Thunder roster is sold to Amarillo

Published 9:28 am Thursday, May 27, 2010

There will be no North American League Hockey franchise in Albert Lea next season.

The NAHL held its entry draft Wednesday and no Albert Lea franchise was listed as one of the teams selecting players.

A last minute deal to bring a franchise to Albert Lea fell apart when Terry Hughes’ application did not go through with the league.

Email newsletter signup

The former Thunder players will have a place to play next season. Amarillo, an expansion franchise in Texas, purchased the Albert Lea roster, said former Thunder head coach Chuck Linkenheld.

The draft put some finality to a rocky two-year run for the Albert Lea franchise. The NAHL banished Thunder owner Barry Soskin after it found Soskin engaged in a pay-to-play model with several current and former players. At the NAHL level players are only required to pay billet parents a housing and food stipend.

The league ordered Soskin to pay $400,000 to keep his membership in the league after Soskin failed to post the $200,000 league-required cash bond at the start of the 2009-10 season. The league also stipulated that Soskin repay all money taken through the pay-to-play agreement and pay a $50,000 fine. The league estimated that Soskin owed $100,000 to the players’ families, who agreed to advanced player guarantees.

Soskin and former partner Jim Perkins sold the advanced player agreement as advertising the parents could purchase.

Eight players were believed to have been involved in the pay-to-play model.

The NAHL held its draft without franchises in Albert Lea or Mason City, but it does have the expansion team Austin Bruins.