a reputation for their fierce competitive spirit and strong community presence. The team is dedicated to providing an exciting game-day experience for fans of all ages, with a focus on building long-lasting connections within the local community.

Proudly representing Danbury, the Hat Tricks are committed to excellence both on and off the ice. In addition to developing top-tier hockey talent, the team engages in numerous community outreach programs, fostering relationships with local schools, businesses, and charities. The Hat Tricks aim to continue growing the sport of hockey in the area and provide entertainment that brings the community together.

Whether you're a die-hard hockey fan or new to the sport, the Danbury Hat Tricks promise an unforgettable experience every time they take the ice.