By Zack Wilson, Staff Contributor
On Jan. 14, former NHL player Mike Danton attended his first class at St. Mary’s University. The 29-year-old Brampton, Ontario native was recently given clearance by his parole board to make the move to Halifax and attend school on a full-time basis.
In one of the most bizarre cases the sporting world has ever witnessed, Mike Danton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in 2004 and was sentenced to seven years and six months in a United States federal prison (FCI Sandstone). At the time, the alleged target was his agent David Frost, who represented him in a managerial sense, and doubled as his mentor.
In a recent interview with Roger’s Sportsnet reporter Nick Kypreos, Danton claimed that the target in his murder-for-hire plot was not Frost, but rather his biological father Steve Jefferson. Many skeptics around the sport have questioned whether or not Danton should be given the opportunity to play for the Huskies.
Originally born Mike Jefferson, Danton changed his last name while playing in the New Jersey Devils organization, after years of turmoil between he and his family. A number of reports have surfaced that allege the name change came on the suggestion of Frost, whom Danton is now believed to have been in an intimate relationship with. A taped phone call between the player and representative was aired in a November, 2005 episode of CBC’s The Fifth Estate entitled “Rogue Agent”, in which Frost demanded that the young player tell him he loved him, to which Danton eventually complied.
Much like former Swift Current Broncos Head coach Graham James, who was sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison for sexually abusing young men such as Sheldon Kennedy and Theo Fleury, it has been suggested that Frost had taken liberties with his players. A number of details regarding the relationship between Danton and Frost have recently surfaced including allegations that while playing junior hockey in Ontario, Danton and a number of teammates were made to perform sexual acts with young women in hotel rooms while Frost watched.
On Aug. 22, 2006, David Frost was charged with 12 counts of sexual abuse. The charges stemmed from crimes apparently committed against four boys and three young women between the ages of 14 and 16. Frost was later acquitted of all charges due to what the judge saw as tainted testimony on behalf of certain witnesses.
Frost has since resigned as a NHL Players’ Association agent.
Conditions of Mike Danton’s parole forbid him from having any contact with his biological father and have restricted him from engaging in any face-to-face reunions with David Frost. The former St. Michael’s Majors star admitted recently that while in jail he tore up and sent back letters to his parents, Steve and Sue, whom he has not spoken with since he was 15 years old.
No date has been set for when Danton will make his return to the ice in a Husky uniform.
While in prison, he was given the opportunity to skate from time to time, but the St. Mary’s coaching staff have deemed that this is not sufficient preparation for a league as elite as the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport).
This is not the first time that a former NHL player has made the leap backward to the CIS. During the 2007-08 season, former Los Angeles Kings second rounder Jared Aulin became the first player in 20 years to return to the CIS from the NHL. Although, in Aulin’s case, his time with the University of Calgary was meant to be a conditioning stint – a stepping-stone in his climb back to professional hockey.
Given his criminal record, Mike Danton will most likely never be allowed back into the U.S. and therefore will probably never again be afforded the opportunity to play in the NHL.
While behind bars, the former St. Louis Blue had been enrolled in correspondence courses from Queen’s University and is well on his way to obtaining a university degree. He is currently enrolled in three sociology classes at St. Mary’s.
Many sceptics have questioned whether or not Danton should be allowed to partake in university hockey. His criminal record aside, that Danton will be a 29-year-old man playing against kids as young as 18 has been questioned. Unlike basketball, the CIS governing body has no age restrictions as far as hockey is concerned. Mark McGregor, the CEO of the CIS has looked at the case carefully and believes that Danton is deserving of a shot at playing for the Huskies, who are currently ranked eighth in the country. It will likely be another week before his first game, St. Mary’s athletic director Steve Sarty said in a recent interview.
It is easy for critics and sceptics alike to look at a man such as Mike Danton and say that he is not deserving of a fresh start. It’s effortless for them pass judgement on a troubled individual that they look at as nothing more than a would-be murderer.
Danton has acknowledged his mistakes and is attempting to turn his complicated life around. He should be afforded the same rights as every other citizen of this country. If he wants to come to Halifax in an effort to bring a national championship back to Nova Scotia, I say we let him.
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