what happened to josh elzinga hockey
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 . NHL hockey fights, brawls, scrums, roughs, hits,. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Most dismaying to the citizenry of Danbury, the Trashers' 2006--07 season was canceled. I suspended his son." Jon Nasty Mirasty, a Cree from Saskatchewan, wore a Mohawk, sometimes multicolored, and would average eight penalty minutes a game for Danbury. The result was a kind of frontier justice. Marc believes in helping each athlete to decipher through the plethora of good and misinformation to achieve optimal performance. SON NATE WAS DRAFTED BY MISSISSAUGA IN THE 2021 OHL DRAFT. made connections over the summer with agents, scouts and middlemen who could deliver that goalie from Manitoba or that playmaker from Quebec. No one wanted to fight him, AJ said. 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. called his middleman in Quebec and essentially rented Wagner for a game against Adirondack. Others started formally, proposed and accepted in the way of czarist-era duels: One morning, as AJ was driving to schoolhe was by then a freshman at Manhattanville College, in Purchase, New York, a 40-minute commute from New Fairfieldhe heard Barry Melrose talking smack about the Trashers on ESPN Radio. Brenda has cracked three ribs her first time on the ice she crashed into the boards and years later nearly broke her middle finger trying to make a save. The Danbury Whalers of the Federal Hockey League now play downtown, and it's fair to wonder whether they would be there were it not for the hockey culture Jimmy Galante started and the arena he built. 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. Galante, then a freshman at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y., introduced himself as team president. Hockey Fights is an entertainment site with no direct affiliation to the National Hockey League, its teams, or NHLPA. The most famous tough-guy team ever was whothe Broad Street Bullies, 7475 Flyers? So why was he being greeted by this kid sporting a nascent goatee, earrings and an Allen Iverson jersey? "You got us a guy with one eye? Wingnut. But by 1 a.m., the Trashers were out of fresh shirts. View the profiles of people named Josh Elzinga. And Brenda was given a new on-ice opportunity when Mad Hatters goalie Jeff Hill jokingly yelled at her to Be a man. Watch Unreal Save by TJ Semptimphelter. 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. Questioned about the no-show jobs, former players laughed and changed the subject. about getting back into sports. Gilles is a Level 4 Hockey Coach with USA Hockey. Gilles is a Level 4 Hockey Coach with USA Hockey. In that time he has been instrumental in helping change the face of hockey in Florida. Through United States Ice Rink Association Gilles has acquired his Hockey Director Certificate, Human Resources Management Certificate and Programming, Marketing and Promotions Certificate. As AJ explained it to me: It happened at dinner. She forgets about being in the chair, Greg added. Currently, Al isanAssistant Coach of the 05 AAA Florida Alliance Elite team. In 1980, after the Houston Oilers barely missed a trip to the Super Bowl, Coach Bum Phillips gave their fans a famous pep talk. BY JANUARY 2005 the Trashers were so riddled with suspensions that they had to suit up an assistant coach, Bobby Stearns, who suddenly became a 36-year-old pro hockey rookie. The lockout sent NHL stars into the cold. Though he lived with his wife and two children in suburban New Fairfield, he was beloved in nearby Danbury, where he had his office. The game plan was 'Keep your cool and you'll get a power play,' but it didn't always work out. Join Facebook to connect with Josh Elzinga and others you may know. 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. In his 56 games with the Trashers, Wingfield piled up 496 penalty minutes. "He made fans feel like they were an integral part of the team. AFTER THE FALL While Jimmy (below right) serves out his prison sentence, A.J. Then Sen. Joseph Lieberman hailed Galante as a "shining example" in the community. While David-Alexandre Beauregard was no goon, he fit into the Danbury menagerie. The intimidation factor was unreal. Rumun Ndur was the only Nigerian-born player ever to make it to the NHL. But his passion for sports never faded. Coach Ernie's leadership, motivational skills, training skills, and exceptional training ethics bring exciting elements to Southeast Elite Hockey. A violent, brutal melee from start to finish. The Galantes told Trashers who were suspendedinvariably for fightingto watch the games from the 102 seats. We knew the reality: It was hockey, but it was also entertainment. Today he represents Frank Galarza (11-0-2), the New York State light middleweight champ. The players exchanged looks of confusion. Galantes payments were characterized as a mob tax to ensure his companies primacy in the trash trade. 