When the Covid-19 pandemic took root in this country, the Danbury Hat Tricks hockey team was in pursuit of the Commissioner”™s Cup, the crowning achievement of the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL).
“Back in March, we were going into our playoffs,” said Herb Sorcher, managing partner of the Hat Tricks. “We were probably a month away from finishing our season ”” and then, the shutdown happened. We were hopeful to continue it a month later.”
One month passed and regular play did not resume. Sorcher glumly admitted that the team “saw the writing on the wall ”” it was just impossible.”
Unlike the National Hockey League, which scraped together the remainder of its 2019-20 season after several months”™ delay to hold the Stanley Cup playoffs within a so-called “bubble” of arenas without audiences, the FPHL canceled the remainder of its season. No games have been scheduled yet for the league”™s 2020-21 season, and Sorcher is still hoping for an update on a potential resumption of play.
“We”™re waiting to get some good news from the state government that we can play,” he said. “But like the other professional hockey leagues ”” the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League ”” we”™re now on hold.”
However, the Danbury Arena-based team has not suspended its internal operations. Sorcher said the Hat Tricks were “constantly recruiting and constantly talking to players” ”” their most recent acquisition, 24-year-old Brett Gravelle, a forward who graduated from Minnesota”™s University of St. Thomas this past spring, was signed on Nov. 10. Sorcher said the team”™s players have been practicing throughout the pandemic.
“The players are from all over the world,” he said. “They”™re back in their homes and have been training on their own. We”™ve had some guys who have come in here and trained a little bit, but for the most part, we haven”™t really had any team activities.”
Sorcher is grateful that the team”™s fans have stayed loyal, showing their devotion with steady merchandise sales during the pandemic.
“We”™ve actually done really well with merchandise sales,” he said, claiming that having “one of the best logos” in hockey helps boost fan interest. “The merchandise is something that”™s constant.”
The Hat Tricks”™ FPHL games are not televised ”” fans can watch them for free on YouTube. But Sorcher is eager to return to the Danbury Arena where attendance at Hat Tricks games ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 and food and beverage sales along with merchandise sales help keep revenues flowing.
Sorcher is also eager for a return to the normalcy that enabled the Hat Tricks players to serve double-duty as brand ambassadors in the community.
“We try to connect with groups and different organizations and do various fundraisers and promotions that will always lead to keeping the crowd strong,” he said.
“For example, we”™ll send our players into the school system and do an assembly where we”™ll talk to the kids about never giving up and living your dream, and about the road to becoming a professional hockey player.
“From there,” he continued, “we”™ll connect with the school on doing a fundraiser for a project that they might have. And it”™ll lead to getting all those kids who just saw the players and their families attending a game. We get a ton of hockey fans.”
The team has built a considerable list of local corporate sponsors, but during the pandemic Sorcher insisted that the team not ask for special favors from these sponsors, many of whom have also seen disruptions to business during the pandemic.
“It”™s a different climate,” he said. “What we have been doing is just staying in front of them, talking to them, seeing if there”™s anything we can do for them, and then just setting it up for when we do get back that we will have some new ideas.”
As for 2021, Sorcher remains optimistic that better days are ahead for the Hat Tricks.
“Where do we see ourselves?” he asked. “I think we will be playing hockey and it will be an abbreviated season. And I think it”™ll be it”™ll be very quick and exciting though for our fans. Even if we start playing in January and February and we only play 40 games, I think our fans are going to come out and they”™re going to support us big time.”
