), According to ESPN, an FBI wiretap that was capturing Galantes phone calls would later reveal that three days after Wingnut broke his leg, Galante asked his business associate Ciro Viento to call Commissioner Brosal. Galante, at 17, come to run a minor league hockey team with NHL talentand, in turn, take a leading role in Slap Shot meets GoodFellas meets Hoosiers? Jon (Nasty) Mirasty averaged more than eight minutes of penalties over 25 games. Latest Fights Date Players Videos 03/01/09 R. Sexsmith ( EVI) vs. J. Elzinga ( CBZ) 3rd Period 18:55 Watch 11/24/06 M. Versteeg-Lytwyn ( KAL) vs. J. Elzinga ( PHF) 1st Period 12:37 Watch 03/12/06 J. Elzinga ( KAL) vs. D. Van Drunen ( MUS) Most of these guys, if theyd been drafted into the NHL, had gone late, in the triple digits. Every great team needs a great rival. Besides, what choice did he have? Currently, Al isanAssistant Coach of the 05 AAA Florida Alliance Elite team. In return, Jimmy asked only that the players make hospital visits or speak at schools. "You don't get involved in verbal altercations," Brosal admonished the ref. His accomplishments includeover 30 wins across the World, along with competing with Team USA at World Championships. He allegedly kicked a referee. As evidence that Galante was prone to violence, the prosecution played footage of him purportedly striking the official during the infamous Kalamazoo game. AJ and I would stand up there and look at the teams that were coming to play us, Galante told me. With a Premium subscription, you'll get access to over 30 tools, features and benefits. and Jimmy Galante. For video of the Danbury Trashers mixing it up, download SI's tablet version, free to subscribers, at SI.com/activate. "You need a wild card," says A.J., "so we decided we would beat people to submission. Cortisone shots help her deal with frequent elbow pain. A.J. When an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. Having collected 563 goals over the course of his 15 seasons in various leagues, Duhart gave the Trashers a second genuine scoring threat. He offered Roanoke not just a pair of current Trashers but also other players in the UHL supplemental draft that summer. The cornerstone of Marc's approach is focusing on making each hockey player a better athlete. You in? And fans werent the only ones who found the Trashers; players did too. F--- you. Recalls Galante, "It was obvious he was thinking, What did I get myself into? Rumun Ndur ended up seeing red and going batshit crazy, AJ told me. Established 1996 -- Celebrating Our 25th Year . I hear it again every time my son Micahs Squirt Division travel team plays a home game at the Danbury arena. FACE-OFF Backed by some of his father's truck drivers in 2004, A.J. At a press conference on April 1, Galante also introduced the team's 17-year-old president, who had just bought a suit for the occasion. Although the Trashers reported budget came in under the cap, the feds would later claim that for the 200405 season the actual figure was approximately $750,000. He'd already played 12 seasons of pro hockey: a total of 13 games in the NHL, followed by years of wandering the minors. It's possible Wylie could return on a one-year deal that is a significant raise from the $2.38 million he earned last season. For all that's happened, the kid still idolizes his father. "We had two defensemen hurt; otherwise we woulda won," A.J. says wistfully. Danbury fans whod followed the team to Glens Falls got word of the situation and gave the players the shirts off their own backs. Catalyzed by their new scorer, the Trashers cruised through the regular season, finishing 48--17. It was a violent league made of players on the way up, players on the way down, and some players simply holding on, happy to live in the limbo of the minor leagues. 2006-2007 Regular Season . did his homework," says former Trashers center Drew Omicioli, "putting in research and hard work to build the team.". Throughout his busy professional career, he has also participated in numerous hockey schools around the country. No slow dissipation for the Trashers, no aging and decline. Gilles is a Level 4 Hockey Coach with USA Hockey. The team slogan was Bad Boys Talkin' Trash. According to the subsequent indictment, the investigation was part of an effort to thwart illegal practices in the trash hauling industry. It had been kicked off by a complaint. So in 2004 Galante sank his money into the hockey equivalent of Double A ball. Maybe it was better that way. Coach Ernie's leadership, motivational skills, training skills, and exceptional training ethics bring exciting elements to Southeast Elite Hockey. In the indictment filed by the U.S. Attorneys office, Galante was charged with 72 counts, including extortion, witness tampering, and racketeering. Though the camp was postponed until September, the St. Clairs decided to head south, meeting Vogel at Ice Line in West Chester, where he learned to skate as a kid. Stirling avoided jail time after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud. The Minnesota Wild have acquired forward Gustav Nyquist from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NHL draft. It will have mobsters. While