Mike Danton

[Booche]

Anyone catch part of those taped phone conversations with his agent (you know, the one he tried to have killed) David Frost? How strange is all this shit? How many agents force their clients to say that they love them?

I wont be missing The Fifth Estate tonight.

[Freak By Night]

Should be interesting. Frost is a weirdo.

[SevenSeasJim]

Are they lovers or what?

[AD]

there was an interview on The Team this morning with the CBC reporter that did the special airing tonight, and man is this story disturbing. Danton's younger brother is now involved in the story.

This is gonna be a creepy creepy story. The thinking is that it's just the tip of the iceberg as well.

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[Booche]

The Bizarre World Of Mike Danton

by Steve Simmons

Prison telephone calls recorded by the FBI provide strange and confounding evidence of the control player agent David Frost had over the hockey player who is now imprisoned for attempting to have him murdered.

Mike Danton remains behind bars in a U.S. federal prison in Fort Dix, N.J. -- still awaiting transfer to Canada -- and while the story of what him put there has become ever clear, the circumstances of the troubled relationship between Frost and Danton remain as baffling as ever.

The FBI tapes of telephone conversations from prison between Danton and Frost, some of which will be heard on a stirring one-hour investigation tonight on CBC News: the fifth estate, clearly outline Danton's clumsy attempts to have Frost murdered and an even clumsier attempt to cover up the crime. But the tapes also bring forth new evidence and information that paints Danton as a desperate, imprisoned victim of unlikely circumstance.

Among the evidence discovered by both the tapes and by the CBC investigation:

- Danton's attempt to have Frost killed was not his first try, but his second. He made an earlier effort -- an equally flawed initiation to have Frost eliminated months before he was, in fact, arrested.

- Frost believed his cozy relationship with NHL Players' Association executive director, Bob Goodenow, and Danton's questionable emotional state would lead to a lesser sentence than the seven-year plea bargain arrangement the player received. "The guy that I trust the most in this whole thing (Goodenow) is the guy with the most power," Frost said on the phone to Danton.

- Frost told Danton that he was being flown in to St. Louis at government expense to testify before a U.S. grand jury to help the case. "It's kind of cool," Frost said, "They're flying me in to help."

- Danton is portrayed on the tapes as having a voluminous sexual appetite that was a career distraction. When told he could be moved out of prison because of his emotional problems and into counselling sessions, Frost told Danton: "You'll have your own room ... You'll have your own computer. You can go on a porno site. You know what I mean."

"I'm not into pornos," Danton said.

"You didn't need to be. You had pornos going on in your own room," Frost said.

On the phone, Danton explained to Frost how the first attempt to have him killed actually took place.

Danton: "Guy said he could hook me up. Said it would cost 10."

Frost: "He was sucking you in. It costs like 100."

Danton. "He said 10, it was like, OK."

Frost: "Did you not ever think?"

Danton: "I gotta go."

Frost: "How do you feel?"

Danton: "I'm upset."

Frost: "Tell me how you feel right now?"

Danton: "Not very good."

Frost: "Listen, do I have to worry about my safety anymore?"

---

In the FBI tapes obtained by the Sun via CBC News, Frost's telephone conversations with Danton were spoken in a bumbling almost pathetic code that often confused the former hockey player.

TALKING IN CODE

Rather than speak about the $25,000 Danton apparently owed Frost, he would instead make reference to the No. 25 that Pascal Rheaume wore with the St. Louis Blues. Instead of referring to himself by name, Frost would refer to himself as the Young Nats coach. Frost coached the Toronto Young Nationals team that Danton played on and Goodenow assisted with.

Frost: "Remember that Young Nats coach you had?

Danton: "Umm.

Frost:"Talk in code, Mike. Remember the Young Nats coach you had?"

Danton:"I'm not catching you."

Frost: "Okay, remember who your Young Nat coach was?"

Danton: "Yeah."

Frost: "The Quinte coach?"

Danton: "Yeah."

Frost: "Did you ever mention that person at all (to police), the name?"

Danton: "No."

Frost: "Have you ever mentioned to anybody, what number does Pascal wear? Keep that number in your head. Did you ever use that figure to anybody?"

Danton: "Use that figure, no."

Frost: "You know, I won't be mad. This isn't a time to be mad. This is support time, Okay. Remember that figure that Pascal wears ... Was anybody else ever told about it? C'mon, think hard now."

Danton: "We can't be talking in code like this because I'm not catching a lot of the things you're saying."

Frost: " ... Did you ever say my Young Nats coach, I owe him Pascal?"

In his own roundabout way, Danton did attempt to explain why he wanted Frost dead and the $25,000 he owed seemed to have little to do with it.

"It was everything, it was just everything," Danton said on the phone to Frost. "I didn't know. Everything was coming down at the same time. Hockey, fighting ... Jesus ... Hockey was going down. Everything. All the same s--- ... Ah c'mon, read into it man ... I don't know. F---. I just wanted to ..."

"You just wanted to what?" Frost asked.

"I don't know how to say it over here right now ... I just wanted f---ing to do things. And things weren't f---ing good between that person. I felt that there was no other way."

"And you have these feelings still?" Frost asked.

"No," Danton said.

