He offered Roanoke not just a pair of current Trashers but also other players in the UHL supplemental draft that summer. Many signed with the American Hockey League, the league directly below the NHL, pushing AHL players down to teams in the UHL. Nothing.. For instance, Galante and a few trusted associates burned a competitors truck in 1992after first binding the driverto send a message to stay out of the Connecticut market, and in 2006, damaged the tires of a competitors truck after that carter refused to back down on a $50/month account. 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 September 2008, U.S. District Court judge Ellen B. Burns sentenced him to 87 months in prison. Marc also has over 20 years in Nutritional Counseling as Clinical Nutritionist. Some say he did it as a civic benefactor, to give a depressed city something to rally around. Currently, Al isanAssistant Coach of the 05 AAA Florida Alliance Elite team. AJ considered it unfair to fans if a game had fewer than three fights. 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. But by 1 a.m., the Trashers were out of fresh shirts. During a 1994 junior hockey game he was on a breakaway when he caught a high stick under his visor. In the first period Wagner instigated a fight, and an all-out brawl broke out. If asked why they hadnt made it, theyd tell you no one had ever really given them a shot. 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. Gretzky reportedly earned $100,000, which would have left little for the rest of the team. After snapping a few, Brenda invited Vogels friends to take some shots on her. Having collected 563 goals over the course of his 15 seasons in various leagues, Duhart gave the Trashers a second genuine scoring threat. [The attitude was,] You're supposed to be courteous in minor league hockey? Featured in the NETFLIX documentary Untold: Crime \u0026 Penalties, the story of the Danbury Trashers relives the short and tumultuous history of an old United Hockey League team that married WWE Wrestling with the innocence of The Mighty Ducks to offer a brand of hockey never before seen. Torres said he lost confidence at . The league set an annual salary cap of $275,000, with a $2 luxury tax for every dollar spent above the threshold. Eventually, Donny Grover, a former Trashers defenseman, noticed Brenda in the stands and invited her onto the ice. sensed a fight coming, he headed down near the ice to capture it on his camcorder. Jimmy owned a stock car racing team and had long talked about becoming a sports magnate. It will have mobsters. December 03, 2005. 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. 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. Mid-season, thats when we really caught fire, AJ told me. Most teams rode in a rickety, Partridge Familystyle bus. First of all, if you look at the bus, it was pretty sick, Mario Larocque told me. and Jimmy Galante. Little separated the team from its fans, physically or culturally: They mostly made nothing, were going nowhere, and knew unfairness. Gilles is a Level 4 Hockey Coach with USA Hockey. "It was loud," says A.J., "and security was very, let's just say, flexible." November 24, 2006. Section 102 became a subtribe whose members had nicknames like Capone and Jackass. Next year were going to kick the son of a bitch in!, It was like that with the Trashers. The one thing that has given her joy in recent years is hockey. Jimmy Galante purchased an expansion franchise in the United Hockey League, the equivalent of Double A baseball. And it all ended in an FBI raid and subsequent indictment that landed Galante in the slammer, along with the infamous gangster Matthew Ianniello, aka Matty the Horse, the then-86-year-old capo di tutti capi of the Genovese crime family. The players exchanged looks of confusion. (He also forfeited his ownership in 25 trash-hauling firms.) He spent six years in Allenwood, a federal penitentiary in central Pennsylvania. Josh Elzinga NOT the Josh who broke Brad Wingfield's leg . More information about Marc can be found atwww.OptimumAthlete.com. One team employee had the inspired idea of buying fresh fish and placing it in the HVAC ducts above the visiting locker room. IT WAS A SPECIAL EXPERIENCE.". Gretzky, at 32, was in the descent portion of his career. It was all over the blogs and hockey-fight sites, the craziness. 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. Asked by email whether there could be a sequel, a Danbury Trashers II, Galante responds, "Anything is possible! Established 1996 -- Celebrating Our 25th Year . 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. 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. "You need a wild card," says A.J., "so we decided we would beat people to submission. 2006-2007 Regular Season . Detroit girl, 11, is left with brain trauma and staples in her head after child abuser teacher threw metal hockey stick at her. His accomplishments includeover 30 wins across the World, along with competing with Team USA at World Championships. Wingfield challenged a Kalamazoo player, Josh Elzinga, to a fight. 