NHL goalie Robin Lehner files for bankruptcy from $1.2 million SNAKE FARM purchase that went wrong

[pwaldo]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ot...-purchase.html

A professional hockey player for the Las Vegas Golden Knights has filed for bankruptcy with liabilities of up to $50million, with his problems stemming from a $1.2million purchase of exotic snakes that went badly wrong.

Robin Lehner and his wife Donya filed for bankruptcy on December 30, according to a filing in the District of Nevada, with the NHL and the Golden Knights listed as interested parties in the case.

It has been widely reported that the 31-year-old Swedish goalie's financial issues stem from his $1.2m purchase of a collection of exotic snakes in 2017 from a man named Ben Renick.

A few months after the purchase was completed, Renick - a world-renowned dealer of the reptiles - was murdered by his wife and her ex-boyfriend.

KMIZ reported last January that Lehner made an initial $200,000 payment to Renick for the snakes, but after his death stopped any further transactions.

As reported by the New York Post, Lehner - who previously played for the New York Islanders, the Buffalo Sabres and the Chicago Blackhawks - is the owner of RL Exotics LLC, which operates an exotic reptile farm in Missouri with three employees on the books.

Lehner estimates the value of his assets at between $1m and $10m, while his hockey base salary this season is reported to be $6.5million.

The Gothenburg-born goaltender has been plagued by off-field issues throughout his career, having previously spent time at a drug rehabilitation clinic and spoken openly about his alcohol addiction.

[pwskelly]

Wow, some stories are truly stranger than fiction. I'm not sure you could make this stuff up if you tried. Feel bad for Lehner and his wife, however, we are all ultimately responsible for our own actions.

Unfortunately, Lehner has had his fair share of off-ice issues including battling addictions and struggling with his mental health. It really looked like he was hitting his stride over the past couple of seasons as the starting goalie in Vegas. Here's hoping he can turn it around and focus on hockey when he returns to the ice.

[discomike]

Feels like this story should be turned into a major motion picture!

[ethunder]

$1 million on snakes. Incredible. That’ll lead to bankruptcy. All he has left is a 50 foot plot, the pigs, and the worm farm.

[cjb]

I'd rather spend a million dollars on kittens. At least they would put a smile on my face as they drain my Bank account

[Spiderpool]

LOL ™™™?

The maths doesn't adds up...Maybe my calculator is broken...

How is someone who makes 6.5 million in one single year, unable to pay off 1.2 million worth of snakes, when he paid $200,000 initially.

That is one million dollars owing...

And you are going to go through bankruptcy and drag your name through the news for that?

Secondarily, why does he need a million dollars worth of snakes? How long is the NHL career of a goalie? A few years. Focus on being a hockey player for the few years while you can, and then after you are retired at a young age, then you can get all the snakes you want! Priorities...

[Savard18]

The crazy thing is that I saw this "true crime" documentary on youtube not too long about about this fiasco. Apparently the girlfriend/wife of the original owner killed her husband (Lehner's business partner) and then the snakes were neglected so a lot of them died, and obviously the snakes were the business, so without snakes you have no business, smh....

It's a really bizarre story. You can probably find the youtube video if put the victim's name (Lehner's business partner) into youtube... Because his murder was a pretty big deal just given the motive and circumstances.

**Edit - here is the documentary:

[subban7677]

Didn't he take them on a plane or something, or. I thinking of something else?

[discomike]

Didn't he take them on a plane or something, or. I thinking of something else?

I think you've got him mixed up with Samuel L Jackson!

Then again, if they ever do make the Robin Lehner story into a movie, I'm sure Samuel L. Jackson will be in it. After all he's in every movie!

[Spiderpool]

Watched that documentary provided by Savard18. Interesting!

But I still wouldn't want to be teammates with someone at a PROFESSIONAL level knowing they are "distracted" with a stupid snake farm. Snakes are cool though!

As a professional athlete, your priority is your team, teammates, fans, and family. Nothing else.

But the maths still doesn't adds up. Unless his mortgage and car loans, gambling debts, etc. total to 6.5 million per year, he should have been able to afford this very easily...