The Prowlers retired Dalton Jay's No. 92 jersey at McMorran Arena on Friday, Jan. 16. Jay is the franchise's all-time leading scorer with 209 goals.
PORT HURON — If there's one regret Dalton Jay has from his time with the Port Huron Prowlers, it's that he didn't deliver a Federal Prospects Hockey League championship.
He did, however, provide countless memories throughout 329 career games.
So, on Friday, Jan. 16, the team gave its former forward the ultimate honor.
The Prowlers retired Jay's jersey — No. 92 — at McMorran Arena before a game against the Danbury Hat Tricks. He's the first player to receive that distinction in the franchise's 11-year history.
"It's definitely a huge honor," Jay told the Times Herald. "Especially having this not happen before for the organization, I think that makes it a little bit more meaningful. It (shows) the result of my career here in Port Huron. What I did and how I contributed to the organization, the community, it didn't go unnoticed."
The 34-year-old, who spent seven seasons in Port Huron from 2017-18 through 2023-24, is the Prowlers' all-time leading scorer with 209 goals. Jay also ranks second in both points (440) and assists (231).
Port Huron acquired the Ontario, Canada, native in a November 2017 trade with the Carolina Thunderbirds.
The following year, 2018-19, Jay set single-season franchise records for goals (43) and points (105). That was also the first of four seasons in which he tallied at least 30 goals and 30 assists for the Prowlers.
"This night is more than just an individual event," Jay said of the retirement ceremony. "It's a night (celebrating) the whole organization ... it's (about) a fanbase, a town, a passionate city that just loves hockey and has a rich history of it."
Aware of that hockey heritage, Jay, who now works at McMorran Arena, was quick to point out that his number isn't alone in the rafters.
From 1962 to 1981, the International Hockey League's Port Huron Flags called the venue home. Eight players from that franchise had their jerseys immortalized between 1997 and 2007.
Since the Flags folded 45 years ago, the Prowlers are the fifth minor professional hockey team to play at McMorran. But as the only one to survive more than six seasons, Friday was a reminder of how far the organization has come.
"It's something that you don't see until you're done (playing)," Jay said of the franchise's growth. "I've had lots of conversations about in the last year since retiring ... being a part of that is something you don't realize until you're out of it."
In 2018-19, Jay's first full season with the team, the Prowlers' average attendance was 835 per home game (McMorran has permanent seating for 2,200). Last year, that number was 1,353. Friday's game drew a crowd of 1,541.
"The support that the team gets from the fans is fantastic," Jay said. "I've played in different areas. The fanbase here is definitely the best that I've seen at this level. Because it doesn't matter if you're winning or losing, they're behind you 100% ... from game one until my last game, the support has been there."
Contact Brenden Welper at [email protected]. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @BrendenWelper.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Jersey retirement 'a huge honor' for Prowlers legend Dalton Jay
Category: General Sports
