Rubber Hockey - November 2025

Former CAHA president Kanai found liable for civil theft, must pay $540,000 back to association

A Colorado court recently ruled that Randy Kanai, the former president of the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA), must pay the organization $544,189 after being found guilty of civil theft, breach of fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment.

In addition, Colorado District Court Judge Chantel Contiguglia dismissed a defamation lawsuit Kanai filed against his successor, Bryan Smith. The judge ruled that Smith’s comments during board meetings — accusing Kanai of wrongdoing — were not defamatory, as they were largely based on “substantial truth.”

Kanai served as CAHA president from 2010 until his removal in the summer of 2023. Following his ousting, the new CAHA board, led by Smith, filed a lawsuit alleging that Kanai had misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars from the organization through his private companies.

Court records show that in 2021, Kanai began running CAHA-sponsored events through his company, International Sports Event Management (ISEM), which also managed several Team Colors girls’ hockey teams, a USA Hockey-sanctioned tournament, and a sports combine. The court found that ISEM diverted registration fees from these events, eventually amassing over $1 million in its accounts. ISEM also received nearly $80,000 in apparel sales rebates from Northwest Designs.

The court found Kanai liable for civil theft, conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment, and ordered actual damages of $181,396.58, prejudgment interest of $35,111.42, and treble damages of $544,189.74 against Kanai, as well as providing additional injunctive relief and attorney’s fees and costs.

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Words from the publisher...

How is it already Thanksgiving in less than two weeks? If you’re like me, you have a lot to be thankful for, especially when it comes to family.

When Rubber Hockey first started in 2006, my wife and I had been married two years and had a one-year-old son and a three-year-old dog. These days, our kids are 20, 18 and 15 and we have two dogs and three cats with two dogs and a cat sadly crossing the Rainbow Bridge.

Still, I would never trade any of this for anything.

Want to join the program here at Rubber? Call or text me at (248) 890-3944 or send me an email at mackindermedia@yahoo.com and I’ll fill you in on all the details.

Until this time next month... Happy Thanksgiving!

--Matt