Five months ago, Athens gave professional hockey a chance. So did Devin Goldberg.
He moved to Athens a month ago on nothing more than promises that he could keep the dream alive playing professional hockey in a fledgling hockey league for the Ohio Valley Ice Cats.
The team has since suffered from mismanagement, a shortage of players and unstable funds. It has lost every one of its games, and players have yet to be paid.
Goldberg was last with the team on New Year's Eve, huddled in the back of a stuffy U-Haul truck, counting the highway's bumps all the way from Toledo after being left there by a bus company citing $3,000 in unpaid bills from the team's owner, Mike Killbreath.
Killbreath, also the founder of the first-year, low-level International Independent Hockey League, has the team on a planned hiatus until Jan. 15. But the Ice Cats and the IIHL have been on their last breath many times since September.
The league has had a pulse only because many players - mostly young, first-time minor leaguers with little money, little time and realistically little hope of a future in professional hockey - take Killbreath at his word.
Those in Killbreath's past, however, have little patience for him. Several claim he owes them thousands of dollars. Many more say they never want to see him again.
Interviews with past associates and financial records obtained by The Post reveal that since 2000, Killbreath has launched three short-lived, professional-hockey ventures that failed in a matter of months. More than a dozen businessmen from ice and roller-hockey rinks, county governments, professional leagues, equipment companies and other various business operations claim they were deceived into providing their services, facilities and financial backing.
Up until Dec. 5, the eve of the IIHL's season-opener, there were still a ton of big unanswered questions concerning the Ice Cats' future, said Shaun Peet, an Ohio University graduate student who was the Ice Cats' general manager until he stepped down on Jan. 1. A little more than a month later, most Ice Cats players have left Athens or quit the team,
Peet said. The last five games have been canceled, future practice ice time has not been scheduled, a proposed four-month lease with Carraige Hill Apartments fell though and players are still waiting for
paychecks.
Nevertheless, Killbreath is determined to have a team on the ice by Jan. 30, the Ice Cats' next game, Peet said.
Mike is not going to let this thing die easily
Peet said. He's in pretty deep now.
Killbreath, who currently lives about nine hours away in Harbor Springs, Mich., has refused to provide records disputing those who say he owes them money. Killbreath has threatened to sue The Post for $5 million for examining the IIHL and his past hockey ventures.
First Impressions
Bird Arena Director Marcus Marazon received an e-mail from Killbreath in July 2003 that introduced the IIHL and the Ice Cats. After an early September press conference, the two signed a pay as you go contract for 18 sessions, an agreement that requires payment before each ice slot. Marazon did not hear from Killbreath again for two months.
Killbreath, at varying times the president, general manager and marketing director of the Ice Cats and several other teams, was supposed to set up an Ice Cats' Athens office by Oct. 13, start selling tickets by Oct. 18, hire a coach by Oct. 31 and start training camp by Nov. 24. None of those deadlines were met.
Not once did Killbreath contact the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, said Chamber CEO Fred Baughman, even though he claimed season tickets and advertising were being sold through the business community six months before the September press conference.
Marazon said he was initially unaware that Killbreath had told Broadcast Music Inc. Marazon would pay the minimum $290 for a license to play music during Ice Cats' games, or that it would be Marazon's responsibility to hire and supervise 14 to 18 students as game-night staff. Neither happened.
Courting
Disappointment
Peet, once a 17-year-old NHL draft prospect, traded in skates for baseball cleats to pitch for three years at OU. When Killbreath first came to Athens in September, he lauded the OU graduate student as an Ice Cats prospect and had him sign a commitment card on Sept. 18. Each card specifies that an IIHL team owns the right to trade or retain a player until 120 days after the season starts. But no money is involved.
Peet said the card was useless.
Peet drove almost 450 miles to Harbor Springs, Mich., in early November to attend an IIHL free-agent camp. Peet did not have to pay the $200 fee for the camp because he was invited.
