Follow. Southeast Elite is proud to announce the Mathieu Garon with be an instrumental member of the Southeast Elite organization as a goaltender instructor. He made some contacts, hung out in gyms in the Northeast, met some promoters and trainers, and so far he has represented three fighters. 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. To Galante, it was a rounding error. I was on the bench, Doug Christiansen told me. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update player stats. Catalyzed by their new scorer, the Trashers cruised through the regular season, finishing 48--17. I figured it would be like a video game, controlling players and all that. It had to do with the acoustics. 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. But Galante got around it in classic mob fashion: no-show jobs. Originally from the Metro Detroit area, Craig grew up playing youth hockey in Michigan within the Detroit Little Caesars organization. That meant late-night sessions on hockeydb.com, where he searched for telling stats. Gretzky, at 32, was in the descent portion of his career. Last seen in the 2003-2004 season with the Chicago Steel (USHL). 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. Paul,originallyfrom Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with teams such as Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and the Colorado Avalanche. Then the FBI moved in. If asked why they hadnt made it, theyd tell you no one had ever really given them a shot. Before and after games downtown Danbury was hopping. 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. But for many, the highlight had come earlier in the season, when Wingnut got his revenge. For video of the Danbury Trashers mixing it up, download SI's tablet version, free to subscribers, at SI.com/activate. He'd already played 12 seasons of pro hockey: a total of 13 games in the NHL, followed by years of wandering the minors. ", The Galantes put the rowdiest boosters behind the opposing bench. Mahfuz riad. Vogel and the St. Clairs developed a friendship on Facebook thanks to their mutual interest in hockey. 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. "After games you'd have these blue-collar guys next to wealthy real estate developers. Galante named his team for the family business: the Trashers. 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. 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. Then, as A.J. In the first period Wagner instigated a fight, and an all-out brawl broke out. Jimmy Galante was arrested on June 9, 2006, not long after the final game of the season. The players were aware that their owner was, well, connected. Jimmy Galante tried to get onto the ice through the penalty box. "He can score unbelievable," A.J. Winger Frank (the Animal) Bialowas, a former runner-up for Mr. Manitoba, was not much for impulse control either. That is it.. He almost looked like Waynethe same intelligent eyes and long face, the same scraggly mall-rat hairbut not quite. "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. 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. "People love to watch him perform. The closest team to Danbury, the Frostbite played in Glens Falls, New York, just three hours away by luxury coach. 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. 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. We play a team like the Frostbite, a team with maybe two goons. According to the indictment filed with the U.S. District Court in Connecticut, in addition to skating for the Trashers, several players (or their wives) were on the payrolls of his various companiessalesperson, sales manager, whatever. A.J. So while Greg, 49, can walk, his wife is paralyzed, relying on a motorized wheelchair to move around. 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? Many signed with the American Hockey League, the league directly below the NHL, pushing AHL players down to teams in the UHL. He graduated from Manhattanville with a business management degree in 2008 and bought into a New York City company that sells heating oil and diesel fuel. One was Rumun Ndur, a Nigeria-born Canadian who was known for his aggression. 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. One of the featured players, Brad \"Wingnut\" Wingfield plays a significant role in the film. But they also swap remember-that-time-when stories about those two years they ran that crazy-assed hockey team. 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 . Still, Vogel wanted something to remember the moment by, so he donned his goalie gear to take some photos with Brenda on the ice. Listen to the trailer for Holy Week. When Danbury became the home of the Eastern Professional Leagues Mad Hatters in 2008, the St. Clairs quickly welcomed them. 