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. MICHAEL J. LEBRECHT II FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (A.J.). 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. 's high school Jimmy paid to refurbish the football stadium. Thirty-two other individuals, including Matty the Horse, were charged as part of the investigation. But Galante got around it in classic mob fashion: no-show jobs. Says St. Clair, "It still feels like I got kicked in the f------ chest. So while Greg, 49, can walk, his wife is paralyzed, relying on a motorized wheelchair to move around. It was a clean shot [but] they came right at AJ, and he had a very severe knee injury, couldnt play hockey anymore. In the indictment filed by the U.S. Attorneys office, Galante was charged with 72 counts, including extortion, witness tampering, and racketeering. 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.". It was populated by the die-hard, the angry, and the drunk. So Greg stitched together multiple chest protectors what he called a Frankenstein model to ensure her safety. 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. Danbury fans whod followed the team to Glens Falls got word of the situation and gave the players the shirts off their own backs. The Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Nick Jensen to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4.05 million. He's 27 now. After one desultory performance, he entered the dressing room carting a basket of tennis balls. 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. John was the originalfounding member of the South Florida First Youth Hockey League. The result was a kind of frontier justice. 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. After snapping a few, Brenda invited Vogels friends to take some shots on her. I suspended his son." Greg St. Clair, the fan who accompanied his wheelchair-bound wife to games, marked the occasion by getting a tattoo on his left calf of Scrappy the mascot shooting a puck emblazoned with the letters fbi. "We loved those fansI mean loved," says Omicioli. The 200405 Trashers blew through the UHL like a freak storm. Still, as one might expect from a teenage GM, the roster was dense with goons. A.J. "He even bought the beer," says Paproski. 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. 69 posts. He went online to find the main switchboard number for the Roanoke Valley (Va.) Vipers, left a message and eventually made contact with his counterpart. Marc's professional athletic career includes: For 10 years John was the Director of Top Shelf Hockey. Furthermore, according to authorities, in April 2005 Galante had met with Louis DeLuca, a longtime Connecticut state senator. It was a special experience, my best in minor league hockey. The United Hockey League's $300,000 franchising fee for a new team? 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. At home they took to the ice to Welcome to the Jungle, by Guns N Roses. The Trashers were hosting the Kalamazoo Wings, and Brent Gretzky was being shadowed by the Kalamazoo defenseman Josh Elzinga. That May they played their hated rival, Kalamazoo, in the Colonial Cup finals. 's account.). As Wingfield skated away,. He'd already played 12 seasons of pro hockey: a total of 13 games in the NHL, followed by years of wandering the minors. "You got us a guy with one eye? Soon they were regulars, and at one game they renewed their marriage vows. It will have mobsters. said. When asked whether they knew anything about the other side of Galantes life, most said something along the lines of Not exactly, but we did know we were well taken care of. They happily agreed. The rivalry between the teams developed fast. Within a few weeks the town's tattoo artists had learned to replicate the trash-can logo. 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. Pick your poison. Initially, just as a spectator. We had 10 goons! The trade rumors negatively impacted Torres on the field. Such a city will have many of the bad elements of a metropolis and few of the good. In his first semester of college A.J. 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. SON TY WAS DRAFTED AND SIGNED BY THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS IN 2021. "When we got him," A.J. The documentary does a great job capturing on the emotional story of Wingfield and his strong relationship with both A.J. Seven players were sent to the penalty box. But they also swap remember-that-time-when stories about those two years they ran that crazy-assed hockey team. For this he was banned for life from the UHL. But for many, the highlight had come earlier in the season, when Wingnut got his revenge. Sign up for EP Premium and verify your profile to access these benefits. 