David-Alexandre Beauregard was no goon, he fit into the Danbury menagerie. "No," Jimmy replied. And the noisemy God, the noise! It will have desperate people, lost causes, and crime. Somehow they got the message upstairs. Elzinga declined, but as Wingfield skated away, Elzinga pulled on his jersey and stuck out a foot to trip him. The roster was constantly in flux, but it usually had more enforcers than players in need of protection. I remember asking, Why does he have the full mask? Someone told me, Hes only got one eye. Hed lost vision in the othera stick through the visor. BY JANUARY 2005 the Trashers were so riddled with suspensions that they had to suit up an assistant coach, Bobby Stearns, who suddenly became a 36-year-old pro hockey rookie. Questioned about the no-show jobs, former players laughed and changed the subject. Word of the incident quickly spread through the blue-collar Connecticut city, which soon embraced the fighting mentality of the Trashers. In court, Matty the Horse was ruined and old, hard to understand. Gilles was the Lead Hockey Instructor for National Hockey Development for 4 years. 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. Wingfield's skate caught on the ice, and as he fell back his left tibia, fibula and ankle broke with such force that the crack could be heard in the stands. According to the indictment, Galante was making quarterly payments of $30,000 to Matty the Horse, the successor to Vincent the Chin Gigante and the boss of the Genovese crime family. We play a team like the Frostbite, a team with maybe two goons. What happened today in history (27 February): Sandeep Singh and Constantine I were born, Leonard Nimoy and Chandra Shekhar Azad died, World NGO Day, Bayern Munich was founded, Pakistan retaliated . Toward the trade deadline, we were going through a slump. Initially, just as a spectator. "He made fans feel like they were an integral part of the team. The constant sitting has led to excruciating backaches. As the case proceeded, there was plenty of collateral damage. And thats how Greg and Brenda St. Clair were introduced to hockey, enough to motivate them to attend the Trashers next game and eventually become addicted to a sport they previously knew little about. There was something else in the books too. Having been a professional player, coach, and instructor for over 15 years, Gilles has been able to help continue to grow youth hockey programs across the state of Florida. One was Rumun Ndur, a Nigeria-born Canadian who was known for his aggression. The most famous tough-guy team ever was whothe Broad Street Bullies, 7475 Flyers? November 24, 2006. Marc specializes in the full spectrum of athlete development. persisted. "He can score unbelievable," A.J. He also played one season for the Russia Omsk of the KHL. For himself he built a skybox equipped with a kitchenette. On Dec. 3, 2005, Kalamazoo visited Danbury. Jim grew up and played minor hockey in Toronto, Canada. Charlie has coached numerous Southeast Elite AAA teams throughout the years, bringing home many championships. With the NHL idled by a lockout that would scuttle the 2004--05 season in mid-February, the UHL became a haven for restless NHL players wanting to play to stay in shape. Gustafson would later describe Galante as a manipulating, controlling, hands-on bully., When I asked Galante why hed become a fixation for prosecutors, he said, I have no idea. wasn't the only reason Galante drew comparisons with Tony Soprano. He has ties,' " says Brosal. "Especially for a guy with one eye. Soon they were regulars, and at one game they renewed their marriage vows. Next year were going to kick the son of a bitch in!, It was like that with the Trashers. December 03, 2005. My dad wasnt too happy, and in so many words I was told, We need a fucking scorer. I was on spring break from college, and my break consisted of me in my room researching I didnt really have any relationships with other hockey people. "People love to watch him perform. ", "WE LOVED THOSE FANS," SAYS OMICIOLI. Though he lived with his wife and two children in suburban New Fairfield, he was beloved in nearby Danbury, where he had his office. If you search Jim Duhart, those are what you find: Jim Duhart versus Tom Clayton, Jim Duhart versus Jason Taylor. And what's more entertaining than a bunch of crazy guys getting into fights?". They happily agreed. When the signal comes, they pull on a fresh shirt, put on the gear, head out. Before and after games downtown Danbury was hopping. Having been a professional player, coach, and instructor for over 15 years, Gilles has been able to help continue to grow youth hockey programs across the state of Florida. what happened to josh elzinga hockey. According to authorities, DeLuca said yes and provided Colella's address. The Trashers' most notorious festival of violence had taken place on Dec. 1, 2004, when they hosted the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Wings. People were like, What the hells going on over there? And theyd do some research and see how young I was, and the fatherson dynamic and the type of fighters. "We did our due diligence, and they put in the proper paperwork and were professional," says Richard Brosal, then the UHL's commissioner. SHOWTIME The Trashers didn't just start fights. Still, it was clear who had the ultimate authority: Before and after some games Jimmy gave the team fiery pep talks and blistering critiques. They had scorers and skaters and playmakers and defensive stalwarts. 