Game Preview: Port Huron Prowlers Host Danbury Hat Tricks: January 16
FPHL Danbury Hat Tricks

Game Preview: Port Huron Prowlers Host Danbury Hat Tricks: January 16

Published on January 16, 2026 under Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)
Danbury Hat Tricks News Release


Last time out

The Danbury Hat Tricks returned to the loss column Saturday, falling 8-5 to the Watertown Wolves in Game 2 of the weekend series.

Watertown forward Egor Filippov opened the scoring when he took advantage of a failed Danbury defensive zone clearing and put a wrist shot past Hat Tricks goaltender Ricardo Gonzalez to make it 1-0 at 12:24 in the first period.

Wolves goaltender Breandan Colgan was tested through much of the opening period, and finally let one through at 4:54, when Danbury forward Eli Rivers evened the game 1-1 with his second goal as a Hat Trick player in as many games.

In the second period, Danbury defenseman Greg Susinski's shot from the point created a rebound in front of the Watertown net. Rivers found the loose puck and scored his second goal of the night to give Danbury a 2-1 lead at 17:26.

Ten seconds later, Hat Tricks forward Noah Robinson scored his first goal in eight games on a rush to extend the lead to 3-1.

At 14:50 on a Watertown power play, Wolves defenseman Konstantin Chernyuk put a shot on net from the point that beat Gonzalez low to make it 3-2. Wolves forward Quinn Chevers would even the game, scoring at 12:35 to make it 3-3.

Watertown forward Steven Klinck scored two straight goals at 11:31 and 10:03, respectively, to make it 5-3 Wolves. At 6:53, Wolves forward Hunter Hall found a loose puck in front that was coincidentally tapped into the net. After review, the goal was confirmed, giving Watertown a 6-3 lead.

Hat Tricks goaltender Kyle Penton replaced Gonzalez in the net and was quickly tested and beaten when Klinck tapped the puck past him for his second three-goal game of the weekend to make it 7-3.

After six straight Wolves goals, the Hat Tricks scored twice late in the second period to close the gap on the scoreboard. Rivers matched Klinck's hat trick with his own at 1:46 to make it 7-4.

Danbury forward Anton Rubtsov scored his fifth goal of the weekend with 49 seconds remaining in the period to send the Hat Tricks into the break trailing 7-5.

Watertown added to its lead early in the third period when Chernyuk, left uncovered at the point, beat Penton with a wrist shot on the power play with 17:19 remaining. The goal made it 8-5, which stood as the final.

Here are some takeaways from Saturday's game:

Hat Tricks fall despite escaping damage from turnovers

Danbury had several turnovers Saturday, but none resulted in Watertown scoring.

In the first period, Hat Tricks defenseman Ian Tookenay lost the puck at the defensive blue line and failed to clear the zone. Midway through the period, Danbury defenseman Kadyn Fennell's point shot was blocked by a Wolves defender, who recovered possession. Minutes later, Hat Tricks forward Josh Newberg turned the puck over in the neutral zone.

Fennell had another miscue in the second period at the point, but Gonzalez stopped the ensuing breakaway to keep the Wolves off the board. While the Wolves scored in the game, Danbury can hang its hat on the fact that none of the turnovers led directly to a Watertown goal.

Gonzalez struggles in debut for Danbury

Against the Pee Dee IceCats, the Hat Tricks liked what they saw from Gonzalez on Dec. 31, Jan. 2 and Jan. 3, and traded for the fifth-year goaltender days later on Jan. 6. In his Danbury debut Saturday, however, Gonzalez struggled to meet expectations.

Gonzalez faced 20 shots through two periods, making 15 saves with five goals against for a .750 save percentage. After Watertown scored its fifth goal of the night and fourth of the second period, he was pulled in favor of Penton.

Rivers shines after trade

As part of the deal that sent Hat Tricks' leading scorer Alexander Legkov to Pee Dee, all eyes were on Eli Rivers to produce after being acquired by Danbury. In two games, the third-year forward has done just that.

Rivers opened the weekend with an overtime winner on Jan. 9, helping Danbury captain Jonny Ruiz's 200th goal become a part of a win, and he truly shined in Saturday's game.

The former Alvernia University forward tallied three goals for his first hat trick since March 1, 2025, as a Motor City Rocker against the Columbus River Dragons. In two games with the Hat Tricks, Rivers has four goals for four points.

Head-to-head

This will be the fifth meeting between Port Huron and Danbury this season. The Hat Tricks are still in search of their first win over the Prowlers, having gone 0-4 so far.

In the four previous meetings, Port Huron won 4-1 on Dec. 28, 4-2 on Dec. 27, 4-0 on Oct. 11 and 3-1 on Oct. 10, outscoring Danbury 15-4 overall. All four games were decided by multiple goals.

About the Prowlers

Last time out, Port Huron defeated the Indiana Sentinels 5-1 on Jan. 3. Forward Bobby Price scored twice, and goaltender Reid Cooper made 28 saves, allowing only one goal.

With the win, the Prowlers improved to 16-11-0-2 for 52 points and hold the second seed in the Empire Division, 27 points behind the league-leading Binghamton Black Bears. If the playoffs started today, Port Huron would face the fourth-seeded Blue Ridge Bobcats in the first round.

Forward Matt Graham leads Port Huron with 14 goals and is tied with defenseman Alex Johnson for the team lead in points at 28. Johnson also leads the Prowlers in assists with 22.

Hat Tricks headlines

Robinson ties Ruiz for team lead in points

With the dust settled on an up-and-down weekend for Danbury, Robinson and Ruiz are now tied atop the Hat Tricks' scoring chart with 27 points each.

In 25 games this season, Ruiz has 14 goals and 13 assists, averaging 1.1 points per game. Robinson has nine goals and 18 assists in 28 games, slightly behind Ruiz with a 1.0 points-per-game pace.

Danbury four points shy of playoff spot

The Hat Tricks sit sixth in the Empire Division with a 9-16-3-2 record and 34 points, tied with fifth-seeded Watertown and four points behind fourth-seeded Blue Ridge. The top four teams make the playoffs, with first-round matchups set as the No. 1 seed vs. the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed vs. the No. 3 seed.

The Hat Tricks would need to climb at least two spots to secure a postseason berth. With 30 games played, Danbury has limited opportunities remaining to close the gap on the playoff teams above them, especially with the rest of the schedule featuring only divisional games.

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.

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Federal Prospects Hockey League Stories from January 16, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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