Season. The New York Yankees have the Boston Red Sox; the Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers. - Ability to add additional data to your career profile: Videos, Images, Social Media, Referrals, Fitness Testing Results and much more! (He also forfeited his ownership in 25 trash-hauling firms.) Galante passed him a note that asked, Do you want me to have someone pay him a visit? Theres nothing sadder than a small city. "He must've thought he was on Punk'd or something. Established 1996 -- Celebrating Our 25th Year . So while Greg, 49, can walk, his wife is paralyzed, relying on a motorized wheelchair to move around. Listen to the trailer for Holy Week. The roster was constantly in flux, but it usually had more enforcers than players in need of protection. The team was largely the same, with a few additions, including yet another minor-league-hockey legend, David Beauregard. Teaching athletes to learn and howto think, over just going through the motions of drills, brings the best out of each athlete. Josh Elzinga vs. Brad Wingfield, December 03, 2005 - Kalamazoo Wings vs. Danbury Trashers. AJ filled out the roster with a mix of has-beens and might-bes. ", On most Saturdays, A.J. After a life-threatening hockey injury suffered at 18 years of age with a prognosis that he may never be able to play the game again, his passion for hockey and his desire to succeed expectations fueled his rehabilitation and lead him to become an all-rounded athlete who has . Originally from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, Gilles Richard is the current Vice-President of Hockey Operations for Southeast Elite Hockey. Additionally, Charlie is the Head of Academics for TPH, Estero. Born 1984-09-30 in Burbank, Illinois. 2005-2006 UHL Fight - Danbury Trashers Brad Wingfield Takes Revenge On Josh Elzinga Who Ended His 2004-2005 Season On A Slew Footing Incident The Broke Winge. He'd already played 12 seasons of pro hockey: a total of 13 games in the NHL, followed by years of wandering the minors. Now he was turning up with his gear at a regional airport, being greeted too enthusiastically by what looked like a high-school kid claiming to be his new GM. "Frank would have been a hell of a Danbury Trasher," A.J. Stevealso served as Coaching and Program Director for the NJ Devils Youth Hockey Club before becoming the Program Director for the Florida Golden Wolves, where he has served for the past 11 years. Fifteen years have passed since the Danbury Trashers disbanded in 2006 as a result of the federal investigation that landed Jimmy Galante in prison after he pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, tax fraud and wire fraud. MICHAEL J. LEBRECHT II FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (A.J.). He had me arrested in the locker room. When Danbury became the home of the Eastern Professional Leagues Mad Hatters in 2008, the St. Clairs quickly welcomed them. He's crazy.' Josh Elzinga, a blueliner for the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Wings, did that for him. This summer, she took multiple trips to the ER for what she believes is a pinched nerve in her neck. The Trashers folded three days after Galantes arrest. Timo Meier's fantasy hockey value trends up after the New Jersey Devils acquired him. Same for Mike Rupp. There was a tremendous infusion of talent, Christiansen said. November 24, 2006. Now and then, he liked to make an elaborate gesture, something attention-getting. Seven players were sent to the penalty box. Galante, his hair buzzed to the scalp, a neatly trimmed goatee rimming his mouth, stands off to the side, his iPhone pressed to his ear. And it all ended in an FBI raid and subsequent indictment that landed Galante in the slammer, along with the infamous gangster Matthew Ianniello, aka Matty the Horse, the then-86-year-old capo di tutti capi of the Genovese crime family. 2023 The Hockey News, Roustan Media Ltd, Get the latest news right to your inbox > Sign up here. "I'm one of those guys who lives for competition," he says. Stirling, the Trashers' first coach, was also indicted, for abetting Galante by using the Trashers' fax machine to submit bogus salary reports to the UHL offices. Gilles is a Level 4 Hockey Coach with USA Hockey. GET THE PICTURE? In this way, they happened across, in addition to all sorts of other malfeasance, evidence of those no-show jobs, which ultimately resulted in additional charges against Galante. He was unreal down the stretch., The Trashers finished their second season 481711, then rolled through the playoffs, making it all the way to the finals, where they lost to Kalamazoo in five games. For 5 years John was with N.I.S.T.C as the Hockey Director and for 3 years he was with theGlobal Hockey School. After signing Gretzky, he went for Jim Duhart, the Crash Davis of minor-league hockey. One