TAKING OUT THE TRASHERS...
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their dressing rooms, tacking the remaining moments of that period onto the next.
Marofsky also handed Elzinga a match penalty, which was a smart move, really. It fit the crime, but it also spared Elzinga the pummeling that would surely have followed. He was subsequently suspended by the UHL for five games, which happened to include the next meeting of the teams, Dec. 11, in Kalamazoo.
The third period spun wildly out of control, marred by several incidents that resulted in 18 separate penalties.
The worst of those was the sight of hulking Trashers' defenseman Rumun Ndur going positively ballistic, kicking at Harper, lashing out at the Wings' Tyler Willis, charging the K-Wings bench to take a swing at Tom Ditzer, and finally, being taken down by both linesmen.
Ndur, one of a minority of UHLers with big league experience, got 20 games for his misdeeds.
The line was crossed and re-crossed, and was all but rubbed out.
Mark Cuban, UHL Style
None of those incidents, bad as they were, ended with Danbury police rushing on to the ice.
Galante's alleged assault did.
He entered the visitor's penalty box through the DIA lobby, Galante was ready to confront Marofsky at the final horn. Instead, his roundhouse right caught Harper on the mouth.
Before matters could escalate, Galante was restrained and was hustled away.
Many club owners have been wanted to throttle an official. None have, until now.
The criminal case has been held over until January. Charges may dropped before then, but given the animosity generated, that seems unlikely.
Official Backlash?
Harper, who also officiates games in the American Hockey League, is bent on testifying against Galante. He also claims, through his attorney Joseph Lamendola, that the UHL has pressured him to drop the case.
What has Brosal has done for his official? Suspend Harper for HIS actions in that game!
Just exactly what those actions could be are a mystery, although it's said held by Brosal that Harper screamed at Galante, thus inciting the whole affair.
Brosal will likely find himself with a very unhappy staff of game officials, whose impartiality will be sorely tested every time the Trashers take the ice. A job action by the men in stripes is not out of the question.
Meanwhile, Brosal has to grapple with this question. How do you take meaningful action against a club owner? Especially one who is not involved in the day-to-day club operations. Galante handed those duties to his 19-year-old son A.J. Galante when the franchise was awarded (See: What I Want For Christmas).
Will the fine already levied make the matter go away?
Not likely.
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