Investigative Report -- The IIHL

[Reporter]

Starting Wednesday, Jan. 14, The Post in Athens, Ohio will publish a three-story series examining the Ohio Valley Ice Cats, the IIHL and league founder Mike Killbreath's past hockey ventures.

The link is below:

http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/index.php

[peetie12]

Tim,

The article certainly has people talking around campus. All that truth in there makes me a little nervous though. Plus, there are a couple facts that are slightly off, including one that is fairly major. Call me or email me to find out what these issues are. Also, you should be careful when you quote a message board since it would be difficult (although not impossible) to prove that the comments made on the message board are actually those of the person claiming to make them.

Shaun.

[hunter49770]

wow, nice job killbreath. way to go, you hurt some more players dreams. did you have dinner out alot with the money or did you buy yourself some new toys? this is a train wreck, and unfortunately there were some good hockey people on board the train. craig coxe, chis blacious, joe k, rosty saglo. how could you even fathom bringing these people down with you, what a looser. there are some of us that really liked going to the games even tho your teams looked like rediculous practice squads. i hope you end up in jail for what you have done, how can you look yourself in the mirror and how can your family look at you. the truth will come out and if we are lucky you will be locked up to never do this again.

[peetie12]

I think I can be quoted somewhere on this message board saying that I would quietly support the league if two things happened:

1) The players that were owed money were taken care of, and
2) The team continued to provide a benefit for the Athens community.

Well....I'll start with the second one. Last I heard from the big dog was that the team will be practicing / playing somewhere else while they regroup; perhaps another training camp somewhere. "The next game isn't in Athens until the 30th, so we'll bring the team down there for that weekend, stay in a hotel, and then go on the road again". WHA??? There is no way that the team can provide a benefit to the community if they are never here. And besides, the idiot still doesn't realize that it takes weeks and weeks of marketing in order to get fans out to the games. January 30 / 31 is Sibs weekend at Ohio University. I had no doubt in my mind that we could have had at least 800 people out to both of those games just because there were so many people in town. But it wasn't going to happen automagically. I have been bombarded with questions today about the article that appeared in today's paper. But most questions were..."there was a pro team in Athens???". I digress from my point.

As for the first thing, with the players getting paid....Well take your guess.

So I guess I have no choice but to be opposed to this team and this league. Sorry Mike, but I stay true to my word.

I also feel sorry for Joe and Tom in Northern Michigan, it appears your financial investments have gone for nothing.

[Big Chris]

You know,

I think Shadow's comments on previous posts rings true here. It's high time someone, anyone who got screwed by Killbreath come out and press charges. Then again, this article is running in a big enough newspaper that all someone would have to do is give the local authorities a copy of it and they will look into this matter.

This article may be the thing that finally puts Killbreath behind bars where he belongs.

[therealstory]

well boys this is a sad story for hockey. even more sad for those of us that have tried to do whats best for all the players. last i was told there was a coach on the way to big mikes house to collect money and all of the lansing payroll checks bounced. i have tried and tried to make this league go. i have tried to support it to the very end, but i can no longer offer that support. stay tunned for more news soon tho, i think the end is near for mike and the league. and mike if your reading this, i will file suit against you if you try anything else in hockey, just to keep you out, and i wont care what it costs me. look for me to announce something in another league before the end of the month, and be assured that the players i have worked with will get another opportunity with me next year.

[peetie12]

And to add more fuel to the fire....

I heard tonight that Northern Michigan has....FOLDED. I've heard this from three people now, but not from any 'official' sources. The 'unofficial' sources that I've heard it from though are the players on the Predators, so they're probably not lying.

Then...get this one....I got a laugh out of it.....I also heard that the Predators will be the new team in Athens. HA!!! They're a bunch of cowboys who are nothing but trouble, and I, as an Athens resident, do NOT want them hanging around here. Just imagine Mike Wolf teaching a 6-year-old how to fight, and then ACTUALLY fighting the 6-year-old. No thanks.

[Big Chris]

How is it that NONE of the local authorities have launched an investigation into Killbreath's businesses yet? This is very shocking to me...

[BigMike]

Folks who have the knowlege will know when they can safely speak out as not to put any damper on the leagal aspects of this nightmare

Many lives have been touched by this situation directly and indirectly
It will come out in the wash but I wonder how long it will take delay delay delay, there has been enough of that since day one

I do hope that the Players will find other teams, folks get their money and there will be peace in hockey again

[therealstory]

the predators have not folded, the rest of the teams are done, no money, no players. mike is in some serious trouble. i have contacted the authorities on him. he is done.

[Reporter]

Here is the link on the first story in The Post:

http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/N.php?article=N4&date=011404

The 2nd story, which came out today (Jan 15), should be updated on the Web site shortly.

[Sewer-rat]

So did Dan Monacelli resign? I don't remember hearing if he did or not.

[Big Chris]

the predators have not folded, the rest of the teams are done, no money, no players. mike is in some serious trouble. i have contacted the authorities on him. he is done.