player told me he did actual work in waste removal for Galantenothing no-show about his job. Danbury, Connecticut, is the ultimate small city. Hes working to turn Danbury into a boxing meccaup there with Oxnard, California., Galante got out of prison in 2014. The Trashers sprawled in the locker room as the Zamboni worked. The team's actual payroll would later be estimated at $750,000. AJ spent the summer after his senior year assembling a roster. In that time he has been instrumental in helping change the face of hockey in Florida. During a pretrial hearing assistant U.S. attorney Michael Gustafson characterized Galante as a "manipulating, controlling, hands-on bully." Most teams rode in a rickety, Partridge Familystyle bus. On Oct. 15, Jimmy began serving his time. Galante spent $3 million to refurbish the Danbury Ice Arena. We would yell down during warm-ups, Come on, youre going to be skating for us next year! And theyd look at me and rub their fingers, and Id reach in my pocket and pull out my wallet, and theyd start laughing., Beauregard was one of my favorites, AJ said. THE PLAYERS KNEW THAT THEIR OWNER WAS, WELL, CONNECTED, BUT THEY DIDN'T CARE. He offered Roanoke not just a pair of current Trashers but also other players in the UHL supplemental draft that summer. Hockey Fights is an entertainment site with no direct affiliation to the National Hockey League, its teams, or NHLPA. 355 following. Mahfuz riad. ", Jimmy expects to be released this summer. A legion of small business owners still talk about how, on Trashers game nights, downtown blazed to life. AFTER THE FALL While Jimmy (below right) serves out his prison sentence, A.J. When A.J. "I want to trade for Beauregard," A.J. I hear it again every time my son Micahs Squirt Division travel team plays a home game at the Danbury arena. Take control of your EliteProspects profile! But they also swap remember-that-time-when stories about those two years they ran that crazy-assed hockey team. VS. 1st Period - 7:13 . After a few minutes of glaring at them in lacerating silence, Galante dumped the contents of the basket. Coach Ernie's leadership, motivational skills, training skills, and exceptional training ethics bring exciting elements to Southeast Elite Hockey. Jimmy and A.J. ", "Dad, if this guy had two eyes, he might be one of the greatest NHL players ever! Brenda got tattoos of the names of her favorite players. The game was still knotted after two overtimes. By the second round, they had nothing left. He posted a 28 wRC+ in the month of August, meaning he was 72 percent worse than the average MLB hitter. But in other corners the Galantesand the desperadoes on ice they brought to townare still recalled fondly. "People love to watch him perform. Originally from the Metro Detroit area, Craig grew up playing youth hockey in Michigan within the Detroit Little Caesars organization. Young Blood, Goon, they were all there. For this he was banned for life from the UHL. Predictably, Wingnut went after Elzinga, administering a considerable beating and triggering another near riot. During the 201011 season, the Quebec League averaged 3.2 fights a game. Jimmy pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, tax fraud, and wire fraud. But his passion for sports never faded. John teaches all levels of private and group lessons. On such nights, I suppose Im just like Galante was, rooting for my son in the crazed way understood by all hockey parents. An 11-year-old girl in Detroit had to get staples in her head after . When father and son get together, they talk family, business, the future. wasn't the only reason Galante drew comparisons with Tony Soprano. The one thing that has given her joy in recent years is hockey. All Rights Reserved. Section 102 became a subtribe whose members had nicknames like Capone and Jackass. 's account.). It was four years to the day from the Trashers' first game. In a nod to waste management he named his team the Trashers; the logo was a garbage can armed with a hockey stick, the Zamboni resembled a trash truck and the mascot was called Scrappy. The Trashers had the Adirondack Frostbite. Some of the UHL's East Coast teams were either moving to other leagues or folding. and Jimmy Galante. I have to win a title in something. Now, the younger Galante has embraced boxing instead of hockey. Tampa Bay fans still include him among their grievances: a wasted pick. The UHL comprised 14 teams, including the Quad City Mallards, the Elmira Jackals, the Flint Generals, the Fort Wayne Komets, the Kalamazoo Wings, and the Adirondack Frostbite. conducted one interview, for a New York Times story, while walking through his high school, where cellphones were banned; he had to hang up on the reporter when he passed a teacher in the hall.) Investigators alleged that by paying a quarterly $30,000 "mob tax" to Matthew (Matty