Al grew up and was raised in small-town Manitoba and played all levels of minor and senior hockey. It's possible Wylie could return on a one-year deal that is a significant raise from the $2.38 million he earned last season. Craig resides in Estero, Florida with his wife Amy, son Cayden (9), who plays for the Junior Everblades 10U teamand daughter Sophia (12), who currently plays for the Girls Florida Alliance 12U AAA team. Galante passed him a note that asked, Do you want me to have someone pay him a visit? Before and after games downtown Danbury was hopping. "I was a big Oakland Raiders fan," says A.J. To circumvent the cap, Galante regularly doled out cash bonuses, gave some players exorbitant living allowances and gave others checks for housing after their allowances had already been paid. For video of the Danbury Trashers mixing it up, download SI's tablet version, free to subscribers, at SI.com/activate. Then the FBI moved in. "I'm one of those guys who lives for competition," he says. "People would make comments: 'Aren't you afraid of him? "I still hate even the name Kalamazoo.". Its all Ive known for my whole life, she said. Mario Larocque was different: Hed been taken in the first round of the 1996 NHL draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. 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. Through United States Ice Rink Association Gilles has acquired his Hockey Director Certificate, Human Resources Management Certificate and Programming, Marketing and Promotions Certificate. Guess what? Which was the point: The Danbury Ice Arena was the sort of place where you could get into it with a random bozo in the bleachers, and he would turn out to be the head of the opposing team. She accepted and over the next two years would occasionally hit pucks around, even after the Trashers ignominiously folded in 2006. When an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. Hockey Fights is an entertainment site with no direct affiliation to the National Hockey League, its teams, or NHLPA. On Oct. 15, Jimmy began serving his time. Stirling avoided jail time after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud. Asked by email whether there could be a sequel, a Danbury Trashers II, Galante responds, "Anything is possible! "Especially for a guy with one eye. Galante, his hair buzzed to the scalp, a neatly trimmed goatee rimming his mouth, stands off to the side, his iPhone pressed to his ear. ", "Dad, if this guy had two eyes, he might be one of the greatest NHL players ever! I never had one bad thing happen in my dealings with Jimmy Galante.". The Trashers had the Adirondack Frostbite. 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 what happened to josh elzinga hockey. Galantes payments were characterized as a mob tax to ensure his companies primacy in the trash trade. Such a city will have many of the bad elements of a metropolis and few of the good. 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. . Join Facebook to connect with Josh Elzinga and others you may know. On such nights, I suppose Im just like Galante was, rooting for my son in the crazed way understood by all hockey parents. The Trashers still trigger strong responses in Danbury, too. A small town has its lawns and picket fences and wholesome values, a big town its go-getters and civic fathers. Submit changes (incorrect DOB, missing stats, incorrect stats, social media links etc) using a web form and we will review your update request within 24 hours and update accordingly. made connections over the summer with agents, scouts and middlemen who could deliver that goalie from Manitoba or that playmaker from Quebec. and Jimmy Galante. I'm not just hungry; my stomach is growling. Having collected 563 goals over the course of his 15 seasons in various leagues, Duhart gave the Trashers a second genuine scoring threat. "You had blue-collar guys banging on the glass. There was an incident where one of our players attacked one of the Adirondack coaches, and that ended up in the Toronto Star. Her style may be unorthodox, but she fits right in between the pipes. Josh Elzinga player profile, stats and championships. ), 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. signed him for another game against Adirondack, in Danbury on Feb. 23, which was also WWE Night. By game's end they were hooked. Wagner's career stats in the league: two games and 73 penalty minutes. 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. Marc also specializes in Power Skating and using the techniques of dynamic edgework and plyometricwhile on the ice. Theres nothing sadder than a small city. 117 followers. "YOU'D HAVE BLUE-COLLAR GUYS NEXT TO WEALTHY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS. Nothing.. Marc specializes in the full spectrum of athlete development. Not that they just rubber-stamped Galante's application. The game turned into a riot, everyone taking a run at everyone else. 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. 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. When it came time to negotiate Gretzkys contract, AJ turned the deal over to his father. 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. acted decisively. Still, as one might expect from a teenage GM, the roster was dense with goons. sensed a fight coming, he headed down near the ice to capture it on his camcorder. Wiretaps of thousands of phone calls between Automated Waste Disposal employees and representatives of other trash companies in 2004 and '05 revealed a variety of criminal activities. He named it Champs Boxing Club & Fitness. But as Wingfield skated away , Elzinga stuck his leg out and pulled back on the left wing's jersey. Though he lived with his wife and two children in suburban New Fairfield, he was beloved in nearby Danbury, where he had his office. Adam Elzinga. The second year, Port Huron became the Roanoke Valley Vipers. A UHL season was about 80 games followed by playoffs; the champion took home the Colonial Cup. Galante was a philanthropist; a pediatric suite in the emergency department of Danbury Hospital was named for his family. "I didn't know s--- about hockey either," volunteers Greg, a propane tank repairer. Some say he did it for the same reason he owned a race-car squad: He loved to compete. 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. He scores like it's drinking water. starts innumerable sentences, "My dad always says.", Usually so engaging and candid, A.J. ", Jimmy expects to be released this summer. 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. A violent, brutal melee from start to finish. ", HAVING A son named A.J. 