The first hat-trick in Toronto Marlies franchise history was recorded during the team’s inaugural season.

If I asked you to guess the name of the player who achieved that particular milestone, I would expect that many would plump for John Pohl who set the single-season franchise record that year with 36 goals.

You would be wrong, however.

Luke Fulgham scored the first-ever hat-trick in Marlies history and I don’t blame you for asking the question, “who?”

A two-time NCAA champion with the University of Denver, Fulgham initially turned professional with the ill-fated St. John’s Maple Leafs, playing a pair of games at the back-end of the 2004-05 season.

The Colorado Springs native began the 2005-06 season in the ECHL suiting up for Pensacola Ice Pilots, with his offensive numbers earning him a call-up to Toronto in December.

After eight games without a point in the American League, Fulgham spectacularly opened his account.

The Cleveland Barons felt the full force of the onslaught which began with the left-winger assisting on a power-play goal tallied by Jay Harrison to open the scoring.
The rookie then proceeded to net his first AHL goal 6:30 into the middle frame and doubled up with a power-play marker 1:31 before the intermission buzzer.

The Marlies led 4-1 after forty minutes of play and a tenth goal of the year by Bates Battaglia 5:14 into the third period killed off any hopes the visitors had of staging a comeback.

Just 71 seconds later, franchise history was created, as Fulgham completed his hat-trick.

Rather than proving a catalyst for the NCAA graduate, it was a one-hit-wonder as he went without recording a point for six consecutive games before being reassigned to the ECHL for the remainder of the year.

The 2007-8 season was almost a carbon copy of the year before.
Outstanding in the ECHL, this time for Columbia Inferno, it was more of the same in the AHL with Toronto. Just one goal in six games and it was off to pastures new.

After continuing to struggle to make a breakthrough in the AHL in 2008-09, the American forward opted to head overseas and try his hand in Europe.

Fulgham would spend four seasons in the UK, playing for Manchester Phoenix, Coventry Blaze and Sheffield Steelers respectively and flourished offensively.
In 219 games he racked up 141 goals and 276 points, finishing the 2008-9 season as the top goal scorer in the league (48) and helping Coventry Blaze to an Elite League title.

Fulgham returned to North America in 20212, playing one season in the CHL with Denver Cutthroats and then a single campaign for Colorado of the ECHL before hanging up his skates.

AHL: 24 Games 4-2-6
ECHL: 213 Games 79-67-146

It was straight into the coaching profession in his native Colorado as Fulgham took on the role as Head Coach of Pikes Peak Miners 16U AAA competing in the North American Prospects Hockey League.

He now serves as Director of Tier 1 hockey for Colorado Rampage and also as Head Coach of the 18U AAA and Assistant Coach for 16U AAA Rampage Tier 1 Elite team.
If that wasn’t enough, the former Marlie is also a full-time coach at Monument Hockey Academy.