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. (The video was inconclusive.) Cortisone shots help her deal with frequent elbow pain. It was a special experience, my best in minor league hockey. We were maybe the toughest team to ever play this game. It went like this: Elzinga clipped Wingfield in the face, Wingfield asked for a fight, Elzinga declined. It was all over the blogs and hockey-fight sites, the craziness. I suspended his son." TEMPE - Despite a third period push, an injury-riddled Arizona State hockey team fell 4-2 to Alaska Fairbanks on Friday night's series opener at Mullett Arena. "I loved every player," Jimmy asserts. When the 2004--05 lockout ended, Rupp returned to the NHL and is still playing, for the Wild. The judge let Galante remain out of prison pending trial but put him under house arrest. "He must've thought he was on Punk'd or something. - Connect directly with players, coaches, teams, scouts and agents (optional) In the indictment filed by the U.S. Attorneys office, Galante was charged with 72 counts, including extortion, witness tampering, and racketeering. MICHAEL J. LEBRECHT II FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (A.J.). 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. He was a star in the UHL, having scored 43 goals for the Port Huron. ", "Dad, if this guy had two eyes, he might be one of the greatest NHL players ever! At 32, Todd was younger than some of the players. 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. However, hed been to prison for tax evasion. We still got eight goons.. 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. The Galantes hired J. Todd Stirling, a son of former Islanders coach Steve Stirling, as the inaugural coach. At 24, Rupp had already spent two seasons in the majors. Al wenton to a successful financial career before building and operating his own ice rink in Lithia, Florida. - EP Contact Book listing of your profile (optional) Barely 50 games into the season Stirling, the coach, was suspended for three games for failing to control his players. was taking calls from players and agentsincluding, he says, Sean Avery'sasking for a Danbury roster spot. In the summer of 2005, federal agents raided Galantes offices, coming away with more than $500,000 in cash and more than 5,000 boxes of documentsreceipts, account books, you name it. And the fans, from section 102 and beyond, still miss their team. MIKE RUPP wore a look of confusion. In his first semester of college A.J. 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. Wingfield challenged a Kalamazoo player, Josh Elzinga, to a fight. "A.J. Just two unforgettable seasons sealed in amber. "The camaraderie with the Galante familythe laughs, the dinnersit's sad," Pomposello says, his voice catching. Someone had said Galante, with a near-monopoly on regional garbage collection, was driving out competitors. AL hasattended many coaching seminars and clinics around North America. 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. One team employee had the inspired idea of buying fresh fish and placing it in the HVAC ducts above the visiting locker room. The Trashers traveled in a luxury coach; they played card games and talked all night. "You shoulda seen Rupp," Galante recalls, laughing. Says Andy Paproski, a lifelong resident of Danbury (pop. In the summer of '06, the Trashers sent 105 season-ticket holders refund checks, totaling $31,177. Wagner was apologetic, and A.J. VS. 1st Period - 7:13 . When A.J. Jimmy pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, tax fraud, and wire fraud. The 200405 UHL season coincided with the NHL lockout. In the spring of 2003, while playing for the New Jersey Devils, Rupp had scored a game-winning goal in the Stanley Cup finals. Jim grew up and played minor hockey in Toronto, Canada. 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. 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. The UHL had a salary cap that limited teams to a total of approximately $275,000 for the whole roster. The U.S. Attorneys office learned enough to get wiretaps and, eventually, search warrants. 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. 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. 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. In return, Jimmy asked only that the players make hospital visits or speak at schools. Federal authorities had grown interested in the Connecticut waste-management industry. ", Rupp's skepticism did not diminish when Galante piloted his blue Escalade out of the airport parking lot and promptly got lost. Torres said he lost confidence at . So in 2004 Galante sank his money into the hockey equivalent of Double A ball. Like any father, you want to be able to do something for your son.. Tampa Bay fans still include him among their grievances: a wasted pick. Galantes payments were characterized as a mob tax to ensure his companies primacy in the trash trade. THE PLAYERS KNEW THAT THEIR OWNER WAS, WELL, CONNECTED, BUT THEY DIDN'T CARE. This updated clip brings back the perspective of how Trashers fans were feeling during this moment of redemption. Wagner's career stats in the league: two games and 73 penalty minutes. His accomplishments includeover 30 wins across the World, along with competing with Team USA at World Championships. Team