I don't know if you are able to devulge this info yet but,

Will civil or criminal charges be filed? Suing him probably won't do very much because he just escapes or disappears at the thought of a lawsuit that he didn't initiate.

[Reporter]

Here is Story 2, from The Post, in Athens, Ohio.

http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/N.php?article=N1&date=011504

[Big Chris]

Just read the second part of the series. For everything I have heard to date I am still shocked at just how bad this has turned out. I feel bad for the people who lost money and even worse for the kids who's dreams got stomped on by Mike Killbreath.

There have been sleazy operators in pro sports before but this guy may go into the con-artist hall of fame for his antics in the last 4 years...

[preeths]

Killbreath fires back:

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=2993973&l_id=109&t_id=1246

[The Shadow]

Not to be confused with a "textbook example" of FRAUD! How about a "textbook example" of LARCENY? Or, for that matter, a "textbook example" of a CON ARTIST?

You can find all three listed in an entry in the "K" volume of the Midwest Short-Lived Sports League Encyclopedia.

[peetie12]

Things sure have been quiet these past couple days. Too quiet. Perhaps Mike is in a plane to Cuba or something. That would be a befitting ending to this saga. Rumors of prosecution abound, but of course details are faint. Even Joe K. and Chris B. seem to be staying awefully quiet. At least nobody is calling me for information anymore. Maybe I'll find out myself what is going on by making some calls of my own.

Anyways, the three articles in the Post here in Athens were no doubt damaging to Mike and the team, and probably the league. One of the other newspapers in town, the Athens Messenger, also ran an article last week about all the fun stuff that's been happening lately. I did not read that article personally, but people have told me that it was just about as damning as the ones in the Post. And it was written by a guy who did his own research on the subject (I know this since he called me - and I gave him a bunch of other numbers to call).

You'd think with the history of the IIHL that the end wouldn't come quietly as it appears to be happening. I'd be amazed if there wasn't some noise generated in the very near future about something.

Oh, and by the way. My roommate, who played at Yale and played some games for us (as a favor), who was one of the four people who received paychecks on December 21, got a letter from his bank the other day kindly (well, actually not very kindly) letting him know that the check had bounced. That makes every single check that was written on that day made of rubber - at least those written at the Ice Cats. Oh, and of the 13 guys who were owed paychecks from December 28 - the checks that were supposed to be in our hands before we played the game on New Year's Eve, so far not a single player has been paid from that payday.

I don't understand how Mike thinks he only owes a combined $7000 from his three teams. The Ice Cats payroll, Bird Arena, the Amerihost, the Mariott in Lansing, the rink in Lansing, the Ice Nuts payroll, the Snipers payroll, the rink in Detroit...All these things have been reported to me by multiple sources as unpaid. The payroll alone would be $7000 for three teams for two paydays (which, by the way, is less than is "budgeted"). Mike's comments about no bills being past 30 days is false too, since Bird was to be paid BEFORE usage, and we skated on the ice on December 14 that has yet to be paid. That's 35 days if the agreement was to pay a single day before usage, which it was not.

I'm trying to be impartial and I'm trying to stay out of it. But there was a reason that I was involved in the first place here and that was basically I had some connections with people that mattered regarding hockey, and a good reputation in town. I used both of those to try to make this thing a go, and the longer the bills remain unpaid and players remain unpaid the worse it looks on me. I have to stay here...I'm a student. I don't get to "go home" like everybody else. I figured as long as everybody else got their money I'd be ok with that. I wasn't even worried about the money owed to me. But since other people aren't getting their money, their asses are now on the line and it's affecting my relationships.

I don't know what to do anymore.

I'm sick of all this.

and I'm sick because of this.

[Big Chris]

Actually you have probably heard the last of Mike Killbreath. He tends to disappear until people forget his last scam and re-emerge in some fashion. If anyone was to contact the authorities about this guy and his whereabouts you really should do it asap before he skips town and goes into hiding.

[Sewer-rat]

Well there you have it, this prolonged vacation for the players is going to be a permanent one. As a good friend of mine always puts it... "It always works out in the end". Hey, he may disappear, but be assured one day, hopefully sooner than later this guy will get caught, and all the money in the world won't stop Big Bubba from loving him in prison. Sleep tight. :D

[peetie12]

There was another article written in the Post (the university newspaper) today which was quite pleasant reading. There was also an article in the Athens News about the other articles. Good reading, good times. Apparently Mike is under prosecution. Nice.

[REVVED]

Prosecution is good, but it’s the persecution of the victims that the true shame. All these players and companies that have been fleeced will never see their money and be permanently scarred by all of this.

If you ever hear the names of Killbreath or Milano (the loser that ran out on 3 different teams, last being the UHL Columbus Stars) - FOR GOD'S SAKE RUN THE OTHER WAY!!!!!

[Big Chris]

Holding Killbreath accountable for his actions is a good first step but I don't believe suing him is the answer. This is because there is no way in hell this ass clown will pay Joe one red cent. However, if criminal charges are filed then it will send a message.