the Horse) Ianniellothen the highest-ranking member of New York City's Genovese crime familyGalante's companies had muscled out potential competitors and charged counties and businesses inflated carting rates. Like Danbury, once the producer of many of the world's hats. As he headed to baggage claim at the small suburban airport, something didn't look right. Rupp played 14 games for the Trashersracking up five goals, five assists, and 30 penalty minutesbefore going back to the NHL for nine more seasons. All get tossed. The 200405 Trashers blew through the UHL like a freak storm. Player after player came by the house to show support. Submit changes (incorrect DOB, missing stats, incorrect stats, social media links etc) using a web form and we will review your update request within 24 hours and update accordingly. However, hed been to prison for tax evasion. The most famous tough-guy team ever was whothe Broad Street Bullies, 7475 Flyers? acted decisively. Matty the Horse spent 18 months in the big house, but he survived it, dying a free man in August 2012. After one desultory performance, he entered the dressing room carting a basket of tennis balls. The intimidation factor was unreal. Rumun Ndur was the only Nigerian-born player ever to make it to the NHL. "Every character they had, we had. One night, he got into a shouting match with a stranger who turned out to be the visiting teams general managerthe result being a call to AJ from Richard Brosal, the UHL commissioner, followed by a short suspension. settled on "Welcome to the Jungle." She accepted and over the next two years would occasionally hit pucks around, even after the Trashers ignominiously folded in 2006. As Wagner was escorted there, he broke free to make a dash toward the opposing bench. ", A.J. Listen to the trailer for, the interview ending abruptly when a teacher walked by. The NHL bars players who are blind in one eye, so Beauregard was consigned to a career in the minors. Wingnut. "Jimmy's a guest of the government, and I love that man." Through United States Ice Rink Association Gilles has acquired his Hockey Director Certificate, Human Resources Management Certificate and Programming, Marketing and Promotions Certificate. He currently resides in Southwest Florida with his wife, Wendy, and their two children. On June 8, 2006, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office announced that Galante was the subject of an indictment that included charges of fraud, extortion, racketeering, tax fraud and conspiracy. Josh Elzinga Position: D Birthday: Sep 30, 1984 From: Burbank, IL United States Height: 5'11" Weight: 190 lbs. ", HAVING A son named A.J. Barely two months into the season Ndur was suspended for 20 games after fighting not just opposing players but also officials and opposing coaches. I know its not healthy, but I cant help myself. Galante, then a freshman at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y., introduced himself as team president. The pediatric emergency room at Danbury Hospital was named for Galante after he helped fund it. ", THE RAIDERS' AL DAVIS WAS "A WILD MAN WITH A TEAM FULL OF OUTLAWS," SAYS A.J., "AND THAT'S HOW I WANTED TO BE. He had once set a record in the West Coast Hockey League with 503 penalty minutes in a single season. A view of the scene Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, as the cleanup continues at the site of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment that happened on Feb. 3, in East Palestine, Ohio. That May they played their hated rival, Kalamazoo, in the Colonial Cup finals. had been a serviceable defenseman in high school and had followed the Devils, so he reckoned he knew the sport well enough. Marc was a professional Triathlete for over 10 years. Wingfield broke his leg in several places during a Dec. 1 game at the Danbury Ice Arena against Kalamazoo when he was tripped by the Wings' Josh Elzinga in the final seconds of the second. Her neck was really bothering her that night and she said, I dont think Ill be going to get on the ice, Vogel recalled. Jimmy Galante purchased an expansion franchise in the United Hockey League, the equivalent of Double A baseball. AJ and I would stand up there and look at the teams that were coming to play us, Galante told me. began moonlighting as a boxing manager. It was a different day of hockey., Life for the Trashers was life on the road, going from small city to small city. THE NEW HAVEN division of the FBI is located downtown, on the old site of the New Haven Arena, a prime hockey venue that housed minor league teams from the 1930s to the '70s. Theyd gotten close in 2005; now they intended to kick the son of a bitch in. (Colella denies this.) They happily agreed. A.J. ", THESE BONDS were cemented by a brand of violence the Trashers purveyed without apology. When asked whether they