Inside the Hat Tricks' Equipment Room
FPHL Danbury Hat Tricks

Inside the Hat Tricks' Equipment Room

Published on October 21, 2025 under Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)
Danbury Hat Tricks News Release


DANBURY - John Paul Cuccia stepped onto the home bench before warmups, wearing a black coat with the Danbury Hat Tricks logo stitched on the chest, warding off the chill that lingers inside Danbury Ice Arena.

He grabbed a puck, holding it like he was about to throw a curveball, and looked toward the home defensive end. Like a frisbee, he flung the puck with a high arc, spinning through the air before it landed just left of the net.

A second puck soon followed, this one landing and bouncing once and into the open goal. Cuccia, known as JP, turned, realizing it came from his 12-year-old brother, Fran, standing beside him on the bench.

"It's a little tradition and pregame superstition we have," JP said. "It's a cool thing that I get to share with him."

JP and Fran toss a few more pucks onto the ice, each trying to land them either on the dots or in the net. When asked who is better at tossing the pucks before warmups, JP paused, then smiled.

"I would say Fran, he makes more than I do."

At 20 years old, JP is one of the youngest equipment managers in professional hockey. Ironically, hockey was one of the few sports he didn't follow growing up in Bethlehem, Connecticut. A New York sports fan, his interests were football and basketball.

"Hockey was never on my radar. I never played hockey growing up, I never watched it growing up," JP said. "I barely knew anything about the sport."

JP's hockey career began at Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury, Connecticut. Before that, he was the captain of the school's football team, a role that has helped him in his post-football life.

"It's maturity. It's not getting pushed around, not pushing other people around," JP said. "It's just about keeping that level of professionalism."

In his senior year, JP was assigned a mastery-based learning experience project. At first, he had little motivation to complete it and didn't see the point. However, during a conversation with his school counselor, she asked him a simple question: "What are your interests?"

"I'm a big sports guy," JP said.

The next week, JP's counselor mentioned the Hat Tricks. The same professional approach he learned in football applied when JP reached out to the team's front office.

"I came in for just a couple of days in 2023," JP said. "I saw all the things that I needed for the project, and I got to be part of the stat keeping for the couple of games I was there."

Days later, Hat Tricks team president Herm Sorcher contacted JP about taking on a bigger role, bringing him in for the rest of that season and kickstarting his young career in hockey.

"We never placed an ad, we never made another call," Sorcher said. "We knew he was going to be reliable, dependable and work hard."

The following season, JP became the assistant equipment manager under the guidance of then-head equipment manager Bob Dalessio, a veteran with experience at the NHL level, who quickly took notice of JP's character and upbringing.

"Very quiet, very humble, very family-orientated," Dalessio said. "I got to know JP's mom and dad last year, nothing but class and character right across the board."

When JP and Dalessio first started in Danbury Ice Arena's equipment room, it was completely bare-empty cupboards, empty cabinets, and no means of replacing something as simple as a helmet J-clip.

"We had to start from ground zero and build our way up," JP said.

For the new equipment staff tandem, the first order of business was tools-so they could actually fix helmet J-clips and other basics.

"I'm very attentive to details, so we went online and I Googled black and orange hand and power tools," Dalessio said. "We tried to coordinate everything as far as colors and what we needed."

Even with the tools in place, JP, still at the time a football guy, had to learn the game of hockey from scratch.

"[JP] had to familiarize himself with everything new," Dalessio said. "What is a helmet screw? What is a J-clip for a helmet mask? There's a whole bunch of different things he had to learn on the fly."

Beyond learning about the game, Dalessio taught JP to focus on the smallest details-from hanging players' uniforms consistently in the locker room to folding towels correctly on the bench.

With 42 years of experience, Dalessio knows what organizations value. These are the little things most fans, staff, and even players and coaches often don't notice. In their two years working together, he made it a point to pass those lessons on to JP.

"If you didn't pay attention to these details, you wouldn't even get a sniff at a higher level," Dalessio said.

All of those lessons in the equipment room-the attention to detail, the routines, the small adjustments-come to the forefront on gameday. JP walks into the building at 5 a.m. and immediately prepares both the home and away teams' equipment for their morning skate.

Once the players have practiced and left, JP's game day preparation begins. He reorganizes the equipment, making sure everything is uniform and ready for warmups. He sets up tape and water, hangs jerseys, and provides soap and towels.

"Some days it's a 30-minute process, other days it's an hour and a half process," JP said.

While JP sharpens skates left out by players, Fran sets up the benches for the visiting team and referees.

"[Fran] takes that off my shoulders, and honestly, the players are also very comfortable with him," JP said. "They know what he brings; he helps me a lot."

Just as Dalessio once instructed JP, JP now does the same for Fran. Though Dalessio has moved on, now working with the Monroe Moccasins in Louisiana, he's seen both brothers grow.

"They're going to be my adopted children for the rest of my life," Dalessio said. "No matter where we go, what we do."

Family runs deep in hockey, and the Hat Tricks are no exception. The organization as a whole has cultivated a family environment, from the fans that pack the arena, to the staff behind closed doors, and even to the players. JP experiences that culture every day on the job.

When asked what makes him stop and say, "I love this job," JP pointed to the camaraderie and bond shared with the team.

"It's being part of something bigger than yourself," JP said. "It's being in a position I never thought I'd be in, and having the opportunity to be a part of what's being built here."

The Danbury Hat Tricks continue their sixth season in the Federal Prospects Hockey League on Saturday, Oct. 25 (7:30 p.m.) and Sunday, Oct. 26 (12:30 p.m.) in Columbus, Indiana versus the Indiana Sentinels. Single-game tickets and season ticket packages are on sale now 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 October 21, 2025


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