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. Says Andy Paproski, a lifelong resident of Danbury (pop. Marc's experience as a professional Triathlete and coach with Team USA brings an understanding of the whole body and the athlete to the Ice. "I'm one of those guys who lives for competition," he says. There was a tremendous infusion of talent, Christiansen said. We only use official stats. Still, the joy of playing the sport makes her feel, in her own words, on top of the world, far outweighing any pain she has endured. Nothing.. Furthermore, according to authorities, in April 2005 Galante had met with Louis DeLuca, a longtime Connecticut state senator. In the first period Wagner instigated a fight, and an all-out brawl broke out. But his fights are what people remember. A promotional video could have doubled as a Dexter ad, with blood spatters on the ice. I remember being elated, guys tumbling over the boards like wed won the Stanley Cup. The Trashers went on to win that series, but lost the next. Born Jul 23 1982 -- Burbank, IL. While other UHL franchises were notorious for penny-pinching, the Trashers traveled in a luxe team bus. AL hasattended many coaching seminars and clinics around North America. Players - FM Leaders; Teams - FM Leaders . He was born in the Bronx but grew up in bucolic South Salem, New York; did a stint in the Air Force; and then took a job driving a garbage truck. Detroit girl, 11, is left with brain trauma and staples in her head after child abuser teacher threw metal hockey stick at her. One day in November, an employee at the Ice Arena was proud to show the building until he was told his visitor was interested in writing an article on the Trashers. Brian was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. So why was he being greeted by this kid sporting a nascent goatee, earrings and an Allen Iverson jersey? The Trashers folded three days after Galantes arrest. 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 trade rumors negatively impacted Torres on the field. Wagner generally played on one- or two-game contracts, and promised AJ that he would take care of the Frostbite. It was all over the blogs and hockey-fight sites, the craziness. 14U A - Josh Elzinga 14U AA - Eric Ricard and Johnny Pelletier 16U A - Dylan Forsythe and Devon Rodriguez 16U AA USPHL - Tony Lessel 18U AA - Peter Jerabeck Coach's Bios Will be released the week prior to tryouts For more information contact: Tony Lessel, Hockey Director TonyL@floridaeverblades.com - 239-948-7825 x1303 Asan instructorand Director for the HuronHockey Schools at a young age, Steve has been very fortunate to be able to work side by side with some of the best coaches in the business. However, hed been to prison for tax evasion. One of the featured players, Brad \"Wingnut\" Wingfield plays a significant role in the film. It was a big to-do. Although Galante claims that he never actually made contact, he was charged with assault. By accepting an offer he couldn't refuse. The team didn't take itself too seriouslyand didn't take any crapwhich was pitch-perfect for Danbury. Soon, a 3-on-3 scrimmage was underway with Brenda, for the first time in her life, facing shots in a real game. "Of course, if we had to do it again, would we have accepted that franchise? Ten years ago, Connecticut waste-management king Jimmy Galante started a minor league hockey team and put his teenage son, A.J., in charge. It was a special experience, my best in minor league hockey. A Cree from Saskatchewan who sometimes sported a multicolored Mohawk, he stood barely 5'10" but had a chin of granite and relished punching above his weight class. The result was a kind of frontier justice. In his 56 games with the Trashers, Wingfield piled up 496 penalty minutes. Same for Mike Rupp. Others started formally, proposed and accepted in the way of czarist-era duels: One morning, as AJ was driving to schoolhe was by then a freshman at Manhattanville College, in Purchase, New York, a 40-minute commute from New Fairfieldhe heard Barry Melrose talking smack about the Trashers on ESPN Radio. A legion of small business owners still talk about how, on Trashers game nights, downtown blazed to life. The Trashers still trigger strong responses in Danbury, too. He knows how to treat people. A.J. He's 27 now. Gretzky reportedly earned $100,000, which would have left little for the rest of the team. Jimmy Galante purchased an expansion franchise in the United Hockey League, the equivalent of Double A baseball. 