He was an owner of Automated Waste Disposal, a conglomerate of at least 25 trash-hauling businesses that held a near monopoly in western Connecticut and Westchester. You did right by him and were loyal, and he would do anything for you. Dissatisfied with the response he got from police, DeLuca went to Galante. 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. The FBI had sent an agent undercover to pass himself off as a rogue salesman and befriend the men around Galante. Still, as one might expect from a teenage GM, the roster was dense with goons. But by 1 a.m., the Trashers were out of fresh shirts. He paid the funeral costs of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq and donated $200,000 to a nonprofit that provided financial assistance to soldiers serving overseas. "The camaraderie with the Galante familythe laughs, the dinnersit's sad," Pomposello says, his voice catching. ", "WE LOVED THOSE FANS," SAYS OMICIOLI. Most of these guys, if theyd been drafted into the NHL, had gone late, in the triple digits. Let's just say hindsight is 20/20. AJ filled out the roster with a mix of has-beens and might-bes. And the fans, from section 102 and beyond, still miss their team. Jimmy and A.J. For a team theme song, A.J. The first was the famed Quebec League (officially the Ligue Nord-Amricaine de Hockey), which can be thought of as an aquarium stocked with fighting fish: young goons and old goons, bald goons and goons with mullets. ", Jimmy paused. It was a twist Elmore Leonard might have considered improbable. The week that followed Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination was revolutionaryso why was it nearly forgotten? 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. U.S. Hockey Report provides exclusive amateur hockey news reporting and scouting services in the United States and Canada. He was one of those players who had everything except whatever mysterious quality it is that separates Wayne from Brent, the Yes from the Not Quite. He's crazy.' I fined him. Mario Larocque was different: Hed been taken in the first round of the 1996 NHL draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stirling avoided jail time after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud. Defense. November 24, 2006. From March 2014: The oracle of ice hockey. A.J. fgcu.campuslabs.com. The Trashers had the Adirondack Frostbite. Parents were warned to keep children away. Southeast Elite is proud to announce the Mathieu Garon with be an instrumental member of the Southeast Elite organization as a goaltender instructor. (He also forfeited his ownership in 25 trash-hauling firms.) 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. 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. The players were aware that their owner was, well, connected. 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 When linesman James Harper approached him, they engaged in a shouting match, and Jimmy reportedly gave Harper a fat lip. Now it's probably best known for its massive federal prison, which housed Lauryn Hill and has been featured in Orange Is the New Black. Bethlehem's David Bievenue hands the puck as Capital District Jets' Alexander Ridley defends during Tuesday's Section II Division 1 boys' ice hockey championship game at Messa Rink in Schenectady. They were always pulling them out late, clearing the bench, fighting and celebrating. acted decisively. "I'm one of those guys who lives for competition," he says. The Galantes told Trashers who were suspendedinvariably for fightingto watch the games from the 102 seats. In the first period Wagner instigated a fight, and an all-out brawl broke out. 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. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. ago] Height 6.02 -- Weight 205 [188 cm/93 kg] Regular Season. Like Mike Tyson in his prime.". Now, the younger Galante has embraced boxing instead of hockey. "We loved those fansI mean loved," says Omicioli. Right before the league's trade deadline in March 2006, Jimmy and A.J. He almost looked like Waynethe same intelligent eyes and long face, the same scraggly mall-rat hairbut not quite. picks his words with great care when discussing what he calls "the legal issues" of the last few years. 117 Followers, 355 Following, 69 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Josh Elzinga (@jelzinga86) 117 Followers, 355 Following, 69 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Josh Elzinga (@jelzinga86) jelzinga86. The former Director of Hockey Operations for the Jacksonville Ice and Sports Complex, Gilles is no stranger to youth hockey. The Trashers were hosting the Kalamazoo Wings, and Brent Gretzky was being shadowed by the Kalamazoo defenseman Josh Elzinga. The roster was constantly in flux, but it usually had more enforcers than players in need of protection. When he caught wind of a local kid who couldn't afford college, he quietly wrote a tuition check. just landed Galarza his first TV fight, on Showtime's ShoBox series, and an endorsement deal with the apparel company Rival Boxing. Asked how the payback made him feel, Wingnut said great, but I would have liked to have seen him leaving the ice on a stretcher or in a body bag.. 