Bankruptcy Confessions of Lehner Detailed
In a surprising turn of events, goaltender Robin Lehner, who played for the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2021-22 season, has been absent from the team's training camp and is currently embroiled in a series of financial issues.
Last year, Lehner was awarded the NHL's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey, as he bravely revealed his battle with bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and drug and alcohol addiction in an article for The Athletic in 2018-19. However, his personal life has taken a dramatic turn since then.
In September 2022, a federal bankruptcy court granted an injunction to freeze Lehner's assets, following his and his wife's Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing. According to court filings, Lehner has been non-responsive to lawyers involved in his bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy filing revealed that Lehner is reportedly in debt to creditors for $27.5 million.
Aliya Growth Fund, a creditor, is particularly concerned about not receiving the $4.8 million owed to them due to transfers of money from Lehner and his wife's bank accounts to non-creditors, including shell companies tied to Dubai. It is alleged that $1.5 million was spent by the couple on vacations, gambling, and luxury items in 2022.
In a recent interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Lehner spoke about his bankruptcy and the allegations of being incommunicado. He expressed that no one has any idea what has happened to his family and life after the bankruptcy filing, and that more will be revealed in the future.
Interestingly, the NHL league office and the Vegas Golden Knights management have agreed that Lehner's salary will not count against the team's salary cap, as agreed by the NHL Players' Association and the NHL in October. This decision was made despite the fact that Lehner was not part of the team when they won the Stanley Cup in 2023.
Despite the ongoing financial issues, Lehner's performance on the ice during the 2021-22 season was impressive. He started 44 games, winning 23, with a 2.83 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.
As the situation unfolds, fans and the hockey community alike are left waiting to see what the future holds for Robin Lehner, both on and off the ice.
This article was last updated on December 15, 2024, at 06:21h.