's high school Jimmy paid to refurbish the football stadium. Her style may be unorthodox, but she fits right in between the pipes. Federal authorities had grown interested in the Connecticut waste-management industry. VS. 1st Period - 12:37. Which was the point: The Danbury Ice Arena was the sort of place where you could get into it with a random bozo in the bleachers, and he would turn out to be the head of the opposing team. ), The Trashers finished the 200405 season with a 44297 record, which put them in the playoffs. SON NATE WAS DRAFTED BY MISSISSAUGA IN THE 2021 OHL DRAFT. She had tears in her eyes and was thanking us so much. For a few hours, hockey had given Brenda a sense of normalcy to which Vogel can relate. That is it.. Since birth Brenda has suffered from spina bifida, an abnormality that causes an opening in the spinal column. (Colella denies this.) Wingnut went down awkwardly, and a crack could be heard in every part of the arena: Wingnuts left tibia and fibula. Two months into the season, the games turned nasty. ", THE TRASHERS finished their inaugural season 44--29, and their second year unfolded much like the first: a lot of winning, a lot of fighting. The Trashers were even able to land a few genuine NHL players, one of whom was Mike Rupp. But he would become something of a hockey Crash Davis: He would play through 2013, retiring at 37. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. recalls, "even the commissioner was like, 'I would advise against that. I'm not just hungry; my stomach is growling. That team was uniquely physical, to put it nicely, Doug Christiansen, a 6-foot-5 Trashers wing, told me. After he was drafted, Vogel invited the couple to Pennsylvania for training camp in August. "A.J. She started playing hockey, in her wheelchair. "You can't have him," Roanoke Valley's GM responded. The U.S. Attorneys office learned enough to get wiretaps and, eventually, search warrants. - Verification Badge on your profile, Post a scouting report/trivia/player comment in English (visible here), 2001, 4 #48 overall by Cedar Rapids Roughriders, 2000, 8 #157 overall by Windsor Spitfires. had been a serviceable defenseman in high school and had followed the Devils, so he reckoned he knew the sport well enough. None of this fazes the 47-year-old Brenda. "Frank would have been a hell of a Danbury Trasher," A.J. He caught Josh Elzinga in a corner, called him out, beat him down. Jimmy pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, tax fraud, and wire fraud. Ndur charged the Kalamazoo bench and tried to kick a linesman. Marc believes in helping each athlete to decipher through the plethora of good and misinformation to achieve optimal performance. Some say he did it for the same reason he owned a race-car squad: He loved to compete. . As he headed to baggage claim at the small suburban airport, something didn't look right. Says Pomposello, "Jimmy's old school. "He's the only thing this team has going for it.". During a 1994 junior hockey game he was on a breakaway when he caught a high stick under his visor. Josh Patterson (F) 2000-2003: 3: Peterborough Petes: Lukas Krajicek (D) 2000-2003: 3: Peterborough Petes: Jon Howse (F) 2000-2003: 3: Peterborough Petes: Not Activated Sections Endorsements Coach Ernie's interest in athletic performance development stems from his extensive career competing in ice hockey. DeLuca pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of threatening. Pick your poison. The Danbury Trashers earned respect with their fists as often as their sticks. "Al Davis, he was a wild man with a team full of outlaws, and that's how I wanted to be. "I said, 'Sure,' which, to my dad, was like signing a contract. "You had blue-collar guys banging on the glass. The Trashers would sell out the arena regularly as fans of various ethnicities, ages and collars converged to cheer them on. Soon Jimmy was renting buses to take fans to big road games. Eventually, Donny Grover, a former Trashers defenseman, noticed Brenda in the stands and invited her onto the ice. FGCU Ice Hockey - Evaluation Skate Information Meeting. Wagner's career stats in the league: two games and 73 penalty minutes. Hes working to turn Danbury into a boxing meccaup there with Oxnard, California., Galante got out of prison in 2014. All get tossed. 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. 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 posted a 28 wRC+ in the month of August, meaning he was 72 percent worse than the average MLB hitter. Through United States Ice Rink Association Gilles has acquired his Hockey Director Certificate, Human Resources Management Certificate and Programming, Marketing and Promotions Certificate. But they also swap remember-that-time-when stories about those two years they ran that crazy-assed hockey team. It wasnt a crisis, but it was a drag. 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. AJ did one of his first press calls on a cellphone in a New Fairfield High School hallway, the interview ending abruptly when a teacher walked by. All would plead guilty, as would Galante. called his middleman in Quebec and essentially rented Wagner for a game against Adirondack. She had always wanted to play in a game and afterward she kept talking, Did you see this save and that save? It was really, really great. You'd look across the ice, and they had eight to 10 heavyweights looking for a fight. He would also wash the Trashers' jerseys in Crisco and slather Vaseline on their helmets so opponents couldn't grab hold in a fight. Dissatisfied with the response he got from police, DeLuca went to Galante. It went like this: Elzinga clipped Wingfield in the face, Wingfield asked for a fight, Elzinga declined. This summer, she took multiple trips to the ER for what she believes is a pinched nerve in her neck. This article appears in the May 2018 print edition with the headline The Mobster Who Bought His Teenage Son a Hockey Team., The week that followed Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination was revolutionaryso why was it nearly forgotten? Southeast Elite is proud to announce the Mathieu Garon with be an instrumental member of the Southeast Elite organization as a goaltender instructor. Wingnut. 