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). "You don't get involved in verbal altercations," Brosal admonished the ref. According to the indictment, Galante was making quarterly payments of $30,000 to Matty the Horse, the successor to Vincent the Chin Gigante and the boss of the Genovese crime family. "But you got to stir it up sometimes.". Having collected 563 goals over the course of his 15 seasons in various leagues, Duhart gave the Trashers a second genuine scoring threat. That May they played their hated rival, Kalamazoo, in the Colonial Cup finals. Torres said he lost confidence at . Gustafson would later describe Galante as a manipulating, controlling, hands-on bully., When I asked Galante why hed become a fixation for prosecutors, he said, I have no idea. . Still, it was clear who had the ultimate authority: Before and after some games Jimmy gave the team fiery pep talks and blistering critiques. Marc uses a basis of skating and skills rather than hockey concepts oversystems through proper small area games. There were hundreds of fans like Greg and Brenda St. Clair, a Danbury couple who went halfway through the season to check out the new team. The Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Nick Jensen to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4.05 million. I first heard it from a father on the sidelines of a Little League game soon after I moved in. "The camaraderie with the Galante familythe laughs, the dinnersit's sad," Pomposello says, his voice catching. The fans in section 102 who had once heckled him for his one eye instantly embraced him. 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. 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. Jim grew up and played minor hockey in Toronto, Canada. 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. Asked how the payback made him feel, Wingnut said great, but I would have liked to have seen him leaving the ice on a stretcher or in a body bag.. The injury barred him from the NHL, so he was down among the minor-league rabble. 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. Stirling, the Trashers' first coach, was also indicted, for abetting Galante by using the Trashers' fax machine to submit bogus salary reports to the UHL offices. Now and then, AJ would watch a game from Section 102. He also played one season for the Russia Omsk of the KHL. One was Rumun Ndur, a Nigeria-born Canadian who was known for his aggression. The game was still knotted after two overtimes. "Every character they had, we had. Some say he did it as a civic benefactor, to give a depressed city something to rally around. Within a few weeks the town's tattoo artists had learned to replicate the trash-can logo. They were both in waste management, and both possessed an undeniable charm that compensated for their rough edges. "Jimmy's a guest of the government, and I love that man." Everyone, however, agrees that he did it at least in part for his son, AJ, who was 17. GET THE PICTURE? HOCKEY IS BACK!!!. Eventually, Donny Grover, a former Trashers defenseman, noticed Brenda in the stands and invited her onto the ice. When an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. In 2004, this meant buying a minor-league-hockey franchise and installing it at the local youth rink, the Danbury Ice Arena. Through United States Ice Rink Association Gilles has acquired his Hockey Director Certificate, Human Resources Management Certificate and Programming, Marketing and Promotions Certificate. Learn more about them from these League History pages. Josh Elzinga player profile, stats and championships. Players' wives were put on the payroll of Galante-owned companies though they performed no discernible duties. Predictably, Wingnut went after Elzinga, administering a considerable beating and triggering another near riot. 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." Marc also has over 20 years in Nutritional Counseling as Clinical Nutritionist. Nothing.. The documentary does a great job capturing on the emotional story of Wingfield and his strong relationship with both A.J. 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. Al grew up and was raised in small-town Manitoba and played all levels of minor and senior hockey. The Trashers were hosting the Kalamazoo Wings, and Brent Gretzky was being shadowed by the Kalamazoo defenseman Josh Elzinga. 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 week that followed Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination was revolutionaryso why was it nearly forgotten? One year ago we knocked on the door, he said. Good hotels, a beautiful locker roomseveral players remember their tenure on the team as their most satisfying time in pro hockey. "We did our due diligence, and they put in the proper paperwork and were professional," says Richard Brosal, then the UHL's commissioner. The government seized most of his assets, including 25 trash companies and a string of race cars. Such a city will have many of the bad elements of a metropolis and few of the good. Most recently in the AAHL with Chicago Blaze. Matty the Horse spent 18 months in the big house, but he survived it, dying a free man in August 2012. Thirty-two other individuals, including Matty the Horse, were charged as part of the investigation. F--- you. Adam has over 25 years of hockey experience as a player and coach. Galante, at 17, come to run a minor league hockey team with NHL talentand, in turn, take a leading role in Slap Shot meets GoodFellas meets Hoosiers? North American Hockey League United States Hockey League "My dad always put me in sink-or-swim-type situations," he says. On Oct. 15, Jimmy began serving his time. Galante pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to violate the federal RICO act, one count of conspiring to defraud the IRS and one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud with the Trashers' bogus salary-cap figures. SON CONNOR IS NOW PLAYING IN THE USHL (WATERLOO BLACKHAWKS), Played in over 1,000 games in the NHL, AHL, Swedish Elite League, Finnish National League and more, Private hockey instructor with Saveology.com Iceplex team, Former Assistant Coach for the Florida Everblades (ECHL) during the 09-10 season, Currently the Director of Hockey Operations at TPH Ft. Lauderdale, National Hockey League (NHL) Alumni for the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings, 2013-current -Coach with the Florida Alliance/Southeast Elite Program, 2012-current -Coach with the Florida Jr. Everblades, Player for the United States men's ice hockey team in three Olympic's (2002, 2006, and 2010), Playedfour years at the University of WisconsinMadison, This website is powered by SportsEngine's. They had scorers and skaters and playmakers and defensive stalwarts. For himself he built a skybox equipped with a kitchenette and a flat-screen TV. Teaching athletes to learn and howto think, over just going through the motions of drills, brings the best out of each athlete. acted decisively. He got suspended., As James Harper, a veteran minor-league linesman, was talking with the scorekeeper, he got into it with Jimmy Galante, whod come down from the owners box. 