Venom open first season Friday against Black Bears

History will be made Friday night in Newburgh, New York, when the Hudson Valley Venom drop the puck on the first game of their inaugural season in the Federal Prospects Hockey League. And it’s not like the Venom will ease into the first-ever season at Ice Time Sports Complex. They will host the defending Commissioner’s Cup champion Binghamton Black Bears.

“We jump right into it,” Venom coach Josh Newberg said. “Defending champs, they’ve already played two games this season. So, we’re a little behind, but excited to get going.”

As the Venom were finalizing their roster last weekend, the Black Bears split their first two games of the 2024-25 season with a win and a loss against the Watertown Wolves.

The Venom will be led by Newberg, who is a player/coach this season. The former Binghamton captain will play against his former team, and his assistant M.J. Maerkl will run the bench with his boss in the lineup.

“It’s a bit of a unique situation, but the key is that Josh and I work very closely together, so we’re on the same page about everything,” explained Maerkl, who also played for Binghamton earlier in his career.

The Venom’s opening-night roster features 19 active players, including 11 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies. It’s a relatively young group, with six players under the age of 23 and four expected to make their pro debuts Friday. The only players older than 30 are Newberg (37) and forward Dustin Jesseau (32).

Jesseau also briefly played with the Black Bears and has 187 points (95 goals, 92 assists) in 143 career games in the FPHL. The talented forward is part of an intriguing top line that features 22 year-old Davide Gaeta, a 24-goal scorer as a rookie last season, and Eimantas Noreika, a 22-year-old from Lithuania, who’s making his debut Friday.

“I’m really excited to see these guys play together, there’s a lot of talent on that line,” Newberg said. “Jesseau is a game-changing player, and the other two are highly skilled, as well.”

Game time is 7 p.m. Friday and tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster or by calling 845-454-5800.

Fans who can’t attend the game can watch the live broadcast on the Venom’s YouTube page beginning at 6:45 p.m.

After the game Friday, the Venom travel to Binghamton for the back end of a home-and-home set Saturday against the Black Bears.