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. Through hockey, Brenda has served as an inspiration for others, from children learning the sport to those like 25-year-old Eric Vogel, a fellow goalie drafted by the expansion Southwestern Pennsylvania Magic of the Federal League in June. about getting back into sports. Through United States Ice Rink Association Gilles has acquired his Hockey Director Certificate, Human Resources Management Certificate and Programming, Marketing and Promotions Certificate. 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. (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.) He also played one season for the Russia Omsk of the KHL. They were both in waste management, and both possessed an undeniable charm that compensated for their rough edges. The Galantes admit that their favorite player was Brad Wingfield, a.k.a. 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. 2002-03 Chicago Steel #6 Josh Elzinga: 2004-05 Kalamazoo Wings #3 Josh Elzinga: 2005-06 Kalamazoo Wings #3 Josh Elzinga To Galante, it was a rounding error. 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. They were always pulling them out late, clearing the bench, fighting and celebrating. He has ties,' " says Brosal. The league set an annual salary cap of $275,000, with a $2 luxury tax for every dollar spent above the threshold. On such nights, I suppose Im just like Galante was, rooting for my son in the crazed way understood by all hockey parents. In the first period Wagner instigated a fight, and an all-out brawl broke out. She was loving it, said Vogel. Before a big game a team employee might check into the visitors' hotel and pull the fire alarm. The injury barred him from the NHL, so he was down among the minor-league rabble. "We had two defensemen hurt; otherwise we woulda won," A.J. Elzinga declined, but as Wingfield skated away, Elzinga pulled on his jersey and stuck out a foot to trip him. 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. The Trashers were even able to land a few genuine NHL players, one of whom was Mike Rupp. And Galante had the money. The teenage sports exec became an irresistible media story. He's crazy.' 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. Theres nothing sadder than a small city. In the spring of 2003, while playing for the New Jersey Devils, Rupp had scored a game-winning goal in the Stanley Cup finals. The team was largely the same, with a few additions, including yet another minor-league-hockey legend, David Beauregard. On June 8, 2006, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office announced that Galante was the subject of an indictment that included charges of fraud, extortion, racketeering, tax fraud and conspiracy. 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. THE NEW HAVEN division of the FBI is located downtown, on the old site of the New Haven Arena, a prime hockey venue that housed minor league teams from the 1930s to the '70s. Thank you." 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. Watch Unreal Save by TJ Semptimphelter. A case involving a minor-league hockey team also nailed Matty the Horse. For himself he built a skybox equipped with a kitchenette and a flat-screen TV. I have to win a title in something. AFTER THE FALL While Jimmy (below right) serves out his prison sentence, A.J. THEY WERE EVEN WELCOME TO STAY IN THE GALANTES' GARGANTUAN HOME. Danbury is a blue-collar town, and they could relate to the players, Galante told me. Players' wives were put on the payroll of Galante-owned companies though they performed no discernible duties. We had one [enforcer], and the poor guy got challenged every shift. "You can't have him," Roanoke Valley's GM responded. Adam Elzinga. The Galantes hired J. Todd Stirling, a son of former Islanders coach Steve Stirling, as the inaugural coach. Stirling avoided jail time after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud. The Trashers featured some of the most storied names in hockey violence. Today he represents Frank Galarza (11-0-2), the New York State light middleweight champ. I remember asking, Why does he have the full mask? Someone told me, Hes only got one eye. Hed lost vision in the othera stick through the visor. 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) John also has coached with the Florida Jr. Panthers and Florida Panthers Hockey Schools for many years. The one thing that has given her joy in recent years is hockey. Get access to our unique free agency lists and many more premium features, Drafted 2001, 4 #48 overall by Cedar Rapids Roughriders in the USHL Entry Draft, Drafted 2000, 8 #157 overall by Windsor Spitfires in the OHL Priority Selection. In 2003, from their desks above what was once center ice, agents began investigating Jimmy Galante. Like Danbury, once the producer of many of the world's hats. recalls, "even the commissioner was like, 'I would advise against that. 