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. Within a few weeks the town's tattoo artists had learned to replicate the trash-can logo. The team slogan was Bad Boys Talkin' Trash. Since birth Brenda has suffered from spina bifida, an abnormality that causes an opening in the spinal column. Brian was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. "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." "Honestly, a lot of it was getting so close to a championship with the Trashers but not winning. what happened to josh elzinga hockey. 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. As AJ explained it to me: It happened at dinner. Besides, what choice did he have? It held fewer than 3,000 seats, the fewest in the UHL, but it had a jewel-box intimacy. 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. "People love to watch him perform. Yet in some ways Galantes biography seemed unlike that of a traditional hood. Eventually, Donny Grover, a former Trashers defenseman, noticed Brenda in the stands and invited her onto the ice. 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. Player after player came by the house to show support. While other UHL franchises were notorious for penny-pinching, the Trashers traveled in a luxe team bus. First of all, if you look at the bus, it was pretty sick, Mario Larocque told me. Marc was a professional Triathlete for over 10 years. ", In his first game for Danbury, Beauregard had a goal and an assist as the Trashers won 5--1. Game Two is what people remember. The closest team to Danbury, the Frostbite played in Glens Falls, New York, just three hours away by luxury coach. In that time he has been instrumental in helping change the face of hockey in Florida. Let's just say hindsight is 20/20. He's 27 now. Josh Gratton vs Adam Elzinga - Sep 5, 2001 - YouTube NHL hockey fights, brawls, scrums, roughs, hits, cheap shots, and other incidents. So Greg stitched together multiple chest protectors what he called a Frankenstein model to ensure her safety. A.J. Al has coached youth hockeyfor the last 9 years and isa level 5 USA Hockey coach. All told, he played just five games for them. said. The game was still knotted after two overtimes. 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. But a small city, full of drifters and vacant lots, faded Victorian houses lining its weed-buckled streets, is ruinously sad. Originally from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, Gilles Richard is the current Vice-President of Hockey Operations for Southeast Elite Hockey. Like Mike Tyson in his prime.". The Galantes told Trashers who were suspendedinvariably for fightingto watch the games from the 102 seats. The former Director of Hockey Operations for the Jacksonville Ice and Sports Complex, Gilles is no stranger to youth hockey. The Danbury arena, meanwhile, has returned to its old existence as a youth rink. Yet the father delegated personnel moves to the son. In September 2008, U.S. District Court judge Ellen B. Burns sentenced him to 87 months in prison. A.J. When the signal comes, they pull on a fresh shirt, put on the gear, head out. The lockout sent NHL stars into the cold. What does that mean? I fined him. He searched two places, one actual, one virtual. 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. . That May they played their hated rival, Kalamazoo, in the Colonial Cup finals. 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. A case involving a minor-league hockey team also nailed Matty the Horse. 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. ", A.J. Southeast Elite is proud to announce the Mathieu Garon with be an instrumental member of the Southeast Elite organization as a goaltender instructor. First of all, he was a really good player, AJ explained, and second, the name recognition.. Danburys equipment manager would soak the Trashers jerseys in Crisco before they played the Frostbite so the opposing goons couldnt get a firm grip. 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. 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. But Jimmy Galante was smart, and the G-men could never quite nail him. "Oh, everyone knew the deal," says Omicioli, "but [we] didn't care. In the indictment filed by the U.S. Attorneys office, Galante was charged with 72 counts, including extortion, witness tampering, and racketeering. She started playing hockey, in her wheelchair. 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. December 03, 2005. And the fans, from section 102 and beyond, still miss their team. Teaching athletes to learn and howto think, over just going through the motions of drills, brings the best out of each athlete. Says Pomposello, "Jimmy's old school. By accepting an offer he couldn't refuse. [40 yrs. When he caught wind of a local kid who couldn't afford college, he quietly wrote a tuition check. Initially, just as a spectator. For himself he built a skybox equipped with a kitchenette. 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. 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 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. Her neck was really bothering her that night and she said, I dont think Ill be going to get on the ice, Vogel recalled. We still got eight goons.. [The attitude was,] You're supposed to be courteous in minor league hockey? Right before the league's trade deadline in March 2006, Jimmy and A.J. Sign up for EP Premium and verify your profile to access these benefits. With a Premium subscription, you'll get access to over 30 tools, features and benefits. But as Wingnut moved away, Elzinga stuck out his skate and grabbed Wingnuts jersey. Gilles was the Lead Hockey Instructor for National Hockey Development for 4 years. All Rights Reserved. One was Rumun Ndur, a Nigeria-born Canadian who was known for his aggression. Unlike most enforcers, Wingnut could really play. Torres said he lost confidence at . The second goes on in the front office: signing players, making trades. ago] Height 6.02 -- Weight 205 [188 cm/93 kg] Regular Season. 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. You have to understand, Dave MacIsaac, who played 62 regular-season games for Danbury, told me. He has talked casually with A.J. Gretzky, at 32, was in the descent portion of his career. John has two sons who also like to play hockey. AJ filled out the roster with a mix of has-beens and might-bes. There was only one problem: it wasnt protecting her sides, leaving her exposed, and often, black and blue. 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. 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. He wore a full face mask. The teenage sports exec became an irresistible media story. 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