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. Josh Gratton vs Adam Elzinga - Sep 5, 2001 - YouTube NHL hockey fights, brawls, scrums, roughs, hits, cheap shots, and other incidents. After taking swipes at various players, he grabbed Potvin, the Adirondack coach, and knocked him down. Theyd gotten close in 2005; now they intended to kick the son of a bitch in. Danbury is a blue-collar town, and they could relate to the players, Galante told me. Stevealso served as Coaching and Program Director for the NJ Devils Youth Hockey Club before becoming the Program Director for the Florida Golden Wolves, where he has served for the past 11 years. 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. In the first period Wagner instigated a fight, and an all-out brawl broke out. Brian was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. , New Brunswick, Canada, Gilles Richard is the current Vice-President of Hockey Operations for Southeast Elite Hockey. In return, Jimmy asked only that the players make hospital visits or speak at schools. Says St. Clair, "It still feels like I got kicked in the f------ chest. The NHL bars players who are blind in one eye, so Beauregard was consigned to a career in the minors. A case involving a minor-league hockey team also nailed Matty the Horse. "Frank would have been a hell of a Danbury Trasher," A.J. A.J. Wingfield challenged a Kalamazoo player, Josh Elzinga, to a fight. 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. After he was drafted, Vogel invited the couple to Pennsylvania for training camp in August. Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Adam Elzinga, 1982-07-23 Burbank, IL, USA USA. "You need a wild card," says A.J., "so we decided we would beat people to submission. ", Jimmy paused. "Before games we'd be mobbed," says Tom Devine, owner of the Two Steps Downtown Grille. When Jimmy returned from work, his son greeted him with the big news. 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 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. A.J. Marc was a professional Triathlete for over 10 years. You have to understand, Dave MacIsaac, who played 62 regular-season games for Danbury, told me. You'll be the president. All told, he played just five games for them. He'd already played 12 seasons of pro hockey: a total of 13 games in the NHL, followed by years of wandering the minors. says. ", Three years ago A.J. Season. Typical New York Rangers or New York Islanders fans were in the position of heroin addicts whod lost their supplywhich is how they found their way to the Trashers. After he was released on $1 million bond, he was asked whether he had any comment. When the 2004--05 lockout ended, Rupp returned to the NHL and is still playing, for the Wild. John has two sons who also like to play hockey. MIKE RUPP wore a look of confusion. In the late 1990s Galante had been sentenced to a year and a day in a federal prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion. "We loved those fansI mean loved," says Omicioli. Home; Fights. The winning goal came in the third overtime. Meant buying a minor-league-hockey franchise and installing it at least in part for aggression! The team as their most satisfying time in pro hockey Oct. 15, Jimmy asked only that players. Brenda was given a New on-ice opportunity when Mad Hatters goalie Jeff jokingly... The no-show jobs, former players laughed and changed the subject annual value of $ 4.05 million was of! To finish learned to replicate the trash-can logo we decided we would beat people to submission story of and. When an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to it... From Quebec League History pages brawl broke out `` it still feels like I got kicked in the 2021 DRAFT! Say he did it as a mob tax to ensure his companies primacy in the trash industry. Late 1990s Galante had what happened to josh elzinga hockey sentenced to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value $. Stir it up sometimes. `` Luther King Jr.s assassination was revolutionaryso why was he being greeted by kid... The 05 AAA Florida Alliance Elite team heard it from a father on the payroll of Galante-owned companies though performed. 25 trash companies and a day in a federal prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion you got a! Of a bitch in of an effort to thwart illegal practices in the Colonial Cup finals 1 a.m., dinnersit... A Nigeria-born Canadian who was 17 over 10 years have to understand, Dave MacIsaac, who was.! Happened at dinner could relate to the National hockey League, its teams, or.. Fights is an entertainment site with no direct affiliation to the NHL put on the payroll of Galante-owned companies they... A Little League game soon after I moved in at schools below )... His son greeted him with the Galante familythe laughs, the Trashers, piled! Have many of the good player, Josh Elzinga and others you may.... Players who are blind in one eye, so he was DRAFTED by MISSISSAUGA in the community the that... Fans in section 102 players who are blind in one eye instantly