Trashers feel the love from ‘Lover Boy’
Hip-hop artist Drake wears Danbury team’s jersey as he launches new album
On Friday, Drake’s new album “Certified Lover Boy” was released and broke Spotify’s record for most-streamed album in a day. The 34-year-old Toronto native also broke the Apple Music record for most-streamed artist in a day.
So how would the hiphop icon celebrate? By wearing a Danbury Trashers jersey, of course. Wait, what?
The musician, known to show up at sporting events all over the country, posted to Instagram twice in the early morning hours Saturday wearing a Danbury Trashers jersey. On the back was the name Galante and the number 17.
At any other time in the last 15 years, Drake being caught wearing a former minor league hockey team’s jersey may seem odd. But the launch of Drake’s latest album comes in the same week a documentary on the Trashers was launched on Netflix entitled “Untold: Crime and Penalties.”
The team only lasted from 2004-06, but made its mark on the sports world. The Trashers were known for starting not just fights on the ice, but sometimes violent ones beyond what is typical for the sport. They were featured on ESPN’s “Sports Center” sometimes, often for a fight or for other antics from the team.
But they were also known for their owner James Galante, a trash magnate with ties to the mob and Genovese crime family. The team would go defunct in 2006 after Galante was indicted on charges related to unfairly controlling the garbage industry.
Galante bought the team for his hockey- and wrestling-loving son, A.J., who was put in charge of the team as president and general manager at the age of 17 when he was still in high school.
“Frankly, it was just so normal to us at the time,” Galante said in a recent interview with Hearst Connecticut Media. “It was just my life.”
The jersey Drake wore in his Instagram posts — Galante 17 — is what A.J. used to wear at games and around town supporting his team. The 17 marked his age when he took control of operations.
How Drake wound up wearing the jersey and why was unclear. In one post, he is lifting the jersey above his mouth and nose, with the words “Evil Empire” as the caption. It has nearly 1.5 million likes. The second post features Drake turned around next to a vehicle with the words “Waste Removal.” The photo has nearly 1.3 million likes.
Tagged in the first post is “champsdanbury,” the Instagram account for Champs Boxing Club — A.J. Galante’s boxing club in Danbury. The boxing club account then reposted one of Drake’s images.
It wouldn’t be the first time the Trashers and Galantes crossed paths with well-known celebrities. In the Netflix documentary, WWE (then-WWF) wrestlers were shown at an A.J. Galante birthday party. Among them was Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The documentary also shows John Cena attending one of the Trashers games and making an on-ice appearance before the game.