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. In the late 1990s Galante had been sentenced to a year and a day in a federal prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion. You'd look across the ice, and they had eight to 10 heavyweights looking for a fight. 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. DeLuca ended up resigning from office because of the scandal. It will have mobsters. It was all new to him, but he was sure of the player he wanted most: Brent Gretzky, the brother of the NHL legend Wayne. about getting back into sports. ", Rupp's skepticism did not diminish when Galante piloted his blue Escalade out of the airport parking lot and promptly got lost. (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.) They called back, and I said, Do you want to trade that one-eyed guy? His first game with us, he had [a goal and an assist]. Elzinga refused. Mid-season, thats when we really caught fire, AJ told me. Elzinga declined, but as Wingfield skated away, Elzinga pulled on his jersey and stuck out a foot to trip him. Between periods, players take off their jersey and pads. Josh Elzinga Defense Born Sep 3 1984 -- Burbank, IL [38 yrs. Barely 50 games into the season Stirling, the coach, was suspended for three games for failing to control his players. The game was still knotted after two overtimes. "But you got to stir it up sometimes.". Someone had said Galante, with a near-monopoly on regional garbage collection, was driving out competitors. "We did our due diligence, and they put in the proper paperwork and were professional," says Richard Brosal, then the UHL's commissioner. Jimmy was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault. ", In his first game for Danbury, Beauregard had a goal and an assist as the Trashers won 5--1. Marc believes in helping each athlete to decipher through the plethora of good and misinformation to achieve optimal performance. "A.J. He found skill players on the internet, assembling his squad the way he might have assembled a fantasy-football team. Somehow they got the message upstairs. Playing against the Trashers was "a s--- show," said Chris Chaput, who was a center for the Elmira Jackals in 2005--06. But they also swap remember-that-time-when stories about those two years they ran that crazy-assed hockey team. There was something else in the books too. ", A.J. I sit in Section 102 and let the other parents have it. No one wanted to fight him, AJ said. We were maybe the toughest team to ever play this game. Soon they were regulars, and at one game they renewed their marriage vows. After the game they'd come back and greet the players. "I said, 'Sure,' which, to my dad, was like signing a contract. In September 2008, U.S. District Court judge Ellen B. Burns sentenced him to 87 months in prison. ", The Galantes put the rowdiest boosters behind the opposing bench. There was a tremendous infusion of talent, Christiansen said. Galante named his team for the family business: the Trashers. Wingnut. ", THESE BONDS were cemented by a brand of violence the Trashers purveyed without apology. No slow dissipation for the Trashers, no aging and decline. We're here to win.". 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. said of Beauregard. "We had two defensemen hurt; otherwise we woulda won," A.J. | View as text League Information Josh Elzinga played in four leagues over the course of his career. There was an incident where one of our players attacked one of the Adirondack coaches, and that ended up in the Toronto Star. Jason Chen explains the effect in depth before New Jersey plays Wednesday. As he explained, No matter what type of day you had when you go out on the ice for an hour, hour and a half or two hours you forget everything that happened that day and you focus on that black little puck. Hockey Fights is an entertainment site with no direct affiliation to the National Hockey League, its teams, or NHLPA. ), The Trashers finished the 200405 season with a 44297 record, which put them in the playoffs. After snapping a few, Brenda invited Vogels friends to take some shots on her. ", 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. "I was a big Oakland Raiders fan," says A.J. We had one [enforcer], and the poor guy got challenged every shift. Matty the Horse spent 18 months in the big house, but he survived it, dying a free man in August 2012. 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. 355 following. THEY WERE EVEN WELCOME TO STAY IN THE GALANTES' GARGANTUAN HOME. Brian was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. (Jimmy was allowed to answer only a few questions by email sent through A.J. "Especially for a guy with one eye. 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. "You had blue-collar guys banging on the glass. The second year, Port Huron became the Roanoke Valley Vipers. "When we got him," A.J. "Oh, everyone knew the deal," says Omicioli, "but [we] didn't care. 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. pursues his new sports passion, boxing management. That's all we needed to hear. Brenda, confined to a wheelchair because of spina bifida, had never been to a pro hockey game. Mahfuz riad. 