After he was drafted, Vogel invited the couple to Pennsylvania for training camp in August. Asked by email whether there could be a sequel, a Danbury Trashers II, Galante responds, "Anything is possible! The Galantes told Trashers who were suspendedinvariably for fightingto watch the games from the 102 seats. Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read. Brenda, confined to a wheelchair because of spina bifida, had never been to a pro hockey game. - EP Contact Book listing of your profile (optional) The documentary does a great job capturing on the emotional story of Wingfield and his strong relationship with both A.J. Next year were going to kick the son of a bitch in!, It was like that with the Trashers. 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? And the fans, from section 102 and beyond, still miss their team. The doors to the visiting team's penalty box were also welded together, so opponents had to fling themselves over the boards to enter the box. says. The league's 13 other owners were happy for the cash infusion. Wagner was apologetic, and A.J. 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. They had scorers and skaters and playmakers and defensive stalwarts. The Trashers would sell out the arena regularly as fans of various ethnicities, ages and collars converged to cheer them on. 2023 The Hockey News, Roustan Media Ltd, Get the latest news right to your inbox > Sign up here. The first happens on the field, court, or ice. Matty the Horse spent 18 months in the big house, but he survived it, dying a free man in August 2012. The Trashers had the Adirondack Frostbite. At 24, Rupp had already spent two seasons in the majors. "Honestly, a lot of it was getting so close to a championship with the Trashers but not winning. A.J. I figured it would be like a video game, controlling players and all that. With a Premium subscription, you'll get access to over 30 tools, features and benefits. ago] Height 5.11 -- Weight 175 [180 cm/79 kg] Embed Josh Elzinga stats! - Connect directly with players, coaches, teams, scouts and agents (optional) "He even bought the beer," says Paproski. Jimmy Galante was arrested on June 9, 2006, not long after the final game of the season. Josh Elzinga, a blueliner for the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Wings, did that for him. Sign up today to get the best features and analysis from the NHL and beyond. Jimmy Galante tried to get onto the ice through the penalty box. It was a twist Elmore Leonard might have considered improbable. Currently, Al isanAssistant Coach of the 05 AAA Florida Alliance Elite team. 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. He currently resides in Southwest Florida with his wife, Wendy, and their two children. 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. I took a swing at him. Brenda got tattoos of the names of her favorite players. 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. It was happening at the FBIs office in New Haven, where, by the spring of 2005, a handful of agents were deep into an investigation of Galantes garbage business. Last seen in the 2003-2004 season with the Chicago Steel (USHL). AJ was more freewheeling when shopping for muscle. 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. A small town has its lawns and picket fences and wholesome values, a big town its go-getters and civic fathers. Good hotels, a beautiful locker roomseveral players remember their tenure on the team as their most satisfying time in pro hockey. 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. 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. We just figured, Were going to make a team everyone loves to hate, AJ said. FACE-OFF Backed by some of his father's truck drivers in 2004, A.J. 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. Some say he did it for the same reason he owned a race-car squad: He loved to compete. The team was largely the same, with a few additions, including yet another minor-league-hockey legend, David Beauregard. Nothing.. "People would make comments: 'Aren't you afraid of him? Learn more about them from these League History pages. 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. For all that's happened, the kid still idolizes his father. Brenda St. Clair can serve as an inspiration to goaltenders and all hockey fans throughout the world. That team was uniquely physical, to put it nicely, Doug Christiansen, a 6-foot-5 Trashers wing, told me. The U.S. Attorneys office learned enough to get wiretaps and, eventually, search warrants. Young Blood, Goon, they were all there. All Rights Reserved. Sign up for EP Premium and verify your profile to access these benefits. First year, he was playing for the Port Huron Beacons, killing us. Josh Elzinga, Danville -- 5'11" late '84 is the younger brother of Adam Elzinga, an '82 who played for Danville last year (and recently made the OHL's Peterborough Petes). As evidence that Galante was prone to violence, the prosecution played footage of him purportedly striking the official during the infamous Kalamazoo game. THEY WERE EVEN WELCOME TO STAY IN THE GALANTES' GARGANTUAN HOME. But AJs favorite was Brad Wingnut Wingfield. 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. I remember being so pissed, I had to do something. He scores like it's drinking water. 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. North American Hockey League United States Hockey League what happened to josh elzinga hockey. 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. THE PLAYERS KNEW THAT THEIR OWNER WAS, WELL, CONNECTED, BUT THEY DIDN'T CARE. Marc also specializes in Power Skating and using the techniques of dynamic edgework and plyometricwhile on the ice. As with hockey, he had no real connections when he started, but he figured, How hard could it be to break in? But for many, the highlight had come earlier in the season, when Wingnut got his revenge. persisted. "The camaraderie with the Galante familythe laughs, the dinnersit's sad," Pomposello says, his voice catching. But as Wingnut moved away, Elzinga stuck out his skate and grabbed Wingnuts jersey. Some of the UHL's East Coast teams were either moving to other leagues or folding. 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? We were paid, and everything was first class. So we knew Jimmy had resources.. Gilles is a Level 4 Hockey Coach with USA Hockey. The 200405 UHL season coincided with the NHL lockout. 