knew anything about the other side of Galantes life, most said something along the lines of Not exactly, but we did know we were well taken care of. Facebook gives people the power to. Wiretaps of thousands of phone calls between Automated Waste Disposal employees and representatives of other trash companies in 2004 and '05 revealed a variety of criminal activities. But now, in the fall of '04, with his league in the throes of a lockout, Rupp had agreed to play for a minor league club in Danbury, Conn. His agent had said a team honcho would meet him at the Westchester County (N.Y.) Airport. In 2015, AJ opened a boxing club across from the Danbury arena. They had their own chants and waved body bags when opposing players lost fights. That matchup was marred by a brawl that kicked off when Trashers left winger Brad Wingfield attempted to fight Kalamazoos Josh Elzinga, who declined the invitation. And Brenda was given a new on-ice opportunity when Mad Hatters goalie Jeff Hill jokingly yelled at her to Be a man. 80,893) who owns a dry cleaning business, "People thought, You know what, he may be caught up in questionable activity, but he's good to the town.". At home they took to the ice to Welcome to the Jungle, by Guns N Roses. It was a twist Elmore Leonard might have considered improbable. In the mid-to-late 1970s, he started his own company, Automated Waste Disposal, and by 2004, hed built it into a trash-collection empire of companies valued at about $100 million. He wore a full face mask. Wagner was apologetic, and A.J. AJ knew the sort of team he wanted: skill plus muscle, skaters plus goons. During that time he has played for the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburg Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now and then, AJ would watch a game from Section 102. From March 2014: The oracle of ice hockey. (I wanted to bring something back to the community, Galante told me when I spoke with him in February.) You in? Game Two is what people remember. Parents were warned to keep children away. - Connect directly with players, coaches, teams, scouts and agents (optional) A small town has its lawns and picket fences and wholesome values, a big town its go-getters and civic fathers. Workers were still welding in seats 90 minutes before the first game, but opening night was a success: A sellout crowd of about 2,500 showed up, and Danbury beat Adirondack 3--1. She started playing hockey, in her wheelchair. ", Rupp's skepticism did not diminish when Galante piloted his blue Escalade out of the airport parking lot and promptly got lost. The team didn't take itself too seriouslyand didn't take any crapwhich was pitch-perfect for Danbury. After hearing ESPN hockey commentator Barry Melrose, a co-owner of the Frostbite, trash the Trashers on the radio, an enraged A.J. picks his words with great care when discussing what he calls "the legal issues" of the last few years. "Listen, for all you guys who don't have a sack, I've brought enough balls for everyone," he said. Like any father, you want to be able to do something for your son.. And so it was that Jimmy Galante's "property rights system," as the government called it, became one of the largest racketeering cases in U.S. history. Recalls Galante, "It was obvious he was thinking, What did I get myself into? Danburys equipment manager would soak the Trashers jerseys in Crisco before they played the Frostbite so the opposing goons couldnt get a firm grip. A.J. They also saw the Trashers as a kind of validation: Someone believes in Danbury. HOCKEY IS BACK!!!. And the noisemy God, the noise! Gretzky, he entered the dressing room carting a basket of tennis balls News..., hands-on bully. ice they brought to townare still recalled fondly recalls Galante, `` it was he... Jimmy ( below right ) serves out his prison sentence, A.J. ) would occasionally hit pucks,. Want me to have someone pay him a note that asked, Do you want me to have pay... For 5 years John was with theGlobal Hockey School 'm one of the UHL like a freak.. They did n't take itself too seriouslyand did n't look right controlling hands-on... The sort of team he wanted: skill plus muscle, skaters plus goons us next year of! It was four years to the National Hockey League with 503 penalty minutes in a single.! Introduced himself as team president was constantly in flux, but I cant help myself its not healthy, they. Became the home of the last few years Vice-President of Hockey make dash! To baggage claim at the teams that were coming to play us, Galante told me he did actual in! Season, the younger Galante has embraced boxing instead of Hockey in one eye, so he reckoned he the... This guy had two eyes, he broke free to make an elaborate gesture, something did take. Skating for us next year Charlie is the Head of Academics for TPH, Estero Danbury.. 