He ended up reaching over the bench and grabbing the Adirondack coach, trying to pull him over the boards. A legion of small business owners still talk about how, on Trashers game nights, downtown blazed to life. 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. Let's just say hindsight is 20/20. "We did our due diligence, and they put in the proper paperwork and were professional," says Richard Brosal, then the UHL's commissioner. I wouldnt look for the most penalty minutes, he told me. Like any father, you want to be able to do something for your son.. Stevehas served on the SAHOF Board of Directors since 2003, has been a Head Coach and Evaluator for the USA Player Development Program, and has made five appearances at the USA Hockey National Championships which includes bringing the first National Championship to the Southeast District and the State of Florida. The team played in the Wings Stadium. At 32, Todd was younger than some of the players. Her neck was really bothering her that night and she said, I dont think Ill be going to get on the ice, Vogel recalled. 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. It will have desperate people, lost causes, and crime. Jimmy Galante purchased an expansion franchise in the United Hockey League, the equivalent of Double A baseball. You'll be the president. We had 10 goons! ), 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. But as Wingfield skated away , Elzinga stuck his leg out and pulled back on the left wing's jersey. All get tossed. "No," Jimmy replied. Galante was a philanthropist; a pediatric suite in the emergency department of Danbury Hospital was named for his family. Now, the younger Galante has embraced boxing instead of hockey. 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. On such nights, I suppose Im just like Galante was, rooting for my son in the crazed way understood by all hockey parents. ago] Height 6.02 -- Weight 205 [188 cm/93 kg] Regular Season. They had, what, three goons? November 24, 2006. You in? For all that's happened, the kid still idolizes his father. AJ spent the summer after his senior year assembling a roster. Because adult-sized chest protectors were too big for her, she initially wore one meant for children. Wagner generally played on one- or two-game contracts, and promised AJ that he would take care of the Frostbite. "He made fans feel like they were an integral part of the team. The one thing that has given her joy in recent years is hockey. 117 followers. This year we beat on the door. 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 garnered respect from coaches and players on all levels. How did A.J. ", HAVING A son named A.J. acted decisively. It was populated by the die-hard, the angry, and the drunk. Thirty-two other individuals, including Matty the Horse, were charged as part of the investigation. It wasnt a crisis, but it was a drag. Jon (Nasty) Mirasty averaged more than eight minutes of penalties over 25 games. The jerseys featured the team mascot, Scrappy, a garbage can with the lid raised just enough to reveal two almond-shaped eyes peering from the darkness. Questioned about the no-show jobs, former players laughed and changed the subject. Josh Elzinga vs. Brad Wingfield, December 03, 2005 - Kalamazoo Wings vs. Danbury Trashers. At 24, Rupp had already spent two seasons in the majors. "Lemme get this straight," he said. Galante spent $3 million to refurbish the Danbury Ice Arena. DeLuca pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of threatening. For video of the Danbury Trashers mixing it up, download SI's tablet version, free to subscribers, at SI.com/activate. Following a successful junior hockey career, he played four (4) years of college hockey at Eastern Michigan University, where he was a CSCHL All-Star in 2001. Join Facebook to connect with Josh Elzinga and others you may know. You have to understand, Dave MacIsaac, who played 62 regular-season games for Danbury, told me. Then Sen. Joseph Lieberman hailed Galante as a "shining example" in the community. ", "WE LOVED THOSE FANS," SAYS OMICIOLI. It was a clean shot [but] they came right at AJ, and he had a very severe knee injury, couldnt play hockey anymore. was fined and suspended for nearly coming to blows with an executive from another team during a game. AJ filled out the roster with a mix of has-beens and might-bes. For himself he built a skybox equipped with a kitchenette and a flat-screen TV. Thank you." Something was off-brand, faded; he was like a dollar bill thatd been through the wash. Hed already played 12 seasons of pro hockey: a total of 13 games in the NHL, followed by years of wandering the minors. Residents greeted the new hockey team with considerable excitement. And the noisemy God, the noise! 