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. 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. Josh Doan and Jack Judson scored for the Sun Devils (15-19-0), who were forced to play a man short against the Nanooks (19-10-2) due to mounting . A big city has its strivers and fine food and bright lights. We play a team like the Frostbite, a team with maybe two goons. Josh Elzinga Position: D Birthday: Sep 30, 1984 From: Burbank, IL United States Height: 5'11" Weight: 190 lbs. The fans in section 102 who had once heckled him for his one eye instantly embraced him. Craig is aUSA Hockey Certified Level 4 coach; his background includes being a former Head Hockey Instructor for Maximum Development Hockey based out of Windsor, Ontario Canada, coaching numerous Southeast Elite AAA select teams and coaching within the Junior Everblades organization for over 15 years, winning multiple state championships. Brenda got tattoos of the names of her favorite players. As he headed to baggage claim at the small suburban airport, something didn't look right. In many ways, the first round of that postseason was the high point: the Trashers versus the Frostbite, best of seven. 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. No one likes to put on wet clothes. 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. That spring, when A.J. "A.J. It wasnt a crisis, but it was a drag. As AJ explained it to me: It happened at dinner. "You don't get involved in verbal altercations," Brosal admonished the ref. 's high school Jimmy paid to refurbish the football stadium. "Listen," he said, "my dad is coming home for dinner at 7:30, and if I don't have a goal scorer by then, I'm in big trouble." He was unreal down the stretch., The Trashers finished their second season 481711, then rolled through the playoffs, making it all the way to the finals, where they lost to Kalamazoo in five games. DeLuca ended up resigning from office because of the scandal. I hear it again every time my son Micahs Squirt Division travel team plays a home game at the Danbury arena. He knows how to treat people. As evidence that Galante was prone to violence, the prosecution played footage of him purportedly striking the official during the infamous Kalamazoo game. That team was uniquely physical, to put it nicely, Doug Christiansen, a 6-foot-5 Trashers wing, told me. The Galantes told Trashers who were suspendedinvariably for fightingto watch the games from the 102 seats. And what's more entertaining than a bunch of crazy guys getting into fights?". . Needless to say it was gobbled right up.The documentary has taken the hockey and sports worlds by storm. Marc's professional athletic career includes: For 10 years John was the Director of Top Shelf Hockey. Pick your poison. Maybe because Im Italian and in the garbage business.. One of the featured players, Brad \"Wingnut\" Wingfield plays a significant role in the film. But his fights are what people remember. Then AJ had gotten hurt. 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. Someone had said Galante, with a near-monopoly on regional garbage collection, was driving out competitors. At 32, Todd was younger than some of the players. 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. 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. If Wylie signs with another team, the Chiefs could have options in . 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. Southeast Elite is proud to announce the Mathieu Garon with be an instrumental member of the Southeast Elite organization as a goaltender instructor. Players' wives were put on the payroll of Galante-owned companies though they performed no discernible duties. Barely two months into the season Ndur was suspended for 20 games after fighting not just opposing players but also officials and opposing coaches. (I wanted to bring something back to the community, Galante told me when I spoke with him in February.) Young Blood, Goon, they were all there. "Then everyone would ask for the check so they could be there for face-off. He was a star in the UHL, having scored 43 goals for the Port Huron. He ended up reaching over the bench and grabbing the Adirondack coach, trying to pull him over the boards. was on the phone with agents for some of the best hockey players in the world. The 2004 05 NHL lockout was a labor lockout that resulted in the cancellation of the National Hockey League (NHL) season, which would . 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. Parents were warned to keep children away. Learn more about them from these League History pages. 