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. Gilles was the Lead Hockey Instructor for National Hockey Development for 4 years. The former Director of Hockey Operations for the Jacksonville Ice and Sports Complex, Gilles is no stranger to youth hockey. PHOTOGRAPHS BY WENDY CARLSON (MASCOT, 5); VIDEO STILLS BY THOMAS BUTKIER (2). That's all we needed to hear. Launching an expansion hockey team in Danbury seemed less like a vanity play than a natural progression. 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. That matchup was marred by a brawl that kicked off when Trashers left winger Brad Wingfield attempted to fight Kalamazoo's Josh Elzinga, who declined the invitation. "Oh, everyone knew the deal," says Omicioli, "but [we] didn't care. Now and then, AJ would watch a game from Section 102. Player after player came by the house to show support. Yet the father delegated personnel moves to the son. But it wasn't just the players who were punished. ", Jimmy paused. They had their own chants and waved body bags when opposing players lost fights. AJ was more freewheeling when shopping for muscle. When it came time to negotiate Gretzkys contract, AJ turned the deal over to his father. Mathieuhasbecome a staple in the Tampa area over the last 2 years coaching kids and offering private lessons at Lightning Hockey Schools and Camps, Lightning Community Hockey Development, Lightning Made, Street Lightning, Chase Your Dreams, Future Goals and as a goalie consultant for the Lightning Development Camp. Young Blood, Goon, they were all there. The Danbury arena, meanwhile, has returned to its old existence as a youth rink. Born 1984-09-30 in Burbank, Illinois. Seven players were sent to the penalty box. They were the cream of the UHL, one of its best teams and a pet project of hockey celebrities: The franchise was owned in part by the former NHL coach Barry Melrose and the ESPN broadcaster Steve Levy. The second year, Port Huron became the Roanoke Valley Vipers. Whether people deny it or not, everyone loves a hockey fight.. He scores like it's drinking water. Marc uses a basis of skating and skills rather than hockey concepts oversystems through proper small area games. Rupp had played two seasons in the NHL and had even scored the decisive goal for the Devils in the 2003 Stanley Cup finals. Brenda has cracked three ribs her first time on the ice she crashed into the boards and years later nearly broke her middle finger trying to make a save. A.J. The Galantes told Trashers who were suspendedinvariably for fightingto watch the games from the 102 seats. In 2004, this meant buying a minor-league-hockey franchise and installing it at the local youth rink, the Danbury Ice Arena. (The indictment alleged that the Trashers' player payroll was in excess of $750,000, but the team reported that it hadn't gone over the UHL salary cap of $275,000.) He has talked casually with A.J. So Im like, How the hell am I going to get a trade? I ended up taking this Vipers fan booklet and calling the merchandise number. Barely two months into the season Ndur was suspended for 20 games after fighting not just opposing players but also officials and opposing coaches. Galante passed him a note that asked, Do you want me to have someone pay him a visit? A UHL season was about 80 games followed by playoffs; the champion took home the Colonial Cup. Timo Meier's fantasy hockey value trends up after the New Jersey Devils acquired him. felt that the Trashers needed a goal scorer. I never had one bad thing happen in my dealings with Jimmy Galante.". Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine are set to visit the toxic train derailment site in East Palestine Wednesday for an update on the removal of the hazardous waste from the wreck. Originally from Montreal,Charlieplayed over 900 games professionally around the globe over his 17-year career, including the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers. You'll be the president. We were paid, and everything was first class. picks his words with great care when discussing what he calls "the legal issues" of the last few years. Everyone, however, agrees that he did it at least in part for his son, AJ, who was 17. signed him for another game against Adirondack, in Danbury on Feb. 23, which was also WWE Night. said. ago] Height 5.11 -- Weight 175 [180 cm/79 kg] Embed Josh Elzinga stats! "It was loud," says A.J., "and security was very, let's just say, flexible." AJ considered it unfair to fans if a game had fewer than three fights.