The hockey world is built on hard hits, both with bodies and pucks. When the Monroe Moccasins cut defenseman Seth Bacon, he traded the ice for the internet, launching a fiery solo show on Facebook filled with redacted screenshots and impassioned rants.
The Monroe Moccasins, a hockey team that played in the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) from 1997 to 2001, ultimately folded due to declining attendance despite a promising start. However, on June 5, 2024, New Orleans-based businessman Nicolas Perkin announced the team’s revival at a press conference. Operating under the Perkin Hockey Group, the revived Moccasins called Monroe, Louisiana, home once again.
Perkin appointed Parker Moskal, a veteran of the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL), as team president. Following his assumption of the role, Moskal promptly announced the club’s first signings. As a newly revived team, they set a league record with a season of attendance of 126,000, according to Moskal’s LinkedIn.
To bolster their team, the Moccasins sent Future Considerations—a promise to send a player to another team later — to the Baton Rouge Zydeco in return for Bacon. With a resume that spanned the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL), North American Hockey League (NAHL) and FPHL, he seemed like a solid addition. The team’s initial statement glowed with excitement, promising fans the kind of gritty, hard-nosed defense Bacon was expected to deliver.
Guided by Head Coach Todd McIlrath and Associate Head Coach Darren Dougan, the Moccasins hit the ice for their first game on Oct. 11, 2024, losing 7-2 to the Athens Rock Lobsters. The following season, the coaching titles transferred to Russ Parent and Jay Croop, with Dougan staying on staff as a general manager.
Before the season opener, the Monroe Moccasins released Bacon, prompting fans in the team’s unofficial fan group to demand an explanation. In response, Bacon posted redacted screenshots of an alleged conversation with Croop, in which Croop asked him to find a “plug” in Monroe. In a follow-up post, however, Bacon conceded that the team had officially released him for not reporting in playing shape.
After approaching Bacon for an interview, we were left on read on multiple occasions. An attempt was made to contact Croop and his team, but no one was willing to say anything on the matter.
The scandal caused significant turmoil among the fanbase, leading several group administrators to step down. Ultimately, the remaining admins removed both the posts and Bacon from the group.
“This page isn’t for sharing negative comments about individual players, coaches, fans, or any other,” fan group admin Chance Neathery said in a post. “If either of the parties want this info out there, they can put it on their own page or text it out and post screenshots on their respective pages. These admins are doing the best they can with what they have, which are the rules.”
Bacon, however, was not the only one whose time in Monroe ended abruptly; on Oct. 21, Nic Perkin announced that Moskal no longer held the title of General Manager and that he himself would serve as interim manager indefinitely.
A potential reason began to unveil itself; over the summer, Moskal developed the Pee Dee IceCats in Florence, South Carolina, positioning himself as the team’s majority owner, CEO and governor. However, the formation of the IceCats immediately raised eyebrows. The new franchise acquired several popular players—including Jackson Legro, Houston Wilson, and Dustin Jesseau—through trades. Fans viewed this as a clear conflict of interest, given Moskal’s simultaneous role as a player and general manager for the Monroe Moccasins.
This conflict was not merely administrative; it played violently on the ice. As a GM sharing the ice with players he had cut or traded, Moskal became a prime target in a sport known for settling scores with its fists. The tension was palpable during the season opener on Oct. 11, 2025, against the Biloxi Breakers, where Moskal repeatedly fought with former Moccasin Declan Conway.
During a game on Oct. 17, as reported by Moccasins Nation, Moskal took a shot on goal and missed. In the ensuing play, he bumped into Bacon and then pushed him into the wall in an apparent attempt to instigate a fight. This time, however, there was no confrontation—Bacon simply skated away, leaving Moskal’s provocation unanswered.
The situation reached its apex when just one day after being released from the Moccasins, the IceCats abruptly released Moskal from his positions. On Oct. 22, the team’s ownership—consisting of Kevin Boggs, Kevin Cupia and Mike Ronan–stated the franchise was not for sale and refused to clarify the reasons for his dismissal. Unverified rumors swirled, and fans speculated Moskal had been ousted for embezzling from the new franchise.
The IceCats intend to continue to leave fans to their speculation, unwilling to provide any further information on the current situation surrounding Moskal.
“In an effort to stay focused on hockey, our fans, and this community, no member of our organization will be speaking further on this matter publicly,” the ownership team said in a letter on the official Pee Dee IceCats Facebook page.
