The invisible elephant that has existed inside the Albert Lea Thunder locker room since the team’s inception was exposed Wednesday when the North American Hockey League Board of Governors handed down an ultimatum against the team for alleged violations.

In the NAHL players are only expected to pay for billet housing. In other lower level junior leagues players pay to play on the team, but no one at the NAHL level is expected to pay to play on a team.

“As the only USA Hockey-sanctioned non-pay-to-play Tier II Junior A league in the country, the NAHL is mindful of USA Hockey requirements and the need for integrity in any player procurement and rostering process. These allegations are not a reflection on the NAHL or its 18 other members who adhere to the applicable Tier II Junior A standards. A decision regarding these matters will be made in due course,” said the NAHL in a prepared statement.

The Albert Lea Tribune has learned that eight players were allegedly paying to play for the Thunder under the guise of parents signing a “advance player guarantee” contract with the team.

The eight alleged players, Steve Nykolajcuyk, Mitch Tews, Mark Ellis, Jake Armijo, Zach Lewis, Tommy Robaczewski, Matt Sempeck and Mat Rabin were all tenders of the Thunder in its inaugural season.
League finds Thunder allowed ‘pay-to-play’
At the center of the issue is who controls the team. The Albert Lea Thunder Web site lists both Jim Perkins and Barry Soskin as owners, but Perkins’ title with the team has changed three times since the team’s inception.

This past summer he was referred to as the junior governor of the team at one point. He is listed as an owner on the team’s Web site and was previously named as the director of hockey operations.

“I have a lot of money invested in the team as an owner,” Perkins said.

How much Perkins has invested remains unknown. Sources have said his stake has ranged from 50 percent to 25 percent to less than 10 percent. According to a memo sent to all the governors in the league Soskin does not own 100 percent of the team.

Perkins said he hasn’t hidden anything from the Board of Governors but cannot go into specifics because of pending legal action.

“I can assure with you I have told them nothing but the truth with the problems,” Perkins said. “I have not hidden anything from them.”

The NAHL Board of Governors found Perkins and Soskin made “advance player guarantee” contracts with players’ parents. Thunder head coach Chuck Linkenheld was told by Soskin that he had no knowledge of any possible contracts with players or their parents. Perkins’ signature appears on the Sempeck contract, but Soskin’s name is also listed as an owner. Multiple sources with familiarity of the situation have said Soskin would have known about such dealings.

Soskin has not returned multiple phone calls from the Albert Lea Tribune seeking comment.

Perkins denied having any involvement on the hockey side of the franchise, despite being introduced as the director of hockey operations at the team’s first press conference.

Perkins and Soskin first became acquainted through junior hockey when their sons both played for the Chicago Force, a Tier-III Junior A team in the Central States Hockey League.

Soskin has an extensive background in hockey. He owned the Toledo Storm of the East Coast Hockey League, a minor league affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. He also owned the Traverse City Enforcers, Nashville Nighthawks, Waterloo Bucks and Sylvania Sharks in minor league baseball. He owns the Pittsburgh Cougars and the Findlay Growl of the Northern Junior Hockey League, a first-year league. Perkins was an unknown among hockey circles in the Chicago area. Linkenheld, who has coached for 20 years in the Chicago area never heard of Perkins prior to joining the Albert Lea coaching staff.

The deal

Linkenheld said he was unaware of any arrangements the owners might have had with the parents prior to taking the job, but quickly learned there was some kind of “deal” in place with two players.

“Only two people have come to me at any point and said ‘Why aren’t my kids playing? Don’t you know the deal?’ One of them was Jim Perkins … so Jim would call me and say ‘Hey, how come my kid’s not playing?’ I said, ‘I don’t care what your deal is. I’m playing who I think should play when they should play — period. The other one, I got a phone call from Mrs. (Lori) Sempeck. I said, ‘This is Junior hockey. You shouldn’t be calling the coach to ask why your kid isn’t playing.’ And I simply told her I didn’t think her son was capable of playing in this league on a regular basis and I wasn’t going to activate him. Then she said, ‘I’m going to call Jim Perkins … don’t you know the deal?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t know the deal, and I don’t care about the deal. You can call Jim.’ She turned around, showed her deal to the league.”

The Sempecks faxed a number of documents to NAHL Commissioner Mark Frankenfeld revealing a “pay-to-play” arrangement that involved players who play or have played for the team.

What now

The roster is frozen for 10 days or until the fees are paid. It leaves the banged-up Thunder at a loss for bodies. Five players are nursing injuries and with departures likely for the eight allegedly involved, it further taxes a short bench.

“I’m pushing for him (Soskin) to get it done so I can unfreeze my damn roster,” Linkenheld said. “If this isn’t cleaned up, I won’t be here.”

The television station, KIMT, has reported the team is working on a buy-out of Perkins’ share of the team and the team’s marketing director, Paul Contreras, admitted the contracts should not have been written.

Soskin and Perkins are likely facing an investigation from USA Hockey regarding the matter. If an investigation from USA Hockey takes place and they are found to have made “pay-for-play” deals, they would face a lengthy suspension.

The Board of Governors told the franchise to pay about $400,000 by the day after Thanksgiving or face termination. That could mean any number of results should the payment not be made. One frequently mentioned by sources familiar with amateur hockey is the league taking over the team and eventually selling it to new owners.

The Thunder play next at 7 p.m. Saturday against the Owatonna Express at the Albert Lea City Arena.