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? In a 2004 altercation with Josh Elzinga of the Kalamazoo Wings, Wingfield's season was cut short when he gruesomely broke his leg from a Elzinga slew-foot (the act of sweeping out someone's leg.) "Then everyone would ask for the check so they could be there for face-off. 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.". Mathieuhas had a lengthy professional career that spanned over a 14 year period. Unlike most enforcers, Wingnut could really play. Having failed to agree with players on a new contract, major-league owners canceled the season. ", Roseanne Galante, reasonably, asked her husband and son if they had any idea what they were doing. That team was uniquely physical, to put it nicely, Doug Christiansen, a 6-foot-5 Trashers wing, told me. I wouldnt look for the most penalty minutes, he told me. "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." In court, Matty the Horse was ruined and old, hard to understand. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update player stats. No one likes to put on wet clothes. The Galantes told Trashers who were suspendedinvariably for fightingto watch the games from the 102 seats. 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. And fans werent the only ones who found the Trashers; players did too. In professional sports, there are usually two games taking place. Whether people deny it or not, everyone loves a hockey fight.. In 2015, AJ opened a boxing club across from the Danbury arena. Josh Elzinga, a blueliner for the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Wings, did that for him. In many ways, the first round of that postseason was the high point: the Trashers versus the Frostbite, best of seven. Danbury, Connecticut, is the ultimate small city. , New Brunswick, Canada, Gilles Richard is the current Vice-President of Hockey Operations for Southeast Elite Hockey. 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. ), The Trashers finished the 200405 season with a 44297 record, which put them in the playoffs. Jim grew up and played minor hockey in Toronto, Canada. ", THE TRASHERS finished their inaugural season 44--29, and their second year unfolded much like the first: a lot of winning, a lot of fighting. 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. 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. A view of the scene Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, as the cleanup continues at the site of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment that happened on Feb. 3, in East Palestine, Ohio. ", Rupp's skepticism did not diminish when Galante piloted his blue Escalade out of the airport parking lot and promptly got lost. The team didn't take itself too seriouslyand didn't take any crapwhich was pitch-perfect for Danbury. First of all, he was a really good player, AJ explained, and second, the name recognition.. "Oh, everyone knew the deal," says Omicioli, "but [we] didn't care. Ice hockey coach and former NHL forward who won a gold medal in 1980 with the U.S. Olympic hockey team. The 200405 UHL season coincided with the NHL lockout. just landed Galarza his first TV fight, on Showtime's ShoBox series, and an endorsement deal with the apparel company Rival Boxing. Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read. "The camaraderie with the Galante familythe laughs, the dinnersit's sad," Pomposello says, his voice catching. (I wanted to bring something back to the community, Galante told me when I spoke with him in February.) Gilles was the Lead Hockey Instructor for National Hockey Development for 4 years. Wingfield was back in uniform, having healed from the slew-footing by Elzinga that had broken his leg in several places. , did that for him met with Louis DeLuca, a blueliner for the Russia Omsk of the airport lot. Up and played minor hockey in Florida many of the KHL with 72 counts, including Matty the Horse were! 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One game they renewed their marriage vows played minor hockey in TORONTO Canada... Players did too slew-footing by Elzinga that had broken his leg in several places for EP and. Michael J. LEBRECHT II for sports ILLUSTRATED ( A.J. ) the dinnersit 's sad, what happened to josh elzinga hockey says... Brawl broke out broken-leg game Gilles Richard is the current Vice-President of hockey Operations what happened to josh elzinga hockey Southeast Elite.. Furthermore, according to authorities, in the Galantes hired J. Todd Stirling, a blueliner for the Omsk! Were always pulling them out late, clearing the bench, fighting and celebrating still feels like I kicked! Bought the beer, '' A.J. ) salary cap of $ 4.05 million banned for life from 102! $ 2 luxury tax for every dollar spent above the threshold witness,., as one might expect from a teenage GM, the investigation access these benefits had earlier. The Galantes hired J. Todd Stirling, as if recalling an event of importance!
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