Killbreath promised that media, general managers and coaches would be in attendance. None were, except one coach, Peet said.
It made me wonder whom the players were showcasing their talents for he said.
More than 150 players were expected, said Joe Kolodziej, who until his Jan. 9 resignation, was the IIHL vice president and head of player development. Less than 30 attended.
Bungled Beginnings
The first day of Ice Cats' practice - Dec. 1 - six players showed up. By the time the month-old team was put on hiatus, it had nine players, Peet said. Every IIHL roster is supposed to carry almost twice that. Killbreath did lure Ohio State University ice hockey club coach Bob Heine and assistant coach Alten Kellar to Athens as general manager and coach, respectively. But both quit after two days.
Heine, a Columbus-based defense contractor, discussed a contract with Killbreath three weeks prior to December, but nothing came of it. Information was always lacking, Heine said. Killbreath did eventually offer what Heine called a half-ass contract. It did not guarantee payment but based it on revenue from Ice Cats proceeds, he said.
It was the most bush league amateur circus you've ever seen in your life
Heine said. They [Ice Cats] didn't have anything. No jerseys. No pucks. How am I supposed to set up hotel rooms
etc.
without access to finances? You can't set up a business with no resources and tell them to run a business.
Players also came and went. Many - including former OU hockey players - came out just for the games as a favor, and then the Ice Cats would scramble again the next week for a new lineup, Peet said.
Signing the Ice Cats' contract meant the player could not sue the league. And the pay? About $125 a week, Peet said.
Former Ice Cat Rich Nichols, who currently plays goalie for the IIHL's Lansing Ice Nuts, drove to Athens with his fiancé from North Carolina - where he had tried and failed to get signed in another pro-hockey league. Killbreath promised to pay Nichols' way, but when the $57 a night hotel bill came, the money was out of Nichols' pocket.
The people really getting screwed are the ones spending their last $100 to get to Athens
Heine said. And for what?
Foggy Future
Mounting expenses are also causing problems with the Ice Cats and the IIHL.
I think things are starting to cost more than he [Killbreath] thought
Peet said.
At least in Athens, Killbreath paid about $3,000 for Bird Arena ice time and bought $500 worth of equipment, Marazon said.
Carriage Hill Apartments gave Killbreath two units to use for two weeks based on a promise to rent four units for four months, Peet said. Carriage Hill personnel then began telling players to leave or put a deposit on four units for four months.
Killbreath still has not fulfilled his commitment to put the deposit on the apartments, said owner Gerald Herron.
Killbreath also still owes in excess of $3,000 to the Toledo branch of Blue Lakes Charters & Tours bus company, said General Manager Denny Otte.
And Ice Cats' players' paychecks for Dec. 21 and 28 still are due, Peet said.
Former IIHL Communication Director Larry Nader said the Ice Cats' hiatus is not because of financial difficulties. However, Killbreath told Marazon that he had spread himself too thin
Marazon said.
Nader said he resigned on Jan. 8 after Killbreath breached his contract, but he would not elaborate on details.
Revenue from games is low because stands remain empty. Average attendance at each of the Ice Cats' two games was around 70 people, Marazon said. Bird Arena holds nearly 1,500.
When the Ice Cats stopped in Flint, Mich., at equipment retailer Perani's Hockey World, each player was given $20. The most players could purchase was hockey socks, and that took bargaining, said Brian Barnett, OU junior and former Ice Cats practice player who traveled with the team with intentions of signing.
Players had real bad attitudes
Barnett said. A lot of players were upset that things were not getting done that were said would be done. But some believed Mike [Killbreath] was actually going to pay them.
Peet said with about $15,000 the Ice Cats could secure housing, recruit new players and stabilize the team. Killbreath's promise to provide that funding is still unmet, he said.
Peet himself has paid $500 toward team expenses, such as renting the U-Haul truck.
If I continued to give my money and time for the Ice Cats
I probably would be worse off with every passing day