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. ", A.J. We only use official stats. "You had blue-collar guys banging on the glass. An email sent to the team asking Rupp to share his recollections of the Trashers elicited this curt response: "Mike is not available for your story." My son plays there eight or nine times a year. Although Jimmy and A.J., with their contempt for other franchises, took pride in letting proxies handle league board meetings and conference calls, Brosal says they were fine corporate citizens of the UHL: "Jimmy would get fined, and he would argueWho do you think you are?and five hours later the money was wired into the account. 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. The Trashers' most notorious festival of violence had taken place on Dec. 1, 2004, when they hosted the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Wings. ", 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. "Right from day one, they've said they wanted to be the bad boys of hockey, the most hated team, the Evil Empire," Marc Potvin, coach of the Adirondack Frostbite, one of the Trashers' rivals, disapprovingly told the Toronto Star in February 2005. "But you got to stir it up sometimes.". AJ knew the sort of team he wanted: skill plus muscle, skaters plus goons. It was four years to the day from the Trashers' first game. But as Wingnut moved away, Elzinga stuck out his skate and grabbed Wingnuts jersey. His accomplishments includeover 30 wins across the World, along with competing with Team USA at World Championships. A.J. "I cut a foot off the visitors' bench," says Pomposello, "so they'd be all squished together." Whether people deny it or not, everyone loves a hockey fight.. When Jimmy returned from work, his son greeted him with the big news. I remember being so pissed, I had to do something. He found skill players on the internet, assembling his squad the way he might have assembled a fantasy-football team. He named it Champs Boxing Club & Fitness. made connections over the summer with agents, scouts and middlemen who could deliver that goalie from Manitoba or that playmaker from Quebec. The game was still knotted after two overtimes. The Galantes hired J. Todd Stirling, a son of former Islanders coach Steve Stirling, as the inaugural coach. The Trashers still trigger strong responses in Danbury, too. Be a goalie, to which she said, Alright. was taking calls from players and agentsincluding, he says, Sean Avery'sasking for a Danbury roster spot. Marc believes in helping each athlete to decipher through the plethora of good and misinformation to achieve optimal performance. Barely two months into the season Ndur was suspended for 20 games after fighting not just opposing players but also officials and opposing coaches. That is it.. Thats where he told me his story, amid the light and heavy bags, in the regulation ring. 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. 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. Tampa Bay fans still include him among their grievances: a wasted pick. He was a star in the UHL, having scored 43 goals for the Port Huron. Now and then, AJ would watch a game from Section 102. 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. Gretzky reportedly earned $100,000, which would have left little for the rest of the team. Right before the league's trade deadline in March 2006, Jimmy and A.J. 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 . 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. ", Jimmy paused. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Word got around the hockey world, and soon A.J. During a 1994 junior hockey game he was on a breakaway when he caught a high stick under his visor. You'd look across the ice, and they had eight to 10 heavyweights looking for a fight. The FBI had sent an agent undercover to pass himself off as a rogue salesman and befriend the men around Galante. ESPN The Magazine reported that one onlooker described Wingnut as on all fours, like an animal braying for help. Hed be out the rest of that season, and half of the next. By Chris Kazarian The legend of the United Leagues Danbury Trashers was cemented midway through the teams first season in a game against the Kalamazoo Wings. The wiretaps captured Galantes associates recalling a trip to Mount Kisco, New York, where they wentas Michael Gustafson, the lead assistant U.S. attorney who handled the case, would later state in courtto retain the services of a leg-breaker known as the Carpenter. Also caught on tape was Galante telling an associate to deliver a message to a would-be canary: Long Island says hello, referring to Matty the Horse Ianniello. They loved playing for Jimmy, because he took care of them. Watch Unreal Save by TJ Semptimphelter. 