HAT TRICKS WELCOME FIVE NEW COLLEGIATE ROOKIE SIGNINGS
Danbury, CT - Over the last two weeks, the Danbury Hat Tricks made five collegiate signings to round out the team’s roster in the final month of the season.
Ahead of this weekend’s series vs the Binghamton Black Bears, here’s an introduction to the newest members of the 2025-2026 team.
Joe Santoro was the first of the rookies to make his debut for the Hat Tricks, suiting up on
March 13 th on the road vs the Watertown Wolves. A native of nearby Middlebury, Connecticut,
Santoro split his college career between Post University and SUNY-Fredonia. He tallied 11
points in 47 games for SUNY-Fredonia from 2022 to 2024. Playing for Post from 2024 to 2026,
Santoro notched 12 points across 45 games. He scored his first professional goal for the Hat
Tricks on March 20 th in a 5-1 win over the Wolves.
One day after Santoro’s debut, Grady Friedman made his debut on March 14 th on home ice vs
the Binghamton Black Bears. The Kennebunk, Maine product joins the Hat Tricks after two and
a half seasons at Curry College (2024-2026). The forward scored 19 goals and 16 assists in his
61 games for the Colonels. Friedman also played 36 games (5 goals, 8 assists) for UMass Boston
from 2022 to 2024. The rookie skater already has 3 goals in his first three games for Danbury.
Three more rookies made their professional debuts this past weekend.
First, Declan Bronte, a defenseman from Melbourne, Australia, joins John Bierchen’s group after a four-year college
career with three schools. The Aussie spent the 2022-2023 season with Salem State University (2
games) and the 2023-2024 season with Franklin Pierce University (1 assist in 11 games). He
played his final two years at Fitchburg State University, scoring 4 goals and 9 assists in 46
games. The rookie played in both games of last weekend’s sweep over the Wolves.
Brendan Lynch and Kurt Watson, a pair of college teammates, made their debuts on March
21st vs Watertown in the team’s neutral-site game at Mennen Arena in Morristown, New Jersey.
Lynch, a forward from Oakville, Ontario, comes to Danbury after a four-year career at Southern
New Hampshire University. With the Penmen, Lynch scored 27 goals and 26 assists in 113
games. Watson, hailing from London, Ontario, overlapped with Lynch for three seasons at
SNHU from 2023-2026 (32 goals, 22 assists, 83 games). Watson began his college career at
Rivier University during the 2022-2023 season (4 goals, 2 assists, 21 games).
FPHL rookies must appear in five regular season games to be eligible for postseason play should
the Hat Tricks make the playoffs.
Danbury extends a warm welcome to Joe, Grady, Declan, Brendan, and Kurt!
The Danbury Hat Tricks continue their sixth season in the Federal Prospects Hockey League on Friday, March 27 (7:00 p.m.) at the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena, to take on the Binghamton Black Bears. 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.