Frost made an attempt to convince Danton that his only way to avoid prison time was to mentally break down. He believed that through Goodenow's influence and the 'PA psychologist, Dr. Brian Shaw, the matter would be solved without significant time in jail.

"This is critical," Frost said. "Everything is going to be okay but it's got to go this way. I'm going to explain this to you right now. When Doc Shaw comes in from the NHLPA and meets with you, you've got good, okay? I talked to Dr. Shaw. I talked to him about your nightmares. I talked to him about your delusions. I talked to him about your paranoia. I talked to him about your girls. He thinks the reason you have girls, so many all the time, is your abandonment from your mom.

"Here's the thing. You have to tell him on the truth on why you do that. You have to tell them the truth on why you have to have them stay over ...

"Is it fair to say that anybody who thinks the way you've been thinking is sane?"

"No," Danton said.

Frost: "What's fair to say?"

Danton: "That it's not."

Frost: "Not what?"

Danton: "Sane."

Frost: "Not a sane way to think, is it?"

Danton: "No."

Frost: "So when you talk to Shaw, make sure you express remorse for the call, but not remorse for the fact you were trying to protect yourself, because you had fears ... The main lawyers say the absolute critical point of this it started in the core of your body, in the core of your head at a very young age. Whatever you've first seen, the beating, the fact she never took you out of the house to the grandparents, the fact that you watched him drunk in arenas, the real truth about this is ... you can get somebody off when you show that it started at a very early age. Okay?

" ... If we got to court you're f---ing done and I mean done. Seven to 10 (years), Mike. Are we clear, there's no fighting this?

"... There's one way only -- and that's psychiatric treatment ... It's being done by our own guy. Shaw comes in, talks to you, you tell him your fears, break down with him, it should be a day where you allow your emotions to flow."

---

Bob Goodenow is gone from the NHLPA, but David Frost remains an agent certified by the union in spite of a past that includes alleged forgery, assault and banishment from two leagues. The 'PA has yet to see the fifth estate's investigation, which details, among many things Frost's involvement with tying up Danton's 13-year-old brother naked to a tree, shooting him with a pellet gun and photographing him.

"David Frost's certified status remains unchanged at this time," said Ian Penny, the NHLPA's associate counsel. "The NHLPA's approach to Mike Danton's legal proceeding and his relationship with David Frost has been guided by our interest in supporting Mike and doing our part to ensure that Mike obtains the best possible legal outcomes, both legally and personally."

[dave-O]

The disgusting part is that David Frost is still an active player agent registered with the NHLPA. I don't have time to double check my facts right now, but I believe he was disbarred by the OHL/CHL years ago.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

disturbing

[Freak By Night]

... but I believe he was disbarred by the OHL/CHL years ago.

He was disbarred from the CJHL, but they rescinded.

[SmoothedShredder]

I imagine they'll be rescinding the rescinding.

[ollie]

I want to know why the hell anyone would make statements like this over a prison phone line.

[Booche]

That was nuuuuuuuuuutty. I am confused. Was it the CIA or the FBI that wanted someone off'd?

That hidden interview with David Frost at that hockey rink scared me. You could just feel his rage building. I'm firing my agent because they must all be bad.

Dimafleck, you're fired.

[Jaimoe]

Danton's father and uncle were on the Fan 590 yesterday. They said Frost has naked pictures of Jefferson's 13 year old son - one photo has Frost holding a shotgun to his head. The cops will nail this puke.

Edited December 1, 2005 by Guest

[AD]

Booche, you're fired.

And never call me from jail again.

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[Booche]

"They said Frost has naked pictures of Jefferson's 13 year old son - one photo has Frost holding a shotgun to his head. The cops will nail this puke. "

Obviously you didnt watch it. They decided not to prosecute because Frost would get off. All the other kids that were there were willing to testify that the younger Jefferson had those pics taken of his own free will.

Anyways Jaimoe, looks like I am on the market. If you need a new agent, give me a call. Do you love me? Saaaaaaaaaaay iiiiiiiiiiiiiit...............

[badams]

Danton's father and uncle were on the Fan 590 yesterday. They said Frost has naked pictures of Jefferson's 13 year old son - one photo has Frost holding a shotgun to his head. The cops will nail this puke.

Today they wanted to replay what was said but had to cut the origianl 14 minute interview to 7 minutes. I guess the lawyers got a little scared that what was said could cause some legal action.

[Jaimoe]

I didn't watch it because I'm at work. As of today, Danton's father and uncle were adamant that they'll be able to get Frost due to the photos of Jefferson's 13 year old. It's not over.

[Jaimoe]

The strange thing is, the OPP police officer that was involved in the case, Jeff Blackstock, I believe is the same Blackstock that's a family friend of my aunt and uncle.

[Blane]

wild shit. this is "swim coach" material for hollywood. But holy shit does danton ever seem like a dolt.

[dave-O]

A couple of points that were left out of the Fifth Estate doc:

- Mike Danton being sent to minors by the NJ Devils and Danton's subsequent interview that he "wasn't drinking Lou (Lamerello)'s Kool Aid". Then Danton was traded to the Blues.

- When the story of the attempted murder-for-hire broke, the original reason was not owing Frost money, it was that Frost was black-mailing Danton, saying he was going to Blues GM Larry Pleau with "information" that would ruin his career. I wonder if that was part of the first attempt to cover it up?