80,893) who owns a dry cleaning business, "People thought, You know what, he may be caught up in questionable activity, but he's good to the town.". Asked what hes up to these days, he said, Enjoying life.. says wistfully. Their goons fight our goons. (A.J. Federal authorities had grown interested in the Connecticut waste-management industry. But for many, the highlight had come earlier in the season, when Wingnut got his revenge. about getting back into sports. AJ and I would stand up there and look at the teams that were coming to play us, Galante told me. Recalls Galante, "It was obvious he was thinking, What did I get myself into? After signing Gretzky, he went for Jim Duhart, the Crash Davis of minor-league hockey. When the signal comes, they pull on a fresh shirt, put on the gear, head out. Vogel and the St. Clairs developed a friendship on Facebook thanks to their mutual interest in hockey. Stirling avoided jail time after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud. They also saw the Trashers as a kind of validation: Someone believes in Danbury. We still got eight goons.. Could there be a better symbol of the link between fans and team? Defense. A small town has its lawns and picket fences and wholesome values, a big town its go-getters and civic fathers. With a Premium subscription, you'll get access to over 30 tools, features and benefits. 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. Galante named his team for the family business: the Trashers. signed him for another game against Adirondack, in Danbury on Feb. 23, which was also WWE Night. 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. One was Rumun Ndur, a Nigeria-born Canadian who was known for his aggression. But AJs favorite was Brad Wingnut Wingfield. He almost looked like Waynethe same intelligent eyes and long face, the same scraggly mall-rat hairbut not quite. Every great team needs a great rival. Now, the younger Galante has embraced boxing instead of hockey. ", HAVING A son named A.J. Danbury, Connecticut, is the ultimate small city. 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. Id look for the guys with the best entertainment rating.. If you search Jim Duhart, those are what you find: Jim Duhart versus Tom Clayton, Jim Duhart versus Jason Taylor. 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. It was a twist Elmore Leonard might have considered improbable. F--- you. For video of the Danbury Trashers mixing it up, download SI's tablet version, free to subscribers, at SI.com/activate. "He must've thought he was on Punk'd or something. Kalamazoo Wings (Kalamazoo,MI) United Hockey League [Minor Professional] 2000-2007 [click to view all-time roster] At home they took to the ice to Welcome to the Jungle, by Guns N Roses. Brenda St. Clair can serve as an inspiration to goaltenders and all hockey fans throughout the world. PHOTOGRAPHS BY WENDY CARLSON (MASCOT, 5); VIDEO STILLS BY THOMAS BUTKIER (2). 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. They had scorers and skaters and playmakers and defensive stalwarts. . 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. It was populated by the die-hard, the angry, and the drunk. There was only one problem: it wasnt protecting her sides, leaving her exposed, and often, black and blue. And that wasn't all. We were paid, and everything was first class. said of Beauregard. All get tossed. You'd look across the ice, and they had eight to 10 heavyweights looking for a fight. Jon Nasty Mirasty, a Cree from Saskatchewan, wore a Mohawk, sometimes multicolored, and would average eight penalty minutes a game for Danbury. Danbury is a blue-collar town, and they could relate to the players, Galante told me. Catalyzed by their new scorer, the Trashers cruised through the regular season, finishing 48--17. An email sent to the team asking Rupp to share his recollections of the Trashers elicited this curt response: "Mike is not available for your story." Then Sen. Joseph Lieberman hailed Galante as a "shining example" in the community. A.J. "I loved every player," Jimmy asserts. Josh Elzinga has an equally impressive professional playing career and has served as Adam's Assistant Coach for the past 4 seasons. It had to do with the acoustics. For himself he built a skybox equipped with a kitchenette. The teenage sports exec became an irresistible media story. For a team theme song, A.J. She forgets about being in the chair, Greg added. THE SOUND TRACK of the Starrett City Boxing Club in Brooklyn is on full blast: the thrumming of the speed bag, the grunts of a fighter absorbing shots, the whistle every three minutes to denote the end of a round. Seven players were sent to the penalty box. 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.". puts it, "it got real, real fast." "You had blue-collar guys banging on the glass. Mahfuz riad. One year ago we knocked on the door, he said. And how is this kid running a hockey team?". Born 1984-09-30 in Burbank, Illinois. Timo Meier's fantasy hockey value trends up after the New Jersey Devils acquired him. Family business: the Trashers sites, the younger Galante has embraced boxing instead of hockey Alliance. Need a wild card, '' says A.J., `` it was a drag 's fantasy hockey value trends after. 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