NHLer charged in murder-for-hire plot

[SuperBeaverInc.]

NHLer charged in murder-for-hire plot

ST. LOUIS

The troubled story of NHL player Mike Danton has become bizarre.

The 23-year-old from Brampton, Ont., who changed his surname to Danton from Jefferson less than two years ago because he no longer wanted to be associated with his family, has been arrested and charged with conspiring and using a telephone across state lines to set up a murder.

The St. Louis Blues forward was arrested at San Jose's airport early Friday morning following the Blues' ouster from the playoffs by the Sharks.

Katie Wolfmeyer, 19, has also been charged on the same counts. She allegedly contacted a hit man, who in turn reported the scheme to the FBI.

A hearing is tentatively scheduled for Monday in federal court in East St. Louis, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Blues spokesman Frank Buonomo declined to comment Saturday, repeating Friday's statement that the matter was in the hands of law enforcement officials and the judicial system.

Danton's agent Dave Frost could immediately be reached for comment Saturday.

Danton spent his junior hockey career in the Ontario Hockey with both the Toronto St. Michael's Majors and Barrie Colts. He won a league title in 2000 with the Colts.

A criminal complaint filed in U.S. federal court said Danton allegedly wanted to kill a male acquaintance whom he had fought with over Danton's "promiscuity and use of alcohol."

The complaint said Danton feared the acquaintance, who is not named, would talk to St. Louis Blues management and ruin Danton's career, but also said that Danton was afraid the "acquaintance was going to leave him. Danton did not want to allow the acquaintance to leave him, therefore decided to have him murdered."

Until his arrest, Danton came across as a hard-working player of moderate talent who also had a big mouth and was dealing with some personal issues.

Danton came to the Blues in a trade from the New Jersey Devils at the NHL draft in June 2003.

The Devils drafted Danton in the fifth round of the 2000 draft and he spent the 2000-2001 season with their minor-league team, the Albany River Rats.

The Devils suspended Danton the following season for failing to report to the minor leagues and he was suspended for most of the 2002-2003 season for the same reason. He had two goals in 19 career games with the Devils before he was dealt to the Blues.

Danton had an acrimonious relationship with Devils GM Lou Lamoriello, who runs the Devils with a tight grip. Danton was quoted as saying once that he would not "drink any more of Lou's Kool-Aid."

The scrappy five-foot-nine, 190-pound forward earned a spot on the Blues' roster last fall and tied for the team lead in penalty minutes this season with 141. He had seven goals and five assists in 68 games, but his job was more to irritate opposing players and draw penalties.

He saw limited ice time in the Blues' five playoff games this season, but scored a goal during his six minutes in Game 4 of the series.

During his NHL career, Danton would gripe to the media when he was a healthy scratch from the lineup or when his ice time was less than he thought he deserved.

For a young player starting out in the league, that earned him the reputation as a malcontent, although Blues' management called him a "pleasant surprise" midway through this season for his work ethic.

Frost told the Post-Dispatch in Saturday's editions he had spoken to his client since the arrest, but still didn't have all the facts.

"I can tell you it had nothing to do with drugs and alcohol, period," Frost said. "He's a good kid. He really is."

Danton legally changed his name in July 2002 from Jefferson for unspecified reasons, saying only that he did not want to be associated with his family.

He said he chose that name because it was the first name of a hockey player he met while helping out at a camp.

The Post-Dispatch said he stopped answering to Jefferson or any nickname derived from his last name during the 2002-2003 season and preferred the nickname Dants.

 

[jack merchant]

What kind of hitman reports to the FBI when he's hired ? Professional standards ain't what they used to be....

 

[WillJ]

Seems like the NHL is gradually turning into the NFL.

 

[DBear]

Talk about life imitating art--saw an episode of Playmakers that was like this.

 

[Sarevok]

I heard about this, and I thought it was kind of amusing. as WillJ said, this sounds more like something involved with the NFL rather than the NHL.

 

[bertuzzi's fist]

I've heard that Lou Lamiorello was the guy who turned him in, and the hitman was gonna kill Lamoriello (New Jersey Devils' General Manager)

 

[De Lorimier]

I never heard that. The story on most sites and in most newspapers is about his lover, not Lamoriello. Where did you get that?

 

[bertuzzi's fist]

maybe Lamoriello is his lover!

well, I heard it as a rumor from like, 3 separate people

 

[amadeus]

Why would he care about the guy's sex life unless he (Danton) was homosexual?

 

[LesCanadiens]

What does this have to do with hockey? Seriously? So the man was a hockey player, who cares. Unless his motives were hockey related, it has nothing to do with hockey.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Originally posted by rmsharpe
Why would he care about the guy's sex life unless he (Danton) was homosexual?

It is surprising, how few pro athletes admit to homosexuality (none come to mind). I have a feeling it might be more sinister than mere homosexuality.

 

[bertuzzi's fist]

Originally posted by LesCanadiens
What does this have to do with hockey? Seriously? So the man was a hockey player, who cares. Unless his motives were hockey related, it has nothing to do with hockey.

thats why this was in off-topic and not sports talk

 

[bertuzzi's fist]

Originally posted by De Lorimier
I never heard that. The story on most sites and in most newspapers is about his lover, not Lamoriello. Where did you get that?

...it's been confirmed that it was actually Dave Frost, who was Mike Danton's agent.

 

[joycem10]

wasnt Frost concerned with Danton's "promiscuity" and drinking?

does anyone know the story on why he changed his name from Jefferson to Danton?

also wasnt Danton a goon? his PIMs are way up.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

A gay hockey player? Now I done seen evreeting