Steve Sempeck and Lori Sempeck thought their son, Matt, was getting a premier opportunity to showcase his talents in the North American Hockey League for a chance at the college level when they signed an “advance player guarantee” and purchased a “platinum package” sponsorship from the Albert Lea Thunder.

What they got was a possibly illegal contract and a whole lot of headaches.

For $12,500 the Sempecks believed they had a deal where Matt would be guaranteed 45 games — unless he was injured or suspended — and be able to play on the team until he aged out after two seasons and not be traded or released from the team. It sounded like a small price to pay for security, a safe locale and a shot at possibly playing college hockey.

The plan was going swimmingly in the first year. Matt played in 38 games, recorded six goals and one assist and missed some time with injuries. But things changed in his second year with the team. Before the season started he broke his ankle on a family vacation and missed the first month and a half of the season. Once he was medically cleared he expected to return to the ice with the team but that never happened.

Head coach Brad Zangs, who according to several sources was told who to play by the ownership, was fired Oct. 20 this season, and Chuck Linkenheld was brought on as the new head coach.

Linkenheld came in with the understanding with the ownership that he would have control of the roster and be able to play who he wanted. He did so, and Matt found himself the odd man out. Matt wasn’t activated on the roster until nearly a month after he was cleared medically to play.

If Matt Sempeck hadn’t broken his ankle on a family vacation in August, the Thunder pay-to-play scandal might not have erupted. So how did Matt break his ankle?

The Sempecks, who are from Elkhorn, Neb., a western suburb of Omaha, went tubing on the Niobrara River near Valentine, Neb. Matt jumped off his tube into shallow water, causing his ankle to fracture.

Matt and his parents grew anxious and annoyed by the runaround they were getting from the team’s management, Barry Soskin and Jim Perkins. Matt neither made the road trip to Topeka nor did he travel to any of the road games after that.

Finally his parents couldn’t take it any more. They believed they had — and still believe they have — a legal contract that requires the team to play Matt.

On Nov. 5 Steve asked Soskin if he needed to see a copy of the contract and Soskin told him no and admitted to Steve he had knowledge of the alleged “pay-to-play” contracts.

“All we wanted to do was for them to honor their word,” Steve said. “They wanted us to quit. If we quit, the problem goes away.”

The Sempecks weren’t ready to go away. After Matt didn’t see the ice Nov. 6 and Nov. 7, the Sempecks sent a fax to Soskin at the Thunder office.
League finds Thunder allowed ‘pay-to-play’

League statement: ‘Not a reflection on NAHL’

“After numerous discussions, we feel the coaching staff should honor this and be accountable per the agreement, which is attached. We feel Matt has been treated unfairly and not giving [sic] the opportunity to fairly prove himself. …

“We feel the new coach was not made aware of the contract with Matt when hired. If this coach is not cooperative with this agreement, he should not have assumed the position,” the fax read.

After no response from Soskin, the Sempecks sent a six-page fax to NAHL Commissioner Mark Frankenfeld. In it the names of seven other players allegedly involved were printed.

“We don’t want to go the legal route — but we will if this is not settled. Mark, all Matt wants to do is play. Pretty simple. If Barry honors his contract, all this is done. At least on our part. There may be others on that list that may have the same issues.”

Soskin met with the NAHL Board of Governors last week and last Tuesday the NAHL’s Executive Committee sent a memo to all governors recommending the Albert Lea franchise be terminated or come up with nearly $400,000 to remain operational.

The Sempecks said they were unaware of how the contracts might be illegal and thought all expansion franchises employed similar tactics.

“We were probably naive to that,” Steve said. “I guess we just trusted these people.”

He also said he plans to legally enforce the contract, if necessary.

A cancelled check reveals a payment of $12,500 with the date listed as April 17, 2008 — which was 13 days before the team was announced and nearly a month before a head coach was introduced.

When Matt returned to the team in early October it was like he wasn’t even part of the team. He said he did not have a locker space, wasn’t given his number from last season and was excluded from drills. He was told by Linkenheld he didn’t ever plan on playing him. The team offered Matt several different playing options with other teams, but he considered those options to be lesser levels.

Linkenheld maintains that he doesn’t believe Sempeck belongs at the NAHL level and told Matt he didn’t believe he could play at that level.

“We didn’t ask him to be on the first line or anything,” Lori said. “How does he know? He hasn’t even seen him play a game. How can he judge him by practice?”

Matt, who was listed at 5-foot-7, 160 pounds last season, played the 2007-08 season with the Chicago Young Americans Major Midget team. He tallied 28 points, scoring 13 goals and 15 assists and finished seventh in the league in points.

Matt likely will not see any playing time as long as Linkenheld is the head coach, but the Sempecks believe the contract they signed ensures Matt playing time and will remain with the team.