Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks forward Valentino Passarelli has been named the North American Hockey League’s Bauer Hockey East Division Star of the Week.
Passarelli, 21, finished the regular season with a flourish, netting six goals with three assists over the final five contests of the year. He netted the first hat trick in Jr. Hat Tricks history in the final game of the season, the first three-goal performance of his 178-game NAHL career.
“We are thrilled that Valentino was able to finish off his junior career on a positive note,” commented Danbury head coach Billy McCreary. “Even though we found ourselves out of the playoff picture, he was determined to finish the season the right way. He is an honest player and has been a tremendous leader for us all year.
“It was great to see him play with confidence, speed and tenacity down the stretch,” he continued. “He set a great example for our younger players and that is a testament to the type of person he is and how valuable he was to our team.”
Passarelli has committed to Miami (Ohio) University next season to join the Division-I RedHawks. The Macomb, Michigan native led the team in scoring with 12 goals and 23 assists.
Danbury forward Gabe Dombrowski was also given an honorable mention for East Division Star of the Week, finishing with five goals and three assists in the last five games of the season.