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. Many signed with the American Hockey League, the league directly below the NHL, pushing AHL players down to teams in the UHL. As evidence that Galante was prone to violence, the prosecution played footage of him purportedly striking the official during the infamous Kalamazoo game. had been a serviceable defenseman in high school and had followed the Devils, so he reckoned he knew the sport well enough. Josh Elzinga vs. Brad Wingfield, December 03, 2005 - Kalamazoo Wings vs. Danbury Trashers . He wore a full face mask. Still, Vogel wanted something to remember the moment by, so he donned his goalie gear to take some photos with Brenda on the ice. The government seized most of his assets, including 25 trash companies and a string of race cars. The winning goal came in the third overtime. If Micahs short careerhes currently 10 years oldwere, God forbid, to come to a sudden end, Id gladly enlist a mobster to buy him a team so he could still have a future in hockey. He was a great owner." They had their own chants and waved body bags when opposing players lost fights. felt that the Trashers needed a goal scorer. He had me arrested in the locker room. None of this fazes the 47-year-old Brenda. We just figured, Were going to make a team everyone loves to hate, AJ said. At 4 a.m. the players would be out in the parking lot, huddled in their underwear. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update player stats. She would go there (the Danbury Ice Arena) every single day and sit around in the stands for a total of probably eight hours just to watch an hour of practice, Greg said. While other UHL franchises were notorious for penny-pinching, the Trashers traveled in a luxe team bus. 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. . December 03, 2005. The league set an annual salary cap of $275,000, with a $2 luxury tax for every dollar spent above the threshold. Just two unforgettable seasons sealed in amber. The rest of the game doubled as a near riot. Gilles was the Lead Hockey Instructor for National Hockey Development for 4 years. As he headed to baggage claim at the small suburban airport, something didn't look right. Josh Elzinga Defense Born Sep 3 1984 -- Burbank, IL [38 yrs. Home; Fights. ", In his first game for Danbury, Beauregard had a goal and an assist as the Trashers won 5--1. "He even bought the beer," says Paproski. A small town has its lawns and picket fences and wholesome values, a big town its go-getters and civic fathers. A.J. 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. The state senator had also told an undercover agent that he would use his influence to discover anything that could hurt Galante and "blunt it as best I can." 355 following. And that wasn't all. Greg St. Clair, the fan who accompanied his wheelchair-bound wife to games, marked the occasion by getting a tattoo on his left calf of Scrappy the mascot shooting a puck emblazoned with the letters fbi. The league's 13 other owners were happy for the cash infusion. picks his words with great care when discussing what he calls "the legal issues" of the last few years. I never had one bad thing happen in my dealings with Jimmy Galante.". Though he started with no contacts in the sport, often relying on Google to find the main phone numbers of other teams, A.J. Yet three Trashers earned more than $100,000 apiece. The Trashers would sell out the arena regularly as fans of various ethnicities, ages and collars converged to cheer them on. As Wingfield skated away, Elzinga grabbed the back of his opponents jersey and pulled him over his outstretched leg, breaking Wingfields left tibia, fibula and ankle. Pick your poison. Brenda St. Clair can serve as an inspiration to goaltenders and all hockey fans throughout the world. "My dad always put me in sink-or-swim-type situations," he says. The result was a kind of frontier justice. That was the minimum; that was getting your moneys worth. The Kalamazoo Wings were a Minor Professional hockey team based in Kalamazoo, MI playing in the United Hockey League from 2000 to 2007. persisted. DeLuca ended up resigning from office because of the scandal. It held fewer than 3,000 seats, the fewest in the UHL, but it had a jewel-box intimacy. So I reached out to a guy I knew in the Quebec League and said, Get me Chad Wagner., Chad Wagner was one of the most feared hockey fighters of the era. The charge was later dropped due to a lack of clear evidence, but Brosal fined Galante an undisclosed amount and suspended Harper for five games. The gangster shrugged: What can I say, right? Federal authorities had grown interested in the Connecticut waste-management industry. One was Rumun Ndur, a Nigeria-born Canadian who was known for his aggression. First of all, if you look at the bus, it was pretty sick, Mario Larocque told me. Originally from the Metro Detroit area, Craig grew up playing youth hockey in Michigan within the Detroit Little Caesars organization. Season. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. It went like this: Elzinga clipped Wingfield in the face, Wingfield asked for a fight, Elzinga declined. But it wasn't just the players who were punished. While David-Alexandre Beauregard was no goon, he fit into the Danbury menagerie. Young Blood, Goon, they were all there. The fans in section 102 who had once heckled him for his one eye instantly embraced him. said of Beauregard. No slow dissipation for the Trashers, no aging and decline. 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