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. But his fights are what people remember. Through United States Ice Rink Association Gilles has acquired his Hockey Director Certificate, Human Resources Management Certificate and Programming, Marketing and Promotions Certificate. "Al Davis, he was a wild man with a team full of outlaws, and that's how I wanted to be. Danbury, Connecticut, is the ultimate small city. "You can't have him," Roanoke Valley's GM responded. In the late 1990s Galante had been sentenced to a year and a day in a federal prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion. Most dismaying to the citizenry of Danbury, the Trashers' 2006--07 season was canceled. Gretzky reportedly earned $100,000, which would have left little for the rest of the team. In his first semester of college A.J. 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 fans in section 102 who had once heckled him for his one eye instantly embraced him. Sep 30, 1984 Position D Age 38 Height 5'11" / 180 cm Place of Birth Burbank, IL, USA Weight 183 lbs / 83 kg Nation USA Shoots L Youth Team - Status Retired Brother: Adam Elzinga Team Staff profile of Joshua Elzinga also available Use/Embed statistics Default Per Game Average Coaches Played For Player Statistics Regular Season + Postseason But his passion for sports never faded. Matty the Horse spent 18 months in the big house, but he survived it, dying a free man in August 2012. By game's end they were hooked. 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. Everyone, however, agrees that he did it at least in part for his son, AJ, who was 17. 2013-current Head Coach of the 2005 AAA Florida Alliance/Southeast Elite Program, 11 years in professional hockey in the AHL, ECHL, and Europe, More information about Marc can be found at, Over 13 years as a Professional Triathlete with 35 overall victories, Oldest Pro to ever compete in Pro World Championship 2006, Junior Hockey- Ohio Juniors Collegiate Hockey Ohio University, Private lessons and Camps Specializing in European Power skating. Jim grew up and played minor hockey in Toronto, Canada. The Danbury Whalers of the Federal Hockey League now play downtown, and it's fair to wonder whether they would be there were it not for the hockey culture Jimmy Galante started and the arena he built. He was suspended from the UHL for life., And then there was the broken-leg game. People who tell the story start with the date, as if recalling an event of historical importance: December 1, 2004. He had me arrested in the locker room. "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. Danbury fans whod followed the team to Glens Falls got word of the situation and gave the players the shirts off their own backs. The Galantes admit that their favorite player was Brad Wingfield, a.k.a. Last seen in the 2003-2004 season with the Chicago Steel (USHL). That team was uniquely physical, to put it nicely, Doug Christiansen, a 6-foot-5 Trashers wing, told me. says, shifting uneasily in his seat. It went like this: Elzinga clipped Wingfield in the face, Wingfield asked for a fight, Elzinga declined. It was a big to-do. Although Galante claims that he never actually made contact, he was charged with assault. He made some contacts, hung out in gyms in the Northeast, met some promoters and trainers, and so far he has represented three fighters. showed off the aggressively down-market style the Trashers brought to the UHL. 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. An 11-year-old girl in Detroit had to get staples in her head after . There were hundreds of fans like Greg and Brenda St. Clair, a Danbury couple who went halfway through the season to check out the new team. AJ called it a coincidence: Changes in the league made continued play impossible, he said, not the legal problem. Of course, his dads arrest played a role. also hired Tommy (T-Bone) Pomposello, a former minor leaguer, who would do everything from managing the equipment to scouting talent to helping run practice. During the 201011 season, the Quebec League averaged 3.2 fights a game. Ohio Gov. We were paid, and everything was first class. Gilles was the Lead Hockey Instructor for National Hockey Development for 4 years. 