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. The pediatric emergency room at Danbury Hospital was named for Galante after he helped fund it. Originally from the Metro Detroit area, Craig grew up playing youth hockey in Michigan within the Detroit Little Caesars organization. "I didn't know s--- about hockey either," volunteers Greg, a propane tank repairer. The former Director of Hockey Operations for the Jacksonville Ice and Sports Complex, Gilles is no stranger to youth hockey. and Jimmy Galante. 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 "He can score unbelievable," A.J. IT WAS A SPECIAL EXPERIENCE.". On Dec. 3, 2005, Kalamazoo visited Danbury. While other UHL franchises were notorious for penny-pinching, the Trashers traveled in a luxe team bus. Be a goalie, to which she said, Alright. Playing against the Trashers was "a s--- show," said Chris Chaput, who was a center for the Elmira Jackals in 2005--06. 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. ", Jimmy paused. was taking calls from players and agentsincluding, he says, Sean Avery'sasking for a Danbury roster spot. In the late 1990s Galante had been sentenced to a year and a day in a federal prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion. (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.) In the first period Wagner instigated a fight, and an all-out brawl broke out. The trade rumors negatively impacted Torres on the field. The Danbury Trashers earned respect with their fists as often as their sticks. The league set an annual salary cap of $275,000, with a $2 luxury tax for every dollar spent above the threshold. He is prohibited from reentering the carting business in New York or Connecticut, but his plea bargain makes no mention of minor league hockey. In the indictment filed by the U.S. Attorneys office, Galante was charged with 72 counts, including extortion, witness tampering, and racketeering. 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. Then Jimmy went about being the Jerry Jones of the UHL. He offered Roanoke not just a pair of current Trashers but also other players in the UHL supplemental draft that summer. The NHL bars players who are blind in one eye, so Beauregard was consigned to a career in the minors. Seven players were sent to the penalty box. Tampa Bay fans still include him among their grievances: a wasted pick. Players - FM Leaders; Teams - FM Leaders . And that wasn't all. 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 second year, Port Huron became the Roanoke Valley Vipers. He named it Champs Boxing Club & Fitness. It will have desperate people, lost causes, and crime. But it wasn't just the players who were punished. Marc specializes in the full spectrum of athlete development. Toward the trade deadline, we were going through a slump. 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. At 32, Todd was younger than some of the players. I suspended him. His job was to be the Kevin Costner to Brent Gretzkys Whitney Houston. Maybe thats why I became obsessed with this story: It connects our little home rink with an epic of the human hockey condition. That meant late-night sessions on hockeydb.com, where he searched for telling stats. They were always pulling them out late, clearing the bench, fighting and celebrating. 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. ", 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. picks his words with great care when discussing what he calls "the legal issues" of the last few years. Today he represents Frank Galarza (11-0-2), the New York State light middleweight champ. The UHL had a salary cap that limited teams to a total of approximately $275,000 for the whole roster. . "People love to watch him perform. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. When an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. He was just back from that broken leg when the Wings came to Danbury. This summer, she took multiple trips to the ER for what she believes is a pinched nerve in her neck. For video of the Danbury Trashers mixing it up, download SI's tablet version, free to subscribers, at SI.com/activate. "A.J. 117 followers. Josh Elzinga Defense Born Sep 3 1984 -- Burbank, IL [38 yrs. Now and then, AJ would watch a game from Section 102. He was a defenseman and hit a kid, Galante said. 355 following. By accepting an offer he couldn't refuse. The week that followed Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination was revolutionaryso why was it nearly forgotten? 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. SON TY WAS DRAFTED AND SIGNED BY THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS IN 2021. "My dad always put me in sink-or-swim-type situations," he says. In that time he has been instrumental in helping change the face of hockey in Florida. The government seized most of his assets, including 25 trash companies and a string of race cars. It was populated by the die-hard, the angry, and the drunk. It had to do with the acoustics. 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. Then, as A.J. 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. The game plan was 'Keep your cool and you'll get a power play,' but it didn't always work out. He had once set a record in the West Coast Hockey League with 503 penalty minutes in a single season. There was only one problem: it wasnt protecting her sides, leaving her exposed, and often, black and blue. It went like this: Elzinga clipped Wingfield in the face, Wingfield asked for a fight, Elzinga declined. You'll be the president. They led the league in penalty minutes. Questioned about the no-show jobs, former players laughed and changed the subject. Facebook gives people the power to. [The attitude was,] You're supposed to be courteous in minor league hockey? Detroit girl, 11, is left with brain trauma and staples in her head after child abuser teacher threw metal hockey stick at her. December 03, 2005. It will have mobsters. Season. "After games you'd have these blue-collar guys next to wealthy real estate developers. Rupp had played two seasons in the NHL and had even scored the decisive goal for the Devils in the 2003 Stanley Cup finals. Born Sep 3 1984 -- Burbank, IL [ 38 yrs penny-pinching, the angry, everything... Galante responds, `` Anything is possible wholesome values, a Danbury roster spot cm/79... 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