By David Dell
PORT HURON- A new owner, a new set of staff, and new game night experiences. All new this year for the Port Huron Prowlers of the Federal Prospects Hockey League.
After a big league shake up where former Prowlers’ owner Barry Soskin relinquished ownership in several teams in the 14-team league, Ken Andrews stepped in and took the reins this past summer. Andrews, who also owns the Motor City Rockers of Fraser, Michigan bought the team. The Rockers were ousted from their home at Big Boy Arena in Fraser at the end of last season and the league granted them a leave of absence allowing them to go on hiatus for the 2025-2026 season.
The season opened in Danbury, Connecticut where the Prowlers swept the Hat Tricks on the 10th and 11th of October. Reid Cooper, who returns between the pipes, allowed one goal in both games. Port Huron scored seven.
Friday the 17th was the home opener for the Prowlers in front of a mis-counted crowd of 2,517. McMorran Arena in Port Huron only lists 2,300 seats for hockey. Last season Ben Brockway ‘planted the flag’ at center ice in Danbury when the Prowlers won their first-round playoff series and that theme carries into this year. New also this year is on ice video projection, better projection screens for video during the game, multiple cameras for better coverage, and video replay. Topping the list of improvements is a new proper goal horn. This is a 5-bell set up those sounds mysteriously like a good and proper train horn.
Watertown Wolves’ Quinn Chevers opened the scoring at 8:50 of the first period, followed by Jamie Bucell (1st of the season) who tied it for the home team. Assisting on the goal Brett Lockhart, tapped a light backhand to the side of the crease that Bucell got right on. Breanden Colgan made initial contact, but the puck kept rolling across the goal line. Time of the goal 9:59. With the game tied halfway through the first period, the scoring would come to an end. Port Huron held the edge, 15-10 shots on goal.
The middle frame saw Brad Reitter a former Motor City Rockers score on the powerplay at 3:29. Aartu Heikkila was serving a Cross-Checking minor. That’s when the penalty flood gates opened and opened wide. Mostly seemed against the Prowlers, which Associate Head Coach Chris Paulin addressed in his post-game presser. Ben Brockway, Player Coach Alex Johnson, Reggie Millette, Bryan Parsons, and Luke James would all serve 2 minutes for minors, Johnson would also collect a 10 misconduct for Abuse of Officials, Brockway would add another minor and a Fighting major, Captain Austin Fetterly and Player Coach Matt Graham would get into fisticuffs and draw Fighting majors as well. After 40 minutes of play, the Wolves held a 2-1 lead and put up 14-5 shots on goal.
Watertown came out with hot twigs in the 3rd stanza. Egor Filippov and Darion Benchich tallied a goal apiece even strength at 1:38 and 4:00 respectively to stretch their team’s lead 4-1, before Nicholas Favaro (2nd of the season) got one back at 5:39. Graham scraped the puck out from behind the Wolves’ net where Favaro put it over Colgan’s stick side shoulder without him even seeing it go past. Ryan Gil capitalized on a Reggie Millet Holding minor at 8:15 for a power play goal and at 15:48 Filippov put in an empty net dagger to the Prowlers at 15:48. Shots for the period favored the Prowlers heavily 19-8 but they just couldn’t crack the net.
Dropping the game 6-2, the Prowlers have never gone 3-0 to open a season. They outshot Watertown 39-32 but were unable to make those extras count.
The Port Huron Prowlers, now in their 11th consecutive season, is the longest tenured team in the FPHL.