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. - EP Contact Book listing of your profile (optional) The second goes on in the front office: signing players, making trades. The intimidation factor was unreal. Rumun Ndur was the only Nigerian-born player ever to make it to the NHL. He knows how to treat people. During his four years of collegiate playfor the Miami OH Redhawks (CCHA), he received the Terry Flannagan Humanitarian Award recognizing Ernie's strong character and leadership skills both on and off of the ice. (The video was inconclusive.) But Galante got around it in classic mob fashion: no-show jobs. Now and then, AJ would watch a game from Section 102. There was only one problem: it wasnt protecting her sides, leaving her exposed, and often, black and blue. Josh Elzinga has an equally impressive professional playing career and has served as Adam's Assistant Coach for the past 4 seasons. Al grew up and was raised in small-town Manitoba and played all levels of minor and senior hockey. 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 . - Connect directly with players, coaches, teams, scouts and agents (optional) That was the minimum; that was getting your moneys worth. For this he was banned for life from the UHL. The team's actual payroll would later be estimated at $750,000. At 24, Rupp had already spent two seasons in the majors. 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. "It comes right from the top.". The Trashers folded three days after Galantes arrest. Rumun Ndur ended up seeing red and going batshit crazy, AJ told me. Marc also specializes in Power Skating and using the techniques of dynamic edgework and plyometricwhile on the ice. 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. The team was largely the same, with a few additions, including yet another minor-league-hockey legend, David Beauregard. "I said, 'Sure,' which, to my dad, was like signing a contract. Not that they just rubber-stamped Galante's application. Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Adam Elzinga, 1982-07-23 Burbank, IL, USA USA. He spent six years in Allenwood, a federal penitentiary in central Pennsylvania. A senior at New Fairfield High, AJ had been an alternate captain of his schools hockey team, which played at the Danbury Ice Arena with Jimmy often in attendance. Wingfield was back in uniform, having healed from the slew-footing by Elzinga that had broken his leg in several places. Yet the father delegated personnel moves to the son. Residents greeted the new hockey team with considerable excitement. DeLuca ended up resigning from office because of the scandal. He reportedly spent more than $3 million to expand the rink from a 600-seat bandbox to a 2,500-seat showplace called the Danbury Ice Arena. They stayed in the best hotels and ate at the best restaurants. He wore a full face mask. And Galante had the money. For himself he built a skybox equipped with a kitchenette. "Listen, for all you guys who don't have a sack, I've brought enough balls for everyone," he said. Its all Ive known for my whole life, she said. Marc's professional athletic career includes: For 10 years John was the Director of Top Shelf Hockey. So while Greg, 49, can walk, his wife is paralyzed, relying on a motorized wheelchair to move around. 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. One year ago we knocked on the door, he said. The constant sitting has led to excruciating backaches. He fashioned his club as the bad boys, the evil empire of the UHL: If we cant beat you, were at least gonna beat you up. Josh Elzinga NOT the Josh who broke Brad Wingfield's leg . The team didn't take itself too seriouslyand didn't take any crapwhich was pitch-perfect for Danbury. 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. But haberdashery isn't what it used to be, and Danbury has struggled to find a new commercial base. If you search Jim Duhart, those are what you find: Jim Duhart versus Tom Clayton, Jim Duhart versus Jason Taylor. Such a city will have many of the bad elements of a metropolis and few of the good. He ended up reaching over the bench and grabbing the Adirondack coach, trying to pull him over the boards. If asked why they hadnt made it, theyd tell you no one had ever really given them a shot. Within weeks, the agent was seated beside the boss himself in the owners box at the Danbury Ice Arena, cheering as the Trashers skated out. When Danbury became the home of the Eastern Professional Leagues Mad Hatters in 2008, the St. Clairs quickly welcomed them. Theres nothing sadder than a small city. Season. 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. Clairs quickly welcomed them Report provides exclusive amateur hockey news reporting and scouting services in the States. 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