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. A legion of small business owners still talk about how, on Trashers game nights, downtown blazed to life. 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. Vogel and the St. Clairs developed a friendship on Facebook thanks to their mutual interest in hockey. was a senior at New Fairfield (Conn.) High, he was at a family pasta dinner when his father, Jamesknown to all as Jimmycasually asked, "How would you like to run a pro hockey team? It had a great economic impact on the entire downtown.". She accepted and over the next two years would occasionally hit pucks around, even after the Trashers ignominiously folded in 2006. 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. Maybe it was better that way. If asked why they hadnt made it, theyd tell you no one had ever really given them a shot. They loved playing for Jimmy, because he took care of them. "You got us a guy with one eye? 117 followers. Also, its funny as hellThe Sopranos meets Slap Shot. Galante had contributed to DeLuca's campaignsand those of many Connecticut politiciansbut this was personal. 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. As Wagner was escorted there, he broke free to make a dash toward the opposing bench. When he caught wind of a local kid who couldn't afford college, he quietly wrote a tuition check. Some say he did it for the same reason he owned a race-car squad: He loved to compete. Jim grew up and played minor hockey in Toronto, Canada. Eventually, Donny Grover, a former Trashers defenseman, noticed Brenda in the stands and invited her onto the ice. 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.) Some say he did it as a civic benefactor, to give a depressed city something to rally around. In 2004, this meant buying a minor-league-hockey franchise and installing it at the local youth rink, the Danbury Ice Arena. My son plays there eight or nine times a year. The Danbury arena, meanwhile, has returned to its old existence as a youth rink. And the noisemy God, the noise! Though he started with no contacts in the sport, often relying on Google to find the main phone numbers of other teams, A.J. Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Adam Elzinga, 1982-07-23 Burbank, IL, USA USA. Unlike most enforcers, Wingnut could really play. A UHL season was about 80 games followed by playoffs; the champion took home the Colonial Cup. Hed been named with several others, including Trashers Coach J. Todd Stirling, who pleaded guilty to taking part in the salary-cap fraud. Her neck was really bothering her that night and she said, I dont think Ill be going to get on the ice, Vogel recalled. "It comes right from the top.". To circumvent the cap, Galante regularly doled out cash bonuses, gave some players exorbitant living allowances and gave others checks for housing after their allowances had already been paid. The Trashers sprawled in the locker room as the Zamboni worked. Josh Elzinga vs. Brad Wingfield, December 03, 2005 - Kalamazoo Wings vs. Danbury Trashers . HOCKEY IS BACK!!!. just landed Galarza his first TV fight, on Showtime's ShoBox series, and an endorsement deal with the apparel company Rival Boxing. After the game Wingfield told a local reporter, "It felt great to get back at Elzinga but I would have liked to have seen him leaving the ice on a stretcher or in a body bag.". But his fights are what people remember. It was a twist Elmore Leonard might have considered improbable. 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. The Trashers' most notorious festival of violence had taken place on Dec. 1, 2004, when they hosted the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Wings. Wagner had once set a West Coast Hockey League single-season record with 503 penalty minutes. - Improve your search rank Paul is currently the Hockey Director for the Miami Toros Hockey Program, where he brings an extremely high level of playing and coaching experience to the Kendall Ice Arena. Theyd gotten close in 2005; now they intended to kick the son of a bitch in. "We loved those fansI mean loved," says Omicioli. Marc was a professional Triathlete for over 10 years. Soon, a 3-on-3 scrimmage was underway with Brenda, for the first time in her life, facing shots in a real game. When an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. Al grew up and was raised in small-town Manitoba and played all levels of minor and senior hockey. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. 2023 The Hockey News, Roustan Media Ltd, Get the latest news right to your inbox > Sign up here. Furthermore, according to authorities, in April 2005 Galante had met with Louis DeLuca, a longtime Connecticut state senator. Marc also has over 20 years in Nutritional Counseling as Clinical Nutritionist. Galante spent $3 million to refurbish the Danbury Ice Arena. A.J. View the profiles of people named Josh Elzinga. "People love to watch him perform. The team played in the Wings Stadium. Yet in some ways Galantes biography seemed unlike that of a traditional hood. The rivalry between the teams developed fast. 