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BCHL  

West Kelowna Warriors and former coach try to settle lawsuit

Warriors, ex-coach in court

The owner of the West Kelowna Warriors and the club's former head coach are scheduled to face off in court Tuesday.

Kim Dobranski and Geoff Grimwood are expected to take part in a settlement conference of the lawsuit brought down by the Warriors former coach.

Grimwood filed suit in June, claiming Dobranski breached his contract when the coach was fired in January.

He claims the contract signed in September of 2018 provides for an immediate lump sum payment of an amount necessary to ensure his salary met the BCHL's minimum standard of $50,000 if he were terminated.

He said the team failed to, or refused to make the payment.

Grimwood is suing for $30,000 including interest and filing fees.

Dobranski has denied the claims, stating the entity Grimwood sued never employed his services.

"The West Kelowna Warriors Hockey Club (Society #S0064872) is a non-profit booster club for the Warriors franchise operated by KD Sports Ltd. We operate spring hockey programs and provide gaming for our youth programs. Contrary to his claim, Mr. Grimwood has never been employed by our organization," stated Dobranski in his response to the court at the time.

As such, Dobranski disagrees with the breach of contract claim, "as we didn't have a contract with him."

This is the first of two lawsuits facing Dobranski.

The second involved his former business partner Xiaorong Liang.

Liang is asking that a $300,000 investment in the team, plus other payments, be returned because of breach of contract.

Dobranski claims that lawsuit is "frivolous, unfounded" and a tactic to try and bully him. He says that lawsuit was filed because of his refusal to roster her 15-year-old son, and play him in the fall.

That suit was filed in Vancouver.



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