2026 DANBURY RING OF HONOR INDUCTEE: FRANK BIALOWAS
2026 DANBURY RING OF HONOR
DANBURY - The Danbury Hat Tricks are excited to announce the second member of the 2026 Danbury Ring of Honor class – former Danbury Trashers forward Frank Bialowas.
On Saturday, April 4th, the Hat Tricks will host the 6th annual Alumni Night. Former players, staff, and contributors from Danbury professional hockey teams past and present will be in attendance for another reunion and celebration of Danbury hockey.
As part of the festivities, three former players will be honored. We’ll continue to highlight each inductee this week, turning now to former Danbury Trashers forward Frank Bialowas.
Frank Bialowas joined the Trashers for the 2004-2005 season, their inaugural campaign in the United Hockey League. At age 34, the Manitoba native had already built a long professional career across the ECHL and AHL, most notably highlighted by a four-game stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the spring of 1994.
Speaking about his move to Danbury, Bialowas said, “Jimmy [Galante] was a good friend of mine, [Jimmy and A.J.] they’re good people, they had a great thing going, everyone loved going [to the games], you know it was just a pleasure being around.”
With his well-documented identity as an enforcer across the professional ranks, Frank became an iconic figure almost right away in Danbury. Former Trashers General Manager and current Hat Tricks GM A.J. Galante remembers his debut at the Danbury Ice Arena – “watching him skate around with no helmet with his long hair flowing, he looked like an absolute beast, we nicknamed him the Undertaker from WWF - we actually played the Undertaker's music when he was here.”
Talking with Bialowas, he fondly remembered A.J. making that Undertaker music remix for pregame warmups. Not only did he entertain the Trashers faithful, he undoubtedly struck fear into the hearts of his opponents.
A man of many nicknames, Bialowas was most well-known as “The Animal,” never shying away from a fight. Galante remembers one instance when, “an opposing player at the time kind of taunt[ed] Frankie but always [got] off the ice once he got on. It was a game of cat and mouse. Eventually Frankie caught him and gave him one good shot, and unfortunately that player spent a few minutes finding some teeth.”
That story is one of many that captures Frank’s lasting mark in the minds of Danbury hockey fans. What makes his legacy even more impressive is just how short his Trashers career was – 6 games. He logged 78 penalty minutes during that brief stretch. It became a must-see event any time he skated onto the ice at the Danbury Ice Arena.
“The Animal was an attraction,” Galante recalls. “He didn't play every game but when he was here, it was a legit must see game. He embodied what our team attitude was and was one of the greatest guys off the ice you could ever meet. In the 'tough guy' circles of hockey fans in the 90s and 2000s, Frankie is an unforgettable name.”
Jimmy Galante, Founder/Owner of the Danbury Trashers, had more high praise for Bialowas. “Frankie Bialowas epitomized the Danbury Trashers. Tough and relentless, if you drop the gloves with him, expect a beating. Frankie was also a skilled player. He played in the NHL and was an enforcer for the Philadelphia Phantoms for 11 seasons he was part of the 1998 Calder Cup championship team and was inducted into the Phantoms Hall of Fame in 2005. I am very proud of the fact that he is being inducted into the Ring of honor. It is well deserved.”
On what it means to be inducted into the Danbury Ring of Honor, Frank said, “It’s always a pleasure to get respected [by] good fans and good people…to me it’s a pleasure and an honor.”
On Saturday night, Frank Bialowas will be in attendance for his induction into the Ring of Honor, making his return to the Danbury Ice Arena over twenty years after last suiting up for the Trashers. One of the most unforgettable tough guys in the hockey world will now have his name etched into the story of Danbury hockey history.
Over the next few days, the rest of the 2026 Ring of Honor class will be announced. Stay tuned for more as we celebrate this year’s group of Danbury greats!
We encourage all alumni to register for the event through the team website HERE. We look forward to hosting!
The Danbury Hat Tricks continue their sixth season in the Federal Prospects Hockey League on Friday, April 3rd (7:30 p.m.) at the Watertown Municipal Arena, to take on the Watertown Wolves. Single-game tickets and partial season ticket packages are on sale and can be purchased in person at the Hat Tricks office located inside the Danbury Ice Arena at 1 Independence Way in Danbury, by calling (973-713-7547) or emailing (herm@danburyhattricks.com) the office, or online through Tixr. For the latest Hat Tricks news, visit www.danburyhattricks.com, follow the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/danburyhattricks), Instagram (@danburyhattricks), X (@DanburyHatTrick), TikTok (@danburyhattricks), and YouTube (@DanburyHatTricks), and subscribe to the Hat Tricks' newsletter.
The Danbury Hat Tricks are a professional hockey team based in Danbury, CT, and compete in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). Since their founding in 2019, the 2023 Commissioner's Cup Champions have brought thrilling, fast-paced, and hard-hitting hockey to the Danbury Ice Arena, earning a reputation for their competitive spirit, electric atmosphere, and strong community ties. The team is dedicated to providing an unforgettable game-day experience for fans of all ages while proudly representing the city of Danbury.