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. On such nights, I suppose Im just like Galante was, rooting for my son in the crazed way understood by all hockey parents. First of all, if you look at the bus, it was pretty sick, Mario Larocque told me. Galante passed him a note that asked, Do you want me to have someone pay him a visit? It had to do with the acoustics. The former Director of Hockey Operations for the Jacksonville Ice and Sports Complex, Gilles is no stranger to youth hockey. As Wingfield skated away,. The former Director of Hockey Operations for the Jacksonville Ice and Sports Complex, Gilles is no stranger to youth hockey. "He's the only thing this team has going for it.". I first heard it from a father on the sidelines of a Little League game soon after I moved in. AJ filled out the roster with a mix of has-beens and might-bes. Established 1996 -- Celebrating Our 25th Year . 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. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All would plead guilty, as would Galante. ), 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. Like Danbury, once the producer of many of the world's hats. Originally from Montreal,Charlieplayed over 900 games professionally around the globe over his 17-year career, including the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers. But he would become something of a hockey Crash Davis: He would play through 2013, retiring at 37. But a small city, full of drifters and vacant lots, faded Victorian houses lining its weed-buckled streets, is ruinously sad. Born Jul 23 1982 -- Burbank, IL. The Trashers still trigger strong responses in Danbury, too. After signing Gretzky, he went for Jim Duhart, the Crash Davis of minor-league hockey. It was a clean shot [but] they came right at AJ, and he had a very severe knee injury, couldnt play hockey anymore. [The attitude was,] You're supposed to be courteous in minor league hockey? But Jimmy Galante was smart, and the G-men could never quite nail him. It will have desperate people, lost causes, and crime. But in other corners the Galantesand the desperadoes on ice they brought to townare still recalled fondly. We play a team like the Frostbite, a team with maybe two goons. He has ties,' " says Brosal. Still, it was clear who had the ultimate authority: Before and after some games Jimmy gave the team fiery pep talks and blistering critiques. Questioned about the no-show jobs, former players laughed and changed the subject. 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. General Manager of the Augusta RiverHawks of the SPHL (2009), General Manager of the Jacksonville Barracudas of the SPHL (2004-2009), Played in 5 leagues over the course of his professional career, Played in the Sunshine Hockey League; Southern Hockey League; ECHL; Atlantic Coast Hockey League; and the World Hockey Association 2, St. Thomas University Graduate (Fredericton, NB, Canada) on an Athletic Scholarship. On Dec. 3, 2005, Kalamazoo visited Danbury. . Danbury is a blue-collar town, and they could relate to the players, Galante told me. 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. Before and after games downtown Danbury was hopping. It went like this: Elzinga clipped Wingfield in the face, Wingfield asked for a fight, Elzinga declined. What happened Josh Elzinga? Pick your poison. First year, he was playing for the Port Huron Beacons, killing us. 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. At a home game in Danbury, he beat up three Adirondack forwards, AJ said. 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. Severely injured by a terrible cheap shot from an opponent, Winger is able to rehab his broken leg and get his revenge exactly 367 days later.The film footage is sort of grainy (unless you watch the documentary for some unique angles), but until this film, the audio from the home broadcast of the Danbury Trashers has never been available. "You shoulda seen Rupp," Galante recalls, laughing. And, according to court papers filed by the U.S. Attorneys office, his business disputes occasionally ended in violence: For nearly two decades, Galantes enterprise promoted a climate of fear through violence, threats of violence, economic sanctions and threats of economic sanctions. Wagner was apologetic, and A.J. A.J. The game turned into a riot, everyone taking a run at everyone else. . Frank The Animal Bialowas, a legend in hockey circles, had played three games in the NHL, then spent the rest of his career in the minors, rambling from rink to rink, like a bad man in a Western. 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) As a civic benefactor, to give a depressed city something to rally around,. He found skill players on the entire downtown. `` economic impact on sidelines. Roster with a mix of has-beens and might-bes at a home game in Danbury, he was from. Back and greet the players, Galante told me about how, on 's. Life, facing shots in a real game 3, 2005, Kalamazoo Danbury., it was a twist Elmore Leonard might have considered improbable Wingfield asked a... `` he 's the only thing this team has going for it..... Season was about 80 games followed by playoffs ; the champion took home the Colonial Cup the boosters. From a father on the glass got us a guy with one eye, but he survived it, a. 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