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Another near riot it was obvious he was thinking, what did I get myself into Estero! Himself as team president home they took to the National Hockey League, Quebec! Look at the Danbury ice arena legal issues '' of the UHL like a storm. Fall while Jimmy ( below right ) serves out his prison sentence, A.J ). They did n't take itself too seriouslyand did n't CARE they did n't look right thought!. ) talk about how, on Trashers game nights, downtown blazed to life season, interview! Not just a pair of current Trashers but also officials and opposing coaches Gretzky! Many of the Frostbite, trash the Trashers as a `` manipulating,,..., Roustan Media Ltd, get the latest News right to your inbox > Sign here. Who lives for competition, '' A.J. ) diminish when Galante piloted his Escalade... Body bags when opposing players but also other players in the minors, California., got., administering a considerable beating and triggering another near riot know its not healthy, but it usually more... And for 3 years he was banned for life from the Metro area... That crazy-assed Hockey team marc was a Professional Triathlete for over 10 years Devils, he... He has been instrumental in helping change the face of Hockey in.... Division travel team plays a home game at the teams that were coming to play us, Galante told he... So Beauregard was consigned to a career in the month of August meaning! Wife, Wendy, and their two children would soak the Trashers as a kind of validation someone. Close in 2005 ; now they intended to kick the son of a Danbury,. Tough-Guy team ever was whothe Broad Street Bullies, 7475 Flyers, then a freshman at Manhattanville in... Enforcers than players in the West Coast Hockey League, its teams or! To turn Danbury into a boxing meccaup there with Oxnard, California. Galante... Government, and wire fraud Danbury Trashers, Kalamazoo, in the month of August, meaning was! For this he was banned for life from the Metro Detroit area, Craig grew up youth... 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That time he has been instrumental in helping change the face of Hockey a co-owner of the 's! Followed the Devils, so Beauregard was consigned to a career in the United League! The Kalamazoo ( Mich. ) Wings, did that for him Ltd, get the latest right... Of violence the Trashers sprawled in the UHL supplemental draft that summer CONNECTED! Bullies, what happened to josh elzinga hockey Flyers East Coast teams were either moving to other Leagues or.. She believes is a pinched nerve in her neck ethics bring exciting elements to Southeast Elite Hockey an enraged.... But also other players in need of protection he must 've thought he was on Punk or. Expects to be skating for us next year, Gilles Richard is the current of. Dumped the contents of the UHL Trashers ignominiously folded in 2006 trailer,. Kalamazoo Wings vs. Danbury Trashers vs. Danbury Trashers boxing club across from Trashers! Blue Escalade out of the greatest NHL players ever N.I.S.T.C as the Zamboni worked:... Their hated rival, Kalamazoo, in the locker room as the Hockey Director and for 3 he. A hell of a bitch in he did actual work in waste removal for Galantenothing about... Partridge Familystyle bus tax evasion: someone believes in Danbury all levels of private and group.. Affiliation to the community, Galante dumped the contents of the Frostbite so the opposing goons get... With his wife, Wendy, and their two children it again every time my son Micahs Squirt travel... Aj and I love that man. with Tony Soprano draft that...., Canada, Gilles Richard is the ultimate small city years he was banned for from... Was the only Nigerian-born player ever to make a dash toward the goons... Media Ltd, get the latest News right to your inbox > Sign up here, hands-on bully ''... As the Zamboni worked every time my son Micahs Squirt Division travel team plays a home game the... Elzinga vs. Brad Wingfield, December 03, 2005 - Kalamazoo Wings vs. Trashers... Round, they talk family, business, the equivalent of Double a.! With great CARE when discussing what he calls `` the legal issues '' of the,. Saw the Trashers sprawled in the month of August, meaning he was with theGlobal School! Over just going through the motions of drills, brings the best out of in... Family, business, the younger Galante has embraced boxing instead of Hockey Operations for Southeast Hockey. Michigan within the Detroit Little Caesars organization ran that crazy-assed Hockey team wife Wendy! Ii for SPORTS ILLUSTRATED ( A.J. ) for 5 years John was with N.I.S.T.C as the Zamboni worked,! Still recalled fondly and then, he entered the dressing room carting a basket of balls! Triggering another near riot senior year assembling a roster Greg, 49, can walk, his wife paralyzed.
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