Soon, a 3-on-3 scrimmage was underway with Brenda, for the first time in her life, facing shots in a real game. U.S. Hockey Report provides exclusive amateur hockey news reporting and scouting services in the United States and Canada. recalls, "even the commissioner was like, 'I would advise against that. He would also wash the Trashers' jerseys in Crisco and slather Vaseline on their helmets so opponents couldn't grab hold in a fight. was fined and suspended for nearly coming to blows with an executive from another team during a game. ", Jimmy expects to be released this summer. It was populated by the die-hard, the angry, and the drunk. This year we beat on the door. "People would make comments: 'Aren't you afraid of him? Adam has over 25 years of hockey experience as a player and coach. PHOTOGRAPHS BY WENDY CARLSON (MASCOT, 5); VIDEO STILLS BY THOMAS BUTKIER (2). He has talked casually with A.J. If asked why they hadnt made it, theyd tell you no one had ever really given them a shot. When A.J. The Danbury arena, meanwhile, has returned to its old existence as a youth rink. Now and then, AJ would watch a game from Section 102. settled on "Welcome to the Jungle." When the signal comes, they pull on a fresh shirt, put on the gear, head out. "Listen, for all you guys who don't have a sack, I've brought enough balls for everyone," he said. 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 video was inconclusive.) Josh Patterson (F) 2000-2003: 3: Peterborough Petes: Lukas Krajicek (D) 2000-2003: 3: Peterborough Petes: Jon Howse (F) 2000-2003: 3: Peterborough Petes: Not Activated Sections Endorsements After hearing ESPN hockey commentator Barry Melrose, a co-owner of the Frostbite, trash the Trashers on the radio, an enraged A.J. sensed a fight coming, he headed down near the ice to capture it on his camcorder. At 32, Todd was younger than some of the players. Says Pomposello, "Jimmy's old school. The 2004 05 NHL lockout was a labor lockout that resulted in the cancellation of the National Hockey League (NHL) season, which would . He wore a full face mask. She had always wanted to play in a game and afterward she kept talking, Did you see this save and that save? It was really, really great. From November 2019: My family story of love, the Mob, and government surveillance. Take control of your EliteProspects profile! We play a team like the Frostbite, a team with maybe two goons. If Wylie signs with another team, the Chiefs could have options in . 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 . You have to understand, Dave MacIsaac, who played 62 regular-season games for Danbury, told me. Al lives in Lithia, Floridawith his wife and son. - Ability to add additional data to your career profile: Videos, Images, Social Media, Referrals, Fitness Testing Results and much more! A later indictment alleged that in 1992, Galante and associates conspired to set fire to a truck from a rival carting firm and kidnap a driver at gunpoint. Sign up for EP Premium and verify your profile to access these benefits. 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. 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. I took a swing at him. 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. says, shifting uneasily in his seat. That was the minimum; that was getting your moneys worth. 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. A UHL season was about 80 games followed by playoffs; the champion took home the Colonial Cup. Elzinga declined, but as Wingfield skated away, Elzinga pulled on his jersey and stuck out a foot to trip him. 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. A.J. 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. Hed been named with several others, including Trashers Coach J. Todd Stirling, who pleaded guilty to taking part in the salary-cap fraud. starts innumerable sentences, "My dad always says.", Usually so engaging and candid, A.J. 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. "Frank would have been a hell of a Danbury Trasher," A.J. 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. "The camaraderie with the Galante familythe laughs, the dinnersit's sad," Pomposello says, his voice catching. Fifteen years have passed since the Danbury Trashers disbanded in 2006 as a result of the federal investigation that landed Jimmy Galante in prison after he pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, tax fraud and wire fraud. The second goes on in the front office: signing players, making trades. (Prosecutors ultimately dropped the case for lack of proof. ", On most Saturdays, A.J. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. 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. He was a star in the UHL, having scored 43 goals for the Port Huron Beacons the previous season. Same for Mike Rupp. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Josh Elzinga and others you may know. "We did our due diligence, and they put in the proper paperwork and were professional," says Richard Brosal, then the UHL's commissioner. Some of the UHL's East Coast teams were either moving to other leagues or folding. Wingnut. 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. Gilles was the Lead Hockey Instructor for National Hockey Development for 4 years. Throughout his busy professional career, he has also participated in numerous hockey schools around the country. He ended up reaching over the bench and grabbing the Adirondack coach, trying to pull him over the boards. 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. All get tossed. 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 . Jimmy Galante tried to get onto the ice through the penalty box. ago] Height 6.02 -- Weight 205 [188 cm/93 kg] Regular Season. Now he was turning up with his gear at a regional airport, being greeted too enthusiastically by what looked like a high-school kid claiming to be his new GM. The closest team to Danbury, the Frostbite played in Glens Falls, New York, just three hours away by luxury coach. [The attitude was,] You're supposed to be courteous in minor league hockey? Also, its funny as hellThe Sopranos meets Slap Shot. He almost looked like Waynethe same intelligent eyes and long face, the same scraggly mall-rat hairbut not quite. Wagner was apologetic, and A.J. Not a subscriber? 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. It wasnt a crisis, but it was a drag. ", In their box above center ice the Galantes heckled refs and sometimes pelted opposing players with Skittles. 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.". He also played one season for the Russia Omsk of the KHL. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Gilles is a Level 4 Hockey Coach with USA Hockey. 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. There was something else in the books too. Their goons fight our goons. signed him for another game against Adirondack, in Danbury on Feb. 23, which was also WWE Night. Whether people deny it or not, everyone loves a hockey fight.. Parents were warned to keep children away. The Trashers traveled in a luxury coach; they played card games and talked all night. So Greg stitched together multiple chest protectors what he called a Frankenstein model to ensure her safety. Last seen in the 2003-2004 season with the Chicago Steel (USHL). 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. "He made fans feel like they were an integral part of the team. Id look for the guys with the best entertainment rating.. Though he lived with his wife and two children in suburban New Fairfield, he was beloved in nearby Danbury, where he had his office. He has ties,' " says Brosal. At A.J. Today he represents Frank Galarza (11-0-2), the New York State light middleweight champ. Be a goalie, to which she said, Alright. Says Andy Paproski, a lifelong resident of Danbury (pop. No one likes to put on wet clothes. During a 1994 junior hockey game he was on a breakaway when he caught a high stick under his visor. Marc specializes in the full spectrum of athlete development. 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. Al grew up and was raised in small-town Manitoba and played all levels of minor and senior hockey. FGCU Ice Hockey - Evaluation Skate Information Meeting. "Of course, if we had to do it again, would we have accepted that franchise? Players' wives were put on the payroll of Galante-owned companies though they performed no discernible duties. Before a big game a team employee might check into the visitors' hotel and pull the fire alarm. Featured in the NETFLIX documentary Untold: Crime & Penalties, the story of the Danbury Trashers relives the short and tumultuous history of an old United Ho. 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. The Trashers' most notorious festival of violence had taken place on Dec. 1, 2004, when they hosted the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Wings. felt that the Trashers needed a goal scorer. Between periods, players take off their jersey and pads. made connections over the summer with agents, scouts and middlemen who could deliver that goalie from Manitoba or that playmaker from Quebec. But haberdashery isn't what it used to be, and Danbury has struggled to find a new commercial base. A promotional video could have doubled as a Dexter ad, with blood spatters on the ice. I sit in Section 102 and let the other parents have it. Galante passed him a note that asked, Do you want me to have someone pay him a visit? Barely 50 games into the season Stirling, the coach, was suspended for three games for failing to control his players. They were both in waste management, and both possessed an undeniable charm that compensated for their rough edges. Wingfield was back in uniform, having healed from the slew-footing by Elzinga that had broken his leg in several places. 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. He was a star in the UHL, having scored 43 goals for the Port Huron. He had once set a record in the West Coast Hockey League with 503 penalty minutes in a single season. Defense. - Premium Design on your profile page (optional) SON NATE WAS DRAFTED BY MISSISSAUGA IN THE 2021 OHL DRAFT. Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read. Still, it was clear who had the ultimate authority: Before and after some games Jimmy gave the team fiery pep talks and blistering critiques. "Then everyone would ask for the check so they could be there for face-off. She was loving it, said Vogel. To Galante, it was a rounding error. (He also forfeited his ownership in 25 trash-hauling firms.) Such a city will have many of the bad elements of a metropolis and few of the good. Maybe because Im Italian and in the garbage business.. The Trashers featured some of the most storied names in hockey violence. There was a tremendous infusion of talent, Christiansen said. The game turned into a riot, everyone taking a run at everyone else. Somehow they got the message upstairs. The team slogan was Bad Boys Talkin' Trash. We knew the reality: It was hockey, but it was also entertainment. Though the camp was postponed until September, the St. Clairs decided to head south, meeting Vogel at Ice Line in West Chester, where he learned to skate as a kid. 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. Originally from the Metro Detroit area, Craig grew up playing youth hockey in Michigan within the Detroit Little Caesars organization. VS. 1st Period - 7:13 . Yet three Trashers earned more than $100,000 apiece. Josh Elzinga vs. Brad Wingfield, December 03, 2005 - Kalamazoo Wings vs. Danbury Trashers. Marc also specializes in Power Skating and using the techniques of dynamic edgework and plyometricwhile on the ice. "Honestly, a lot of it was getting so close to a championship with the Trashers but not winning. That meant late-night sessions on hockeydb.com, where he searched for telling stats. There was no other number. But even Wingnut had nothing on Chad Wagner. Josh Gratton vs Adam Elzinga - Sep 5, 2001 - YouTube NHL hockey fights, brawls, scrums, roughs, hits, cheap shots, and other incidents. I wound up having words with the referee, and unbeknownst to me, he was a full-time police officer in upstate New York, Galante told me. And hed still kill us, AJ went on. "I was a big Oakland Raiders fan," says A.J. I never had one bad thing happen in my dealings with Jimmy Galante.". called his middleman in Quebec and essentially rented Wagner for a game against Adirondack. The second year, Port Huron became the Roanoke Valley Vipers. You in? She started playing hockey, in her wheelchair. what happened to josh elzinga hockey. ), 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. Marc also has over 20 years in Nutritional Counseling as Clinical Nutritionist. The gangster shrugged: What can I say, right? just landed Galarza his first TV fight, on Showtime's ShoBox series, and an endorsement deal with the apparel company Rival Boxing. With 503 penalty minutes in a game against Adirondack was on a fresh shirt, put on the payroll Galante-owned. Not winning and an endorsement deal with the apparel company Rival Boxing MacIsaac! 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