Information. "Oh, everyone knew the deal," says Omicioli, "but [we] didn't care. Marc uses a basis of skating and skills rather than hockey concepts oversystems through proper small area games. A.J. It turned into a brawl. Says St. Clair, "It still feels like I got kicked in the f------ chest. Now and then, he liked to make an elaborate gesture, something attention-getting. No slow dissipation for the Trashers, no aging and decline. THEY WERE EVEN WELCOME TO STAY IN THE GALANTES' GARGANTUAN HOME. So why was he being greeted by this kid sporting a nascent goatee, earrings and an Allen Iverson jersey? I hear it again every time my son Micahs Squirt Division travel team plays a home game at the Danbury arena. Two months into the season, the games turned nasty. "It was definitely a unique group of individualsas well as management!" Pick your poison. We only use official stats. He fights with heart. Says Pomposello, "Jimmy's old school. In the Trashers-Frostbite game, however, he inflicted no real damage even though he spent three periods looking for a fight, ran up 43 penalty minutes and even made a run at the Adirondack goalie. Upon his release he had rebuilt his empire and now, according to The Hartford Courant, was worth more than $100 million. With a Premium subscription, you'll get access to over 30 tools, features and benefits. Unlike most enforcers, Wingnut could really play. | View as text League Information Josh Elzinga played in four leagues over the course of his career. Asked by email whether there could be a sequel, a Danbury Trashers II, Galante responds, "Anything is possible! Danbury is a blue-collar town, and they could relate to the players, Galante told me. AJ was more freewheeling when shopping for muscle. AFTER THE FALL While Jimmy (below right) serves out his prison sentence, A.J. The most famous tough-guy team ever was whothe Broad Street Bullies, 7475 Flyers? 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. A UHL season was about 80 games followed by playoffs; the champion took home the Colonial Cup. John has two sons who also like to play hockey. North American Hockey League United States Hockey League Teaching athletes to learn and howto think, over just going through the motions of drills, brings the best out of each athlete. 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. Now and then, AJ would watch a game from Section 102. Defense. But by 1 a.m., the Trashers were out of fresh shirts. Since birth Brenda has suffered from spina bifida, an abnormality that causes an opening in the spinal column. Josh Elzinga, a blueliner for the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Wings, did that for him. Jimmy and A.J. Mario Larocque was different: Hed been taken in the first round of the 1996 NHL draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He spent six years in Allenwood, a federal penitentiary in central Pennsylvania. The Galantes admit that their favorite player was Brad Wingfield, a.k.a. Eventually, Donny Grover, a former Trashers defenseman, noticed Brenda in the stands and invited her onto the ice. Galante pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to violate the federal RICO act, one count of conspiring to defraud the IRS and one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud with the Trashers' bogus salary-cap figures. Matty the Horse spent 18 months in the big house, but he survived it, dying a free man in August 2012. After a few minutes of glaring at them in lacerating silence, Galante dumped the contents of the basket. View the profiles of people named Josh Elzinga. Having played over a decade in the ECHL including four seasons playing at the AHL level (Worcester IceCats, Grand Rapids Griffins, Lowell Lock Monsters, and Rochester Americans), his eight seasons with the Florida Everblades culminated in the team Captain having his iconic #9 jersey retired. Their goons fight our goons. 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 The New York Times described him as a Danbury trash hauler suspected of mob ties who had a story right out of The Sopranos., From December 2019: Scorseses elegy for the American gangster. Player after player came by the house to show support. Toward the trade deadline, we were going through a slump. See latest post and follow all instructions. We knew the reality: It was hockey, but it was also entertainment. ", 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 scores like it's drinking water. When linesman James Harper approached him, they engaged in a shouting match, and Jimmy reportedly gave Harper a fat lip. Lets face it: What else does Danbury really have?. Al has coached youth hockeyfor the last 9 years and isa level 5 USA Hockey coach. I wouldnt look for the most penalty minutes, he told me. He had me arrested in the locker room. Josh Elzinga has an equally impressive professional playing career and has served as Adam's Assistant Coach for the past 4 seasons. St. Clairs quickly welcomed them ) in the UHL, having scored 43 goals for the Huron. 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