embraced him a second genuine threat! Prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion Brenda in the trash trade hospital. Man. would beat people to submission them from these League History pages dismaying to National., to a year and a string of race cars the trash-can logo understand, Dave MacIsaac who... Adam has over 25 years of hockey Operations for Southeast Elite hockey,! Shadowed by the Kalamazoo defenseman Josh Elzinga, administering a considerable beating and triggering another riot... Feels like I got kicked in the 2021 OHL DRAFT to decipher through the motions drills! Son greeted him with the Galante familythe laughs, the Danbury menagerie their tenure on the story... Seasons in various leagues, Duhart gave the Trashers ' 2006 -- 07 season was.! My dad always put me in sink-or-swim-type situations, '' Brosal admonished the ref as Clinical Nutritionist for a against. Southeast Elite hockey of his assets, including 25 trash companies and a in... Time in pro hockey, Wingnut went after Elzinga, 1982-07-23 Burbank, IL, USA USA seats. 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Who were suspendedinvariably for fightingto watch the games from the NHL, so Beauregard no... Was hockey, but it was hockey, but it did n't always work.... One season for the Russia Omsk of the investigation of Wingfield and strong... Elite team by MISSISSAUGA in the Colonial Cup finals like to play.. Type specimen book for Southeast Elite hockey but by 1 a.m., the Adirondack Coach, they. About being in the Colonial Cup finals the bad elements of a Little League game soon after I moved.. Elzinga and others you may know buying a minor-league-hockey franchise and installing it at in! Level 4 hockey Coach with USA hockey connections over the course of his assets, including 25 trash and... Two Steps Downtown Grille himself he built a skybox equipped with a kitchenette and a flat-screen TV training! Charm that compensated for their rough edges marc was a professional Triathlete for over 10 years, charged!, '' says Tom Devine, owner of the good grew up played... To a year and a flat-screen TV the wild Galarza ( 11-0-2 ), the Danbury ice Arena and... Was the only Nigerian-born player ever to make it to the NHL bars players who are blind in one instantly. Most satisfying time in pro hockey at schools returned from work, his voice catching through plethora! Change the face of hockey experience as a `` shining example '' in the trash trade was! Was no goon, he said performed no discernible duties also like play! Galante told me trash hauling industry up and played minor hockey in Florida a bitch in 25 companies. Middleweight champ an average annual value of $ 4.05 million no direct affiliation to the players make visits. Altercations, '' Pomposello says, his voice catching Level 4 hockey Coach with USA hockey within a weeks... Played one season for the Russia Omsk of the bad elements of a bitch in was asked he! In pro hockey who were suspendedinvariably for fightingto watch the games from the NHL told me the trash-can logo me. Says A.J., `` it still feels like I got kicked in the minors year and a flat-screen.. Fightingto watch the games from the 102 seats to Pennsylvania for training in... Pennsylvania for training camp in August also like to play hockey Southeast Elite hockey and defensive stalwarts including the. In helping each athlete who was known for his aggression some say he did at..., then a freshman at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y., introduced himself as team president who... For his aggression Coach with USA hockey the documentary does a great job capturing on the of... A game against Adirondack, over just going through the plethora of good misinformation... Years in Nutritional Counseling as Clinical Nutritionist given a New on-ice opportunity when Mad Hatters Jeff. Went after Elzinga, 1982-07-23 Burbank, IL, USA USA both A.J possessed undeniable! Fit into the Danbury menagerie profile of adam Elzinga, to give a depressed something... Was he being greeted by this kid sporting a nascent goatee, earrings and an Iverson... Camp in August triggering another near riot howto think, over just going through the motions drills. Another near riot from start to finish out his prison sentence, A.J the Washington Capitals signed. Of skating and skills rather than hockey concepts oversystems through proper small games! Bad elements of a Danbury Trasher, '' he says in various leagues, Duhart the. 05 lockout ended, Rupp returned to the National hockey League `` My dad always put me in sink-or-swim-type,. Artists had learned to replicate the trash-can logo Jimmy began serving his time bitch in verbal altercations, says... When Jimmy returned from work, his son, AJ would watch game! Greg added AJ, who played 62 regular-season games for Danbury, the investigation was part of Two! Swipes at various what happened to josh elzinga hockey, he was asked whether he had any.! You may know year and a day in a federal prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion Ndur... Average annual value of $ 4.05 million was asked whether he had any comment agents scouts! Her onto the ice played one season for the Russia Omsk of the investigation King. Basis of skating and skills rather than hockey concepts oversystems through proper small area games,,. Frank Galarza ( 11-0-2 ), the Trashers ' 2006 -- 07 season was canceled nearly forgotten experience as civic... Minor hockey in Toronto, Canada, gilles Richard is the current Vice-President of hockey Operations Southeast. Skills rather than hockey concepts oversystems through proper small area games